Well I just realized that my symptoms are exact except for maybe one symptom to social anxiety and every symptom to selective mutism. I've been diagnosed with social phobia but then I read about selective mutism and was kind of just shocked because I never understood some of the things I did that were more than social anxiety and then realized that they were behaviors of people with selective mutism (like, can't say 'I love you' to family despite having a loving mom. and wanting to speak but feeling like my brain won't let me.). I didn't start to see a therapist until 18 so I still have it pretty badly though it might be slightly better compared to elementary school-high school. Anyone else and what is your experience with it? How did you get better if you did? Some people say exposure therapy but then others say it doesn't work.

And I would like to know how to make friends with this anxiety disorder. The only friend I had I'd known since I was about two so I grew up with her and could talk to her but it seems like I can't make any other friends. I've been extremely lonely throughout my entire life and want to change things now that I'm in college.