I think I have Social anxiety

You might run the risk of coming on too strong. But that can be helped by wording it right.

Instead of asking someone to be friends, tell them that you hope you can be friends. That way you've let them know how you feel and don't put them on the spot as if it were an agreement to be friends.

Something like "I've really enjoyed this, let's do it again sometime" is better than "how about you and I be friends?"


As to the social anxiety, it doesn't have to come across as that big of a deal. Just express that you have difficulties in that regard without using a scary label.

Something like, "I'm shy and can find it hard to open up to people" instead of "I have X and I hope you don't have a problem with that".

Definitely. It's probably better to (a) leave things fairly open-ended and (b) not sound too clinical.

Hey, this was fun. Want to grab a pizza next weekend? <-- that's a lot easier for a new friend to take than --> I really need to make friends to treat my social anxiety. You are my medicine.

I don't mean to sound flip, just trying to get into the shoes of the other person. And, sometimes the other person says no. Sometimes it's that they don't want things to continue, but sometimes it's just that they have other plans, or you've suggested something that does not appeal to them. E. g. if you suggested having a pizza, they could be on a diet, or if you suggested going to a ball game, they might not be a sports fan. It's not personally directed against you. Then you can suggest something else, but I wouldn't go nuts with persistance. So you suggest one more thing, maybe a second and no more. If you get three no's consider that the other person is just not interested and let it go.

That's not the best outcome but it is an outcome you have to take into consideration as possibly happening. But it's not the end of the world.

You said: "I've got Social Anxiety I think. It causes me problems making friends and approaching someone to speak with them."

But here you are . . . asking someone to go out for something to eat!

So - you don't have social anxiety - or at least is it not incapacitating you. !

Now, relax and have a good time and keep it casual.

IF you want to see this person again, just say, "Hey let's do this again next week. How about Tuesday."