Dating and OCD

[mico]

I know this may sound weird, but my ocd has prevented me from making any new friends since grade school. I get anxious and depressed in any kind of situation where I have to talk to people and I don't know what to do. I would like to know if anyone else has this problem and what I can do about it. I am almost forty, have never dated but would very much like to have a relationship with the opposite gender.

 

[Daniel E.]

I like this tip:

Consider participating in a special interest group/service organization. Nothing helps people get to know each other better than working on a common project together.

Self-Help: Overcoming Social Anxiety - University of Texas at Dallas

With men, especially, being in a social setting where there are activities to be done helps to prevent a feeling of social awkwardness.

With my social anxiety, I focus on habituation and practice. I also try to have jobs that have a significant social element to them even if it's just dealing with co-workers often.

Also, there are groups of single professionals that meet via meetup.com. There's also "speed dating" that is hosted by dating services in larger towns and cities.

If you want to date someone overcoming a mental illness, there's the dating site nolongerlonely.com. However, you have to be careful with people misrepresenting themselves, of course, and it's difficult to get a sense of a person online.