Anita,

Thanks for your reply. I have tried CBT but I was dismissed as my therapist suggested counselling to help with understanding my emotions. She suggested I could return so I think I might give it another go.

The origin of my anxiety around people was when I was slapped in the face by a bully in public. This made me feel shamed, embarrased and worthless. I was angry at myself for not being able to defend myself. In social situations I would feel these same feelings. On top of that I already had low self esteem and confidence due to constant criticism (I’m very sentitive to criticism) from people. This led me to hide from social situations to protect myself.

Mark,

Thanks for your reply and advice. I’ll definitely check out Metta Meditation and try making one friend.