Should people with social anxiety force themselves to socialize?

First, let’s talk about what life is like with social anxiety.

The mere thought of going outside, meeting people, and talking to them can be enough to make someone with social anxiety stay far away from the door.

When going out is unavoidable, wearing a mask is a must. Otherwise, it feels almost like walking around naked. That is why, before leaving home, the first thing we check is not whether we have our phone, but whether there is a mask in our pocket.

Work is usually the first area to be affected.

There are hardly any jobs that are both suitable for people with social anxiety and well-paid. As a result, the subject they worked so hard to study may end up being completely useless.

Over time, sensitive people with social anxiety may begin to doubt themselves—and eventually, life itself.

Other people are happy when they make money and unhappy when they do not. For someone with social anxiety, having no money is painful, but earning money inevitably requires interacting with others. Sometimes, it is difficult to tell whether earning money brings more happiness or more suffering.

Moreover, because of social anxiety, we cannot confide in close friends about our troubles as easily as others can. This makes it easy to become increasingly withdrawn or even depressed.

Life with social anxiety is therefore extremely inconvenient, conflicted, and painful. If given the choice, I believe everyone with social anxiety would wish to be free from it.

Of course, I admit that I am also someone who is strong in words but weak in action. It is no exaggeration to say that forcing me to socialize feels almost like having a knife held to my throat.

Yet it is precisely because I understand this feeling so deeply that I sincerely hope people with social anxiety can push themselves to socialize.

At least before it becomes completely overwhelming, while you are still capable of taking even a single step forward, force yourself to walk out that door.