I can't work out what's wrong with me. I seem to have little or no desire to go out, have about 2 friends which I rarely see as they're busy, and no girlfriend, which I would like, as I'm pretty darn lonely. When I say go out, I mean generally as well, but mainly to social occasions like clubs, pubs or social things. The main reason, is I can't drink, it makes me feel funny, and I get strange head sensations and can cause a panic attack, and I can't drink coke or J20's all night. I can have a couple, but you can't make a couple last all night. If you don't drink, and don't really have a reason (on anti-biotics or driving), people think you're strange as well, as 2 guys clearly thought when I was in a club a couple of years ago with a mate drinking and I wasn't. I want a job, but it's proving hard. I've handed CV's out and applied for a few jobs, had 4 interviews the past 6months, but due to my anxiety or depression or social phobia (or whatever the hell I have) I'm really nervous and do rubbish at interviews. From the age of 26 to 35 I was addicted to heroin. I been clean now for coming up to 3yrs (in Oct 2013), I'm 37 now. The past 6yrs though, a lot of the time, I've barely gone out of my flat, apart from for shopping and for doctors appointments or other appointments I've needed to go to. I've recently come back to my hometown to see if that would make me more productive, it has a bit, as I started college in September 2012 on a music production course, and it's going great. I get on with everyone in my class, but generally, I'm socially shy. At college, if I'm in the canteen, and none of my classmates are there, I sit on my own, and I'm very conscious of it. Makes me feel paranoid. Sometimes, I get so self conscious sitting there, I will leave. It seems like everyobody else knows each other and gets on and has a connection there, though I am a lot older than most there, as they're 17-20 mostly. I seem to dry up in conversation as well, especially with girls. A girl from my class was on the bus going home the other day, and I sat opposite her on opposing seats near the back, I tried to chat to her, and it went ok for about say 10mins, but then it dried up and she never spoke back, then it just felt awkward or uncomfortable, so I just went into my phone and pretended to be reading txts or something. Happens all the time that does. Other guys I know would have had her laughing, feeling good about herself and connecting with her loads, showing charisma and charm and stuff. I don't seem to possess any. I attend college 3 days a week, and on the days I don't go college, I'm like I say, a loner. I rarely talk to women I don't know due to the bus thing that happened. Happened with another girl from college on a different course I tried to talk to on the bus home, conversation wasn't natural and went silent for ages and I was really self conscious of it. Makes you wish you weren't there or just like you wished you never started talking to them in the first place and sat at the back of the bus. I'm about to go out now, coz after years of being like this, I now just go out jump on a bus and go into town and have a coffee in McDonalds, just to get out the 4 walls, it's so depressing, but I do feel a bit weird sometimes, sittin' in there with a coffee on my own. I'm starting to think I'm weird. Apart from a short lived 3 week thing last year, I ain't had a girlfriend since 2006. I tend to just sit in my flat a lot on my own feeling depressed and like 'what's the point', watching tele, surfing the web, or creating my music. Tried finding a woman on dating sites, no success. If I bump into any of my old school friends/friends in town, they don't seem to be interested in being mates. They have a little natter and say see ya later. It's like I don't have a connection with people. I feel like I don't have a good aura or vibe about me, even though I'm not hostile towards anybody. A few on FB have deleted me and I have no idea why. Makes me feel paranoid. Not fallen out with them or anything. As I say, I write songs on my guitar and have (along with my college) been recording stuff on music sequencing software, trying to create a bit of progressive house as well, and I'm hoping one day, something will come of it. Dr wants me to take anti-depressents, but I had a bad reaction (burning kinda sensation in my head for 3 days, after the 2nd day of taking them) 2yrs ago, so petrified (literally) of taking meds now. I actually have a fear of taking any tablets now. If I have a headache, I can only take ibuprofen or paracetemol in halves as I'm convinced I'm gonna have that head sensation or something similar again, so have to take a bit and see what happens first. I have panic attacks sometimes, seem to worry about my health a lot, go toilet between 2-5 times a day, that's annoying too. I average 3 times a day. Everytime I google my symptoms, it tends to point towards anxiety. I suffer headaches or head sensations a lot. Dunno, I don't know if it's just depression and anxiety or whether I have some social or personality disorder too. Just want to get a decent life together, I'm 38 at the end of this year, and nothing seems to be changing. I'm skint all the time, depressed, lonely and can't seem to break this cycle. Dunno what I hope to achieve out of this post, but maybe someone has a similar life and can give me some tips on beating this sad existance.