Social Anxiety

I suffer from pretty severe social anxiety. To be honest, I suppose I'm not that good at dealing with it, but I am a lot better than I used to be. What I discovered is that if I am in a situation where I can expect certain specific interactions, it is easy for me. For example, I work with the public. I find comfort in the words that are part of every transaction I do. I can say "Hi, how are you. What can we do for you today? How is everything going with your account?" etc etc all day. If I do run into a situation that I don't have any idea what to say to, I can focus on the specific problem at hand instead of the actual customer if I need to. When it comes to outside of work social interactions, I always make sure there is someone with me I trust to understand my social anxiety and help me. I don't go anywhere without one of my closest friends if I can help it. If it's a function they wouldn't be at, I'll make sure I dress comfortably, carry my phone in case I need to call one of my friends for support, focus on talking to one person at a time if possible, and always have something other than the people involved to do or focus on if necessary. I don't know if this helps you much, but I do know how you feel, and I wish you the best. =)