Social Anxiety

@Shanti41 "how do you know you'll be a bother? Can you read minds? Did someone say it before, and if so, how do you know another individual will say it in the future?" I use cognitive behavioural therapy when I get the same thoughts as you. I can't read minds. I can't think catastrophically, because I can't know the future. Perhaps you can Google 'thought challenge cbt' and see if there is anything else that can help you?

Remember, you are you. You matter. You deserve the kindness and compassion you show to others. If someone denies you that, they aren't worth the energy of thought. Besides, you can't please everyone. Try to please yourself, first.

Ultimately, if someone doesn't like you, that's okay, it just means you're a poor match with one another. It doesn't mean that the next person won't like you and vice versa. Each and every person that we meet is someone unique and may be someone that we look back upon in 50 years time as the most important friend we ever made. If they're not, that's okay and you'll cope with it okay. If they're someone that clicks with you, you're in for good times ahead. In the final analysis, the risk is some short term disappointment; the upside is long term good times. And ultimately, if you actually look back on your life, the disappointments while sometimes memorable aren't as common as we think.

@Shanti41 Try things like: "What evidence do I have that they will not like me?"

Thank you everyone.