Hello seddit, not less than two months ago, I was your AFC. One thing that has seriously helped my AA (basically cured it) is religious adherence to the 3 second rule. I started off small, using a technique AFCAdam mentioned in one of his talks. I'd go to coffee shops, bars, just about anywhere, approach a HB, compliment her somehow, and walk off before she had a chance to respond. This not only built my confidence, but allowed me to open anyone with no expectations. Two weeks ago, I walked up to a girl who was buried in a book, can't even recall the compliment, but she instantly responded and stopped me before I walked off. Turns out we have a ton in common, and in the last 2 weeks, we've seen each other almost every day. Even this simple technique allowed me to meet wonderful folks (not just her.) Another thing that has worked wonders is simply smiling at people (got a free Starbucks this morning this way from a HB6.5)