Job: 14 yrs doing job in retail dealing with public- very difficult with my anxiety, but I don't regret it because it forced me to deal with my shyness. I haven't and probably never will 'overcome' my shyness; but I'm better able to manage & accept it, and I no longer dislike that part of me. I work a lot of hours and expend a lot of worry there....so I don't have a lot of energy to make a rounded life for myself.

Friends: I'm terrible with social skills so I don't have a lot of confidence befriending people. Don't really have any close friends now....I'm not good at maintaining them...part of that could be due to my depression and not always being 'fun and lighthearted' to be around.

Family: I'm pretty fortunate in this respect, they have always been good to me. I am the youngest. We are not super close but the matriarch ties us all together.

Social Gatherings:I try but regret it a lot because I find it impossible to engage myself naturally. I discovered I do pretty good if I have a trustworthy extrovert with me to carry the conversation and alcohol for me. I've had mostly gay friends because I'm super shy around straight guys and I feel like an outcast around straight girls. For me the gay community has been more tolerant of my quirkiness.

Relationship: not a single one