I have never been comfortable in social situation

Hello Marie, I can definitely relate to this. I am an introvert myself and don't generally find it comfortable in groups. However, I'm slowly trying to change things and become more sociable as difficult as this may be. When I have been involved with groups in the past I would normally just sit in silence and listen to others whilst they were chatting away. I have never really socialised, not until recently. I have been to three social meetings so far and there were about nine or ten of us in total on each occasion. This is the website I joined www.meetup.com They have a lot of different groups that you can join and I actually found a group called Shy London and they organise regular meetups in order to experience different things like visiting a pub together, going to museums and places like that. The important thing about this is the fact that you are getting the opportunity to meet new people and this can only be a good thing. I'm trying to push myself on a regular basis but there are times when I find it very difficult. Good luck with your own situation. Andrew

I can totally relate to this in some ways. I am the quiet person who never speaks but it is worse when I know the people. When I don't know someone and know I am never going to see them again it helps a bit. But not if it is someone like a friends parent or something. Like random people out shopping who don't even notice I am there. I guess in one way I try and isolate myself so people don't speak to me yet at the same time I am desperate for someone to be my friend. Group work scares me alot. I never speak up in discussions. Pretty much the only socialising I am comfortable with is talking online but even then I get anxious when people talk about certain things. I mean talking to tutors I don't like and I get very scared if someone I don't normally speak to speaks to me. I get scared over what people can see about it and everything but I try to just stay as invisible as I can.

I was always very outgoing, then I started drinking heavily, then I quit drinking, and now I live like a hermit. It also seems the longer i keep to myself the harder it is to "get out there". Which has been especially hard moving cross country and not knowing anyone. Im only 26 but have the lifestyle of a grandma, ha.