The one change that worked: Anxiety had me hiding from the world – then two magic questions set me free

I used to be terrified of socialising, certain I would embarrass myself the moment I opened my mouth. And as for dates … As with a lot of teenagers, social confidence was not my strong suit.

Throughout my time at school in the early 2010s, I hated the prospect of new social situations and would often lie awake at night overthinking the day to come. What I now know to be social anxiety I dismissed as just nerves at that young age. Although I knew…