I found that going out and getting a job definitely helped my social anxiety a lot! Everyone, whether they have social anxiety or not is nervous/anxious at starting a new job ~ so everybody's in the same boat. Not to mention that in a workplace, nobody really cares about socializing ~ it's all about not being lazy, showing up everyday & getting your work done as best as you can manage. The more you're around the same people, the better you get to know them & the more you feel comfortable around them. It took me a long while to loosen up (especially around the boss) but now, I have no anxiety around my co-workers/boss at all. Most jobs follow a routine with a familiar group of people on a daily basis, so it's tremendously easier to befriend them. As far as going out somewhere with any co-workers ~ if you're still feeling too anxious, don't worry about it. You'll loosen up more and more as time goes on...and who says you MUST go places outside of work to be friends?? I have a few co-workers that are friends of mine that I rarely go out with anywhere outside of work. Honestly, what "friends" do you know of, hang out with eachother for more than 8 hours a day, everyday? It's not that big of a deal to just see them at work if ya don't feel like going to a social gathering afterwards.