Hey guys! So I’ve been lurking on this thread for a little and I've decided to start posting. I’ve been dealing with social anxiety since high school. I am currently attending a university in the US, I’m a third year, and I have decided that I am going to make the rest of 2019 and 2020 my year. I’ve always made excuses like what if she thinks I’m creepy, what if someone sees me, what if this or that or any possible hypothetical situation to try to justify not approaching. And worse, being okay with feeling scared to interact with women.

Yesterday I drove out to my local plaza in the evening and a lot of college students went there to hang out as well. I spent two hours there, walking around, hanging out in some of the stores, trying to push myself to approach at least one person. I felt more uncomfortable with the idea of approaching a 2 set, so I focused on mainly approaching girls who were there by themselves. Yesterday it just so happened that there were several college campus orgs bringing their groups of 20 or more people out with them, so I felt a bit intimidated being around so many people. I saw a few girls walking around by themselves, but I managed to only approach one of them.

I ended up walking around a few times and eventually settling at a table outside. I saw a lot of groups, guys, and families. I was people watching and I saw this asian girl pass by. She looked soft and nice so I decided to approach her. Her hair was dyed, she had colored contacts on, and she was on her phone. I walked a distance behind her for a bit and caught up with her quickly. I approached her from the side and told her I thought she looked pretty and that I just wanted to stop by and say hi. I told her I was trying to meet new people and get out of my comfort zone. She responded more positively towards me and I started to feel a little better about myself. I was still a little anxious; I was talking fast and I stuttered a bit. She was more receptive than the first girl. I asked her about her week and if she went to university. English wasn’t her first language but I could understand her. I told her about myself and eventually she gave me her number. At this point I was excited; I was a bit in awe that this just happened. Of course I’m gonna have to wait for her to respond to really see how interested she is, but I was proud of myself for achieving something like that.

Even though I only approached one girl, I felt a little bit more confident in myself because I didn’t allow my fear to keep me from approaching. I did still feel anxious after this approach, but I felt more capable after doing it. I believed in myself a little more. The more approaches I do, I think I will build more confidence and try to adjust. I’ll keep updating about my progress with cold approach!

Edit: She still hasn’t replied. Feels bad man. But I gotta keep pushing forward!