I'm terribly self-conscious and social situations are literally hell. I'm only 15 and not anti-social so hopefully things will get better but still some help would be much appreciated

I can relate to you so much, this post might as well be written by me when I was your age. I was also raised in a culture and family like yours who doesn't really take mental health seriously. I'm a grown adult now, and sadly, I still haven't gotten over my anxiety. Fortunately, it doesn't cripple me as badly like it used to. Some things that helped me cope were:

1) Getting part-time jobs where I was forced to interact with 100+ people for 6-8 hours 5 times a week. These exposure therapy-esque experiences were what truly got me out of my comfort zone. It was the perfect opportunity to learn social cues and behaviors that helped me eventually to adapt to social situations or at least to act not as awkward as before. Before I knew it, I slowly gained confidence! I also realized that people in general dgaf. At. All. Everyone is stuck in their own heads 95% of the time and not all of them has the mental energy to expend on judging every little move I make. Do you remember ever single person you come across or talk to every day? What about their quirks, facial expressions, body language? A year or five down the road, will their opinions about a mere stranger like you still matter? Since this epiphany, I seldom take myself seriously.

2) Looking up to people with my condition and using them as inspiration to have more courage. For me, they're fictional characters or celebrities. When I find myself in a socially-awkward spot, I'd ask myself "What would Naruto (just an example, but it can be anyone!) do in this situation?" It helps me ground myself or at least help me cope with the stress I'm in. This may sound ridiculous, but it has worked wonders for me.

3) I hype myself up with motivational songs to boost my morale. Whenever I get ready for certain social events, I dress and do my makeup while listening to my lit K-pop or anime playlists. These songs contain messages that speak of self-love and confidence and being kind to myself that really empower me and put me in a headspace ready to face social situations I initially dread going to.

4) I won't give up talking to your folks about therapy, or at least consider opening up little by little about your anxiety so they may have more consideration for you. Have more faith in your family because they love you and will do their best to understand you. A lot of my anxious disposition I got from my mom. My parents coddled me so much to the point that my growth in my social life was stunted and severely impair my life to this day. You deserve closure and support and the earlier you receive them, the better. The less opportunities you'll miss and the less regrets you'll have in the future.

OP keep in mind that you're very young. When you'll study psychology, you'll hear about adolescent egocentrism which involves the concepts of imaginary audience and personal fable. You're going through a normal experience in your age group, but your anxiety magnifies it a lot. Just remember you're not ridiculous and weird at all and you'll be alright.

/r/socialskills Thread