I got diagnosed with AvPD today and I honestly feel really surprised. I thought no one would ever understand, that I'm an idiot for craving friendships and connections I will never be able to establish without tremendous amounts of help and will struggle to keep in contact with people even though I so badly want to. That I'm being overly dramatic for getting an anxiety attack before meeting friends I've subconsciously pushed away, that I'm selfish and inconsiderate for only being comfortable around one specific person at a time. I've often found myself confused in regards to who I can even consider my friend or not as I feel like everyone experiences me as a stranger at best. That I'd be seen as a clingy creep if I messaged someone twice on the same day though with hours apart the two messages.
I found it hard to explain the experience of an insurmountable mental block whenever I socialize with anyone but those I feel mostly comfortable with.
All my life I've been dumbfounded on even how to start working around these challenges despite my countless attemps, so I turn to you to ask...
What have you, or someone you know, found helpful when dealing with AvPD?