This was great to read. I'm glad you are doing well. This my first time sharing my experience but the medication combined with therapy over the past year has made me feel like I actually fit in my body for once.
I dealt with the loss of my sister my freshman year of highschool and as an already shy kid tried to push it to the side and deal with it on my own. It wasn't smart but there was no way 15 year-old me who had just lost the closest person to them was going to open up to anyone about it. As shitty as it was it took me year of feeling down and like I didn't have anyone who understood me to finally realize I needed help showing myself that love my sister used to. I was always socially anxious but I never realized until she was gone that she was my rock.
After that and my freshman already not going well I pretty much gave up on high school. I sat alone for 4 years, not because I was bullied or people didn't like me, but because I didn't like myself and didn't think anyone else would. But it wasn't like all my problems started with the loss of my sister. I was always shy and I knew it, but now it felt like I was really alone.
Luckily I started really caring about grades again after my sister passed just because I didn't want my mom to have to deal with her youngest kid (and last chance i guess) not going to college. Which was really a blessing disguise honeslty because I've found a career I care about and plan to continue on to law school to better my situation. After a year in college finding my career path and something I cared about I decided it was time to finally ask for help. Going to my parent about these deep issues or my anxiety was never something I'd done, but I'm insanely lucky to have a supportive mom who was ready to take me wherever I needed. And even if I didn't I've realized reaching out for help was the only thing I could have done to help.
I just realized I've got a big wall of text, but the point is: GET HELP GUYS! Seriously it's nothing to be ashamed of and now that i've spent a while bettering myself I realized that I feel good about being open enough to ask for help. It's normal and it's healthy. It's what everyone does but some of us feel scared to do it. But just don't. Please.
It's definitely not just the medication that helped, but I think it helped me open up a bit in therapy and also be comfortable with myself in the fact I was searching for help. There isn't anything wrong with looking for help, in-fact I think everyone does. There's nothing wrong with taking a pill to open up either. You'd be surprised how many people do that you don't know about. Just don't be scared to go for help because literally everyone needs it in some way.