I get really bad anticipatory anxiety before I do certain social things, like get togethers, parties, stuff where I won't know everyone, or new activities, etc.
The thing is, I *want* to do these things. I want to be social. I want to connect with other people. But my anxiety and worry around it causes me to avoid. The urge to avoid, is really strong. But my life is not....I am unhappy and I think this is a big reason why. I barely have any friends. I don't really feel connected to the world.

I've dealt with this for a long time. Like, 10 years. I'm in therapy now, and I just feel like, it's not helping. We don't really consistently work on it though. I am looking for a new therapist.