Yea, there was a point in my life where I only talked to my family and no one else.
It started off in the seventh grade or so. I just stopped talking among others in class. I also didn't participate as much. My math teacher pointed me out to solve one problem she wrote on the board. I knew the answer, but I just shrugged instead since it didn't require talking. Outside of school, I'd have my mother do social things for me -- such as approaching a cashier to buy something or make an order at a restaurant.
It wasn't until I got into college did things change. It wasn't surprising for me that when my parents dropped me off the first day that I'd throw a tantrum. I cried so hard. I've made several phone calls to my mom on that day that I couldn't do it. She tried to console me; my dad tried to console me, and even my sister. It wasn't till the next day -- when the internet started working -- that I calmed down a bit.
The day things started taking a positive turn was when I read an ad about an anime club being held at my college. I don't remember when it was, but I think it was halfway through the semester. I knew the time and location the first club event would be held. I debated whether going or not, but I knew that if I didn't, I would just feel as miserable as I have been since the first day. So, I ended up going.
Of course, I was very anxious, especially when the club leader wanted all of us to introduce ourselves. The introduction was going in circles, so I knew my time to introduce myself was coming up. When it was my turn, I didn't have the courage to speak up for myself. Instead, the club leader asked the questions for me. "What's your name? What year are you? What's your favorite anime?" I hid my mouth with my hands, but I answered each question. It wasn't until a few months later, we hung out as friends outside club meetings. The friendship helped me open up slowly throughout my college years.
Another thing that helped in college was a required course: oral interpretation. That class required a lot of acting and standing up in front of the class. Near the beginning of the class, we had to act out lines. When it got to my turn, I had to read a line while laughing "Then she dropped the ball and had to chase it." Unlike the rest of the class, I hesitated a ton. I told my teacher in tears "I can't." Then it got strange. My classmates started being supportive. "You can do it!" The first time, I just read it, but the teacher wasn't happy about that. Over time, I was able to giggle while reading that line. When I finished, the whole class applauded. It let me know that people aren't as bad as judgmental as you think they are.
But yea, that's the gist. I still somewhat struggle with it, but I don't face massive anxiety. Well, I still feel tons of anxiety over job interviews because I have to talk a lot, and I do stutter. I've used a website called Twitch to chatter through my voice since I like to play video games, and I think it's helping me formulate sentences better.
The lesson from all of this? It seems like pushing yourself through it helps. The anxiety sucks, but so does feeling alone from shuttering yourself in your house. I'm amazed at some of the things I can do now. It's like "Wow, I really used to be mute at one point."