[newacc101]

I know, but easier said than done...

By "severe anxiety" I mean I've distanced myself from everyone I used to know, and I never go out much anymore. And a few years ago I woke up to 2 shrinks and 5 cops in my room at 9am, which ended in me being taken off in hand-cuffs under a mental health order. Thankfully they concluded after a few days I wasn't in fact mentally ill, but at that point it struck home, and I started to loose the weight I put on over the years, which is step 1 to "recovery" (so far, so good!)

Excuses, I know, trust me, if I could go back in time, I'd go back and "suck it up" earlier, to save myself a ton of headache thus-far. :-)

[TJensen]

Having a teen-ager of my own who has severe anxiety when it comes to school (so much more than the typical "I hate school."), I can empathize with the "easier said than done." Honestly, I'd look at talking to a counselor and making a plan for moving forward. You are obviously bright enough that you can over come the challenges, but you don't have to do it on your own.

Good luck!

[barry-cotter]

I'll join the chorus saying GED, community college, senior college. If you're a fellow Rightpodian, A-levels, then college. But... If it sucks drop out, if you don't want a post grad and you get a good job offer seriously consider taking it. As far as crippling social goes two things really help, hanging out with people like yourself who you can actually talk to, and serious alcohol abuse. I kid you not. The fastest periods of advancement in my social skills come down to alcohol. You make more mistakes, faster, which is the way to learn.

[ahoyhere]

Forgive yourself.

Nothing you have done -- avoiding school, losing touch with people, whatever other mistakes -- makes you a bad person. It just means you took (or didn't take) actions and they had consequences. You're suffering through those consequences now, but that just means you're suffering through those consequences... it says nothing about you or the situation, beyond than that simple, provable fact.

A lot of anxiety comes from guilt and fear, and trying to avoid guilt and fear. So, forgive yourself, and be kind and loving to yourself.