I eased into it, start small. Smile at strangers as you walk past them, especially the ones that look stressed or sad. From their you can build up courage to branch out. Say hi to a cashier, answer when they ask how your day was. You'll find that things aren't as bad as you think they are. Don't listen to your head, listen to your heart and intuition.

CBT really helped me start the coping journey. It's tough at times but if you stick with it you should see benefits. Talking to people you trust helps too.

what does CBT stand for

Yes my coping skills is to avoid. Lol I know not a solution. What I do when dealing with my social anxiety is I prep myself before going to the social event. Like I choose to wear comfortable clothes wear makeup I'm comfortable wearing if I wear any other give myself a prep talk like bitch you bad and you got this on repeat because it takes me sometimes to believe in myself and if I'm going with someone else who knows I have social anxiety then even better I have some support so that helps but mainly the prep talk does it. But I'm still as nervous as ever anyway lol I try though.