Dealing with my social anxiety | Thought Bubble
Hello. My name is Emily, I am 16 years old and I have social anxiety. For me, that means that the thought of being around people terrifies me - especially if it's people I don't know. So things, like walking around college, going shopping or inviting a new friend over to my house, put me on edge. My chest gets tight, my palms get sweaty and I may have a panic attack. Last summer, I debated doing NCS but decided against it because the thought of spending Monday to Friday for 5 weeks with a bunch of strangers away from home made me want to puke. No way was I doing that. So I did something else instead. I went to a summer school to a university near me. Spending 3 days and 2 nights with people who I'd never met before pushed me out of my comfort zone. I came home early after a panic-attack-filled night but I definitely got something out of it. When I started college, I was scared. But (through a lot of motivation) I have made some new friends and I am enjoying it. I...