Social anxiety

I do. I cant help you

People these days are self-involved, uninformed, opinionated, vocal, crass, and uncaring. THEY make me anxious. I don't have a problem avoiding them.
Try being an INTP (Introverted Intuitive Thinking Perceiver)
I've been in my mind. It's such a fine mind, that keeps me searching for a heart of gold.
Too bad I'm a J - Judger 😬, not a Perceiver. Best to you.🥰

@dmbwa99362 Here is what Mayo Clinic has to say about social anxiety:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/social-anxiety-disorder/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20353567
Yes, this is something I work my life around, everyday. Some days are worse than others, depending on where I will be, what kind of groups or people might be around me, etc. It is not easy to deal with, but I have found that persistence is key. Don't doubt yourself, don't give up on yourself. For me, limiting the exposure to situations I know will be a challenge, helps. I would love, simply love, to squirrel myself away in a cave somewhere, but that isn't going to happen. So, there are times when I need to "mask" and pretend everything [or almost everything!] is just fine. Take it slow, and be gentle on yourself, please.
Ginger

@shmerdloff, Neil Young, Heart of Gold album, fantastic song, thanks now I can use it for my next “ear worm”.

In a world that is made up of broken men and women, and therefore all out to eke out a living, the last thing I want to do is to Avoid them, unless I feel too good, or too bad, about myself.

EVERY one of us Something that the other may find attractive or unappealing. Connection between any two is when Each finds in the other at least One thing that the other admires, and VICE VERSA.
There is NO one-way bond except in bondage.
We flourish when when we find the other interesting enough to talk and laugh and cry and fume and play-fight with Another Fallen fellow also called, 'friend.'
The world had a viral epidemic that we help escape with medicine; the new epidemic is of loneliness...in a world that is Increasing in human population.
Think About It.
Are we Too Clever For Ourselves?
From Minister for Loneliness in UK to the Obama-era Surgeon General, Dr. Murthy asked to figure out his opioid crisis, diagnosing it's a problem of loneliness, the heavy cost of loneliness in early or excess deaths, diabetes, depression and dementia are well documented.
It's an uncanny (dis)ability of humans to lead us into our own self-made carnage.
And while wars we have known for ever, our capacity to Avoid healthy invigorating, even joyful human bond is the latest entry into our capacity for self-annihilation.
One may never know How Much waste is being inflicted on our self-created limited resources such as healthcare and education, but clearly it seems huge.
In my city alone the meetup for social anxiety has ten thousand members; the meetups for social connection are in low hundreds.
We may be the smartest species, but also the most prone to self-destruction.
Thankfully, a quick look at sites like American Psychol Assn tells us We can Undo Social anxiety Ourselves: Sitting with US and asking: What's bothering? It also called CBT, but essentially it is Clearer Thinking.
We've enough troubles we Can't solve. There is no need for this.
A welcome wind awaits us.

Jung empathic crucible

@shmerdloff
It is human to connect. We are gregarious, but our culture has somehow produced toxic narcissists with whom connection is painful. Jung says that at some point the trusting innocent has had enough and knows the routine of disrespect/abuse better than the narcissist. So enlightened, he or she may choose to avoid, or, if connected, keep the toxicity at arm's length (which is not an authentic relationship).
Zen Buddhists call it non-attachment. You care, but you are not sucked in and shredded.