Dear Ann-Marie:

I read both your new threads. You wrote that you are “Not looking for anything other than some friendly advice or reassurance (you’re) not the only one in the world who has or is experiencing this kind of feeling”. By those feelings you refer to feeling fearful in social settings, not fearful spending time alone, but still wishing to socialize, correct?

My reassurance to you: no, you are not the only one. Like you, I was also “screamed at and called names endlessly for hours” as a child. It scared me then and that fear stayed with me, so I too feared people and preferred to be alone. I still longed for people, to be around people, wanted to, but was scared at the same time.

My friendly advice to you: quality psychotherapy so that you will be guided and helped to not be overwhelmed (or embarrassed) by your understandable fear of people, and have the relationships you long for.

anita