For me, social anxiety is something I have been suffering with since I was very young. You sit in a corner and distance yourself from all around you, yet at the same time you wish so badly to interact with people and share them your story. But there is a voice in my head that holds me back. It tells me they will never like me, in fact they will probably hate me. You think of something to add into a conversation, but then you think it would be better to not say anything at all, most likely they won't give a **** or find you weird. Social anxiety to me is a crippling and painful way to have an existence. But if you work hard, and certain individuals give you time, you can come to a point where you meet someone who accepts you for who you are, and eventually you put down your walls and allow them inside, and they are true friends. But for most people it is a battle to even mutter a small, "hello."