Social Issues?

[msfsteven]

I don't know what's wrong with me.. please bear with me as I try to explain: It makes me really nervous and anxious when friends ask about making plans with me to hangout with them. I don't know why, I just would rather stay at home and facetime or text. Could this be some sort of social anxiety?

[Invision]

Yeah, this sounds like social anxiety. I dealt with this a lot in the past few years, especially since I was homeschooled and socially isolated as far as people my age went.

The best thing to do about it, if you can, is to shrug it off and just do it. Don't think about it, just say 'yes' if the option is available to you (if it's casual, not if it's like, asking you to go skydiving or something).

Not sure what you could do as far as getting yourself to say 'yes' though. Normally I just take a deep breath and do it, kind of like diving into water from a very high point.

James

[Peppermint Tea.♥]

Hey Steven,

Yes, it's possible that this could be social anxiety. We can't diagnose you with anything here on TeenHelp, so if you feel like it's serious and affecting your life in a negative way then I'd recommend going to a professional like a doctor or counselor.

Perhaps make a deal with yourself. Set aside one day of the week where you will go out with friends, and then let yourself relax and stay home on the other days. Perhaps start small; say yes if a friend asks you to do something just you and them, or to go to a small gathering. Then move on to bigger things. As James said, sometimes you just need to take a deep breath and go for it!