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You are not alone. I had to say goodbye to ALL my friends when I decided to sober up because they all had some substance abuse problem or another. I then became the shut-in that I am now. At one point I couldn't leave the house. I was completely isolated. My AA sponsor told me to go to AA to make new friends, something I never did because of how much anxiety it caused me. However, I am almost 11 months clean and have very little desire to drink which is a good thing. I wish I could get rid of all this social anxiety. Right now I can ride my bike through town with some effort. One of the things I did during my struggle with it was to simply go out and sit on the porch and smoke a cigarette. This did help me to eventually get on my bike and expose myself to a little more interaction though I still have a lot of work to do. I know that AA is the next step because there I can interact on a much more personal level. Whether I can muster up the courage is the big question. I know they are there to help me but I just can't seem to take the step. Anyway, try going out on your stoop or porch and sit for a while each night or day. Baby steps.
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