I Can't Handle It

Sorry to hear you struggle with social anxiety so much. I have social anxiety and it controls my whole life and so i developed selective mutism as a result and other things. Mine got so bad that i got hospilatised 2 years ago (im 17 now). Its so understandable to worry about holding down a job! I do too! My school just keeps going on about work experience, and the thought of interacting with people makes me feel so hopeless. Its good your getting support from a therapist and a doctor, just keep going with it. Things will pick up and get better! I know you may feel different from 'regular' people like not going to concerts and that, but i would never be able to do that! Your not alone, i can relate so much to this^ take care.

I have always been "shy," without any apparent cause. Then in school I became a target for what we now call bullying, which made it worse. I had the shakes, panic attacks, and elaborate schemes to avoid meeting or talking to people. It never got as bad as yours sounds.

I was lucky to make one or two friends (still excruciatingly embarrassing process) now and then. If I really knew someone, I could talk, if not really open up. I still feel that way whenever there is attention on me--I guess that never completely goes away. I always feel fat and ugly, even though I know I am not at present.

What let me break through was anger, maybe hatred. After resenting this enough, I made the transition to not caring at all what others think. Marijuana helped, but I won" advocate using drugs for you. I just started acting as though no one is there (I was already good at ignoring sounds human make). But it helps that I grew into a scary male adult.

This answer is way too long, sorry. The gist is that you need to be your own, most forgiving audience. You are practically an adult, and can start discounting other's opinions out of hand. And you can't do it alone. Even one close friend can help. There are lots of people with this problem, and at your age, people are starting to be more mature about it.

Stay strong. Recluses are the some of our wisest, and the world may need you to contribute something.

keep talking it through there are some good people on here there is never a quick solution and when family and friends keeps trying to help and offer advice it can push you even further away because some times you dont need it and other times you do and telling the two appart is difficult good luck xx