moviefreakedmind said:
I have absolutely no self esteem. I always assume that everyone is thinking negative things about me, and find it impossible to initiate anything with the opposite sex because I think that if I talk to them they'll think I'm creepy and weird. I'm at an age where all of my friends have relationships headed straight towards marriage, and as much as I would like to have that, I doubt I ever will.
I surprisingly have great friends though, and love being around them, although when I actually stop and think about it I really have no idea why any of them would want to associate with me. I have started to slowly recognize that all of these things that I think probably are completely irrational and not true, but still have no confidence and fear that I never will.
I would recommend 3 things:
1) Find a social group with members of the opposite sex and join it.
2) Do not worry too much about your peer group as such a construct is artificial.
3) Do some research on the topic of temperaments. It does not really matter which system you use: simply understanding the psychological undertones of yourself and those around you will increase your own insight into situations that might otherwise have proven confusing. This alone should increase self-assurance and decrease anxiety.