Do you have social anxiety?

Hi everyone!

I've had social anxiety since I was very young- In fact, I can't remember a day in my life without it.
I'd like to share with you the short version of my story. If you are suffering from SA, I do hope you can find something to relate to- you are not alone in this!

Trigger Warning* Content below may not be suitable for everyone.

What happened to me?

*I remember the first year of primary school when I was 6 years old. I guess everyone was nervous because of the new environment. I cried almost every day before going to school and sometimes I got so scared that I would completely break down outside the school gates in front of everyone.
Over those years in primary school, every single person has called me "shy", "mute" and "quiet" and everyone would try so hard to get me to talk. To me, life in school was a disaster.

I started going to secondary school at 12y/o and I met a whole lot of new people. The bullying started in the first week of school. My whole class hated me and sometimes my teachers would laugh with them. Everyone said it was wrong to be quiet and would stop at nothing until they could get me to say something. At this point, my parents kept denying the fact that I have SA and said I would grow out of it. They would blame me for being quiet and say something like "Why is this so difficult for you? Everyone can do it".

I met my only friend when I was 16 and my life was changed forever. We talked and talked... and I was hopeful that I was turning my life around. For certain reasons, my only friend left and I had never felt more depressed. I started questioning myself and hating myself as a person. I didn't tell my parents because I knew they would be upset.*

*(Details are deleted to make the thread less boring)

What happens now?

Now I'm 20. If you ask me, I didn't grow out of it.. I didn't turn my life around but I can tell you that I didn't waste my time going through my problems
Life is not about what you lost, it's about what you gained.
I still hate having social anxiety.. I've missed out so much when I was a teenager but at the same time, I've become a strong person I had never imagined I could be.

If I can be strong, so can you.

Icedtea