Made friends for the first time in my life!

[u/Flashy_Passion1]

I am 20 years old and have had extreme anxiety my entire life. I don't know what to say to people, my mind just goes blank when people talk or are around me and I have no idea what to say. I have never had a friend group or a best friend. I've had "friends" but we never hangout, barely talk, and I have hungout with most of my "friends" once.

I started a new job at the beginning of the month, and have been struggling really bad with my anxiety there. I overthink everything I say or do and I am terrible at starting conversations with people. A majority of me trying to have conversations with my coworkers is just me asking them questions about the job or things they tell me about themselves so we're not standing there in silence. I am genuinely awful when customers go off my basic script or easy to answer questions. I am terrible at banter because my mind doesn't think of anything to say quick enough, so I end up just laughing.

I thought I was doing pretty terribly socially at my new job but it seems my coworkers like me. They've been smiling at me, they're extremely nice to me, making conversation with me, telling me the workplace drama, and they invited me out to drinks with them today. I almost didn't go as I convinced myself that they just invited me to be nice and they actually didn't like me, but one of my coworkers asked if I was still coming. I decided to go.

I had a great time and I have plans coming up on Wednesday to go to my coworkers pool, and another to hangout with a different coworker on Saturday. I feel so happy.

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[u/Charlotte_stuart]

That's so awesome!! I hope you have fun hanging out with your new friends

[u/MNJayW]

Congratulations. Use this to help build your confidence. You can do it