I am terrified of socialising...

I am a 24-year-old woman and have always felt like the odd one out when it comes to socialising. I work with a lot of extroverts, and they are always going out and having fun, in ways that make me feel excluded. They don’t do this to me on purpose and always try to get me to spend time with them, but I can’t. I believe this inability to manage relationships also gets in the way of my personal life because I have never dated anyone seriously. I have been single until now and don’t know if I will manage to meet someone because the idea of going out and opening up about my life is so terrifying. How do I change this about myself? If I can’t chat, I worry that I will always be alone.
Social anxiety is a real concern and can take over your life, but it’s also something that millions of people struggle with. The first thing to accept is that you are not alone, and that this is something a lot of people around you also grapple with. The fear of being alone is also real but building confidence takes time and practice. It also sometimes requires the help of tools that you may or may not possess. Accept that this is part of your personality and consider speaking to a therapist who can guide and help you navigate this. Also try and acknowledge that this change will not occur overnight. Train yourself to look at the bright side of things too. Consider your colleagues, for instance, and the effort they make to make you feel more comfortable. Try taking small steps and don’t think about dating when you can just consider meeting someone for half an hour and chatting over coffee.

I feel very used by the person I am dating and don’t know if this is just my imagination. What should I do?
Consider why you feel this way, think about how often it happens, and trust your instinct.