Dear reader, if you suffer anxiety in social situations, you are not alone.

"Anxiety: distress or uneasiness of mind caused by fear of danger or misfortune."

I am a 25 year old recovering addict, working the 12 step recovery programme. I attend meetings 3 times a week, and share my recovery with rooms full of people. I sometimes feel so nervous that I can't think of what to say, feeling put on the spot. We all have fears that we are being judged, misjudged, disliked; with feelings of separation from other people around us, believing that they are more comfortable with themselves than we feel about ourselves. It's normal. Human beings are social creatures; if we think back to cavemen, we were designed to live in the support of one another in a tribe. Social isolation is not normal for us, but sometimes we, especially addicts, have the unnatural desire to punish ourselves by not being social, preferring to be alone. Evidence shows us that this is not healthy. 
At this period of my life I am also struggling with having boundaries. I come across as excessively bubbly which I adopted as a survival skill during the most difficult times of my life, to avoid pain and hurt. It's another way of overcoming my anxiety in social situations. Men will tell me that I come across as a very 'together' woman who is sure of herself. Women see straight through this exterior to my real self. This hasn't made me look for a fix in men, however, quite the contrary. I have used women's insight, skill and strength to take a proper look at where it is that I do hold power. It's not in my defects of perfectionism and control, it is certainly not within ego, pride and anger. I am not powerful by trying to control the outcomes of the situations or events which God has put in my path as tests, but I am powerful when I let go. As I've begun to learn to let go of what others think of me, I have felt more power. It's not an easy task and at first feels uncomfortable, but it is achievable a step at a time by putting in boundaries with people and the results are worth it. 
So, back to anxiety. Many of us when experiencing anxiety have the desire to believe that any fear at all, is abnormal. A little anxiety in normal, everyday life is to be expected and is a good thing. Nobody should be with out any anxiety whatsoever, as anxiety is our body's way of telling us that we should pay closer attention to a situation, event or person in our lives (even if that person is ourselves). The real survival skill we all possess is anxiety. It is our fight or flight response and our way of protecting ourselves. I am learning to manage it and so can you. When you feel overwhelmed, you can reassure yourself that every one around you is experiencing the same feelings; even if it doesn't seem that way.