It’s very difficult for me to open up and be comfortable around new people for a good while. A lot of people think I don’t like them at all at first, but it’s really that I’m pretty nervous and don’t feel comfortable really acting myself and am as a result, pretty reserved around them.

It really sucks when it comes to dating. Twice now girls I’ve gone on dates with seemed to think I wasn’t interested in them even though I was, because I had a hard time expressing myself about it at that point.

I attribute it to mostly a fear of rejection and a small bit of social anxiety, stemming back to be bullied in high school. I’ve gotten better at it just be repeatedly putting myself out there and meeting some new people whenever I can, but it’s still tough to feel comfortable around new people.