I ended up in therapy when I was 15 for anorexia and was diagnosed with severe social anxiety, too. During treatment, I was kinda "forced" into exposure therapy for my social anxiety. I can honestly say that being given that first push was the best thing that could've happened to me. I was initially given VERY small goals, like waving to someone in the hallway, ordering food at a restaurant, etc. I also had a lot of social anxiety-related ritualistic behavior (wearing the same clothes every day, having the same hairstyle) that I had to work on breaking. I resisted a LOT, but eventually I improved and my goals got bigger.

I haven't had structured exposure therapy for social anxiety in many years, but I do still make goals with my therapist around it. Having accountability has been very helpful, and I have slowly but surely made progress towards having a sort of "normal" life. These days, I am able to successfully hold down a job and communicate with my coworkers, and I am in the process of tackling what I think may be my final major hurdle: forming new relationships.

Therapy can seem daunting, especially when you are afraid to open up to people. But I really can't recommend it enough. Finding someone trained in exposure and response prevention (ERP/exposure therapy) is particularly valuable.