hello
 

hi there,

i'm a grad student who recently moved to the uk from the united states. i'm having a really difficult time adjusting. meeting with potential new friends sends me into a tailspin of obsessive thoughts, overanalyzing every interaction. i often blank out in the middle of a conversation and can't follow what they are saying. i start out ok, then i start getting really insecure and feel very upset and wish i hadn't bothered. i try to make myself socialize because i feel so much worse when i sit at home and isolate from others but i've felt exhausted and upset afterwards every time so far.

i've been sober from drugs and alcohol for 2.5 years now, but that used to be how i coped with my social anxiety. sober, i find most interactions crippling. i want friends but i don't know how to develop platonic relationships with people. i have a fiance and really one long-term close friend, but i have a really tough time sustaining relationships with new people i meet, especially since i don't go out to bars etc. which seems to be an even bigger social hub than in the us.

anyways, i'm feeling slightly better after finding this forum and hoping to relate to others with the same issues so i don't feel so alone.

thanks for reading and glad to meet you all =^.^=
-kpp

Re: hello
 

Welcome :wave:

How are you finding life in the UK?

Re: hello
 

Welcome, Kittypawpaw :wave:

Re: hello
 

Welcome, Kittypawpaw!!! :ello:

OMG! I'm moving to the UK from Oregon in January (as long as everything goes well)! :) I will have a fellow American expat on the forums! ^_^

I hope you will find the help you need! Feel free to reach out to me if you'd like to speak to an incoming immigrant. Lol

Re: hello
 

Hi Kittypawpaw :ello:

Welcome to the forum! I hope you find this site helpful :smile2: