Hi Everyone, just thought I'd give a little, if not long introduction 
I'm 23 years old and live in the Uk. I have suffered with social anxiety, severe depression, panic attacks and agoraphobia for the past 10 years. I was always a very shy child, a lot of strangers and family would comment on it to my parents. When I was about 7 there was a lot of arguing and abuse going on in my household and I grew up in a very unstable environment. At 13 I started getting picked in at college and that's when everything started. I dropped out of school and lost all my friends, I missed out on so much and in a way I still think I'm stuck in that mentality of high school. The bullying really affected me and still does. I always think strangers are going to randomly start on me and that everyone thinks the worst of me. I became pretty much house bound. I literally have NO friends. It's been this way since about 16. I rely heavily on my Mum. She does everything for me ie. shopping. I can't talk on the telephone or open the door. My Mum also "talks" for me when I'm in public, I literally go mute and cannot speak to anyone apart from my family. What makes it worse is that my family is very isolated also. We have no one apart from ourselves, they have no friends either. It sounds really strange I know! I honestly don't know if there is anyone else in the same position here?
Right now I only leave the house to walk my dog and even then I need to be driven by my Mum to a secluded location. I haven't interacted with a person outside my family since October.
It gets me really down to think that most people my age are living life to the fullest, that's what I want to do but I just feel it's never gonna happen. I've tried CBT but obviously that's hard because I can't talk to strangers.
I feel like I'm a lost cause right now and have gotten into a rut of accepting my life of just existing.
I'm 23 years old and live in the Uk. I have suffered with social anxiety, severe depression, panic attacks and agoraphobia for the past 10 years. I was always a very shy child, a lot of strangers and family would comment on it to my parents. When I was about 7 there was a lot of arguing and abuse going on in my household and I grew up in a very unstable environment. At 13 I started getting picked in at college and that's when everything started. I dropped out of school and lost all my friends, I missed out on so much and in a way I still think I'm stuck in that mentality of high school. The bullying really affected me and still does. I always think strangers are going to randomly start on me and that everyone thinks the worst of me. I became pretty much house bound. I literally have NO friends. It's been this way since about 16. I rely heavily on my Mum. She does everything for me ie. shopping. I can't talk on the telephone or open the door. My Mum also "talks" for me when I'm in public, I literally go mute and cannot speak to anyone apart from my family. What makes it worse is that my family is very isolated also. We have no one apart from ourselves, they have no friends either. It sounds really strange I know! I honestly don't know if there is anyone else in the same position here?
Right now I only leave the house to walk my dog and even then I need to be driven by my Mum to a secluded location. I haven't interacted with a person outside my family since October.
It gets me really down to think that most people my age are living life to the fullest, that's what I want to do but I just feel it's never gonna happen. I've tried CBT but obviously that's hard because I can't talk to strangers.
I feel like I'm a lost cause right now and have gotten into a rut of accepting my life of just existing.
