hello, fellow shy guys and gals,

so i've been going to see a psychologist for a month now to sort
out the whys of my recurring depressions. i am now 23. i was
first diagnosed with depression my senior year in high school,
although it began a few years before. Looking back on the years i
experienced depression, i now see that my acute shyness was,
and still is, the culprit. i don't know the underlying cause, the why
i suffer from shyness, but i know that it's something that i can
work on. i came across the shyness.com website today and
through it found this forum, and i am so glad to know that it
exists. now that i know what i need to work on, i feel confident
that i can make progress toward letting my unique, fun self out
for others to see! But it will take a lot of work, I know... and a lot of
letting go of the past hurts i experienced and everything i missed
out on because of my social anxiety, the seemingly endless
negative cycle of shyness, self-loathing, depression. i recently
read a book called "Learned Optimism" by dr. seligman, and it
has helped me a great deal in learning to dispute my negative
beliefs about myself, and thus to learn that i'm really a pretty cool
person and that others would benefit from knowing me -- helps
me out of my shyness, and creates this positive cycle of
relationship building with myself and others. anyway, i'm seeing
the light, and i know you all can, too -- you're all too amazing, an
indespensable part of this world, to keep your light in -- let it
shine out, and reap the rewards! (this is as much a pep-talk for
me as it is a hopeful inspiration to all of you to take those
baby-steps toward relating with others and start to feel good
about yourself!) I wish much luck to us all in working through the
shyness, and offer my heartfelt gratitude to you all for being a
part of this forum, seeking and offering help for what is a painful,
but ultimately hopeful and changeable condition. bless you!