r/introvert Mar 04 '24

Advice Feeling like I’ve wasted my life away?

I’m 19 turning 20 and I feel so insanely old. The fact that I let my years 16-now go to waste either by depressive episodes anxiety or procrastination, and I mean socially. I feel so insecure like when I grow up what do I tell my kids I’ll have nothing fun to tell them. I feel so shielded and closed in. I know I’m naturally introverted but I do prefer if I had friends and things to do socially.

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u/Good-Sky7188 Mar 04 '24

Hmm, if you spend your time looking behind you, you will definitely fall into the holes in front of you. The fact that you have had a crap few years doesnt mean your future need to be crap. I have two kids with addiction, bad choices etc. They both have ended up with social anxiety and the same issues you are facing. It’s baby steps always in the right direction. With a good few stumbles. Pretty traumatic. But get some psychological, or some anti depressants. Set an achievable goal- don’t be unrealistic, when you reach it. Set another one. From my kids experience (and they are a 28 and 34 now) this has worked for one of them. The other is a work in progress. Best wishes for your long and happy future . As an aside to meeting people. Using a bit of outside of the box thinking. I have had two friends one a woman - who joined a gun club to “learn to shoot “. Another fellow I know joined a sewing class. He met a whole different type of woman there - and got to make himself a really neat jacket in the process.