Moving to a new highschool, anxiety through the roof :(

Hi! I'm 16 years old and a sophomore. Firstly, I've always had bad social anxiety. I can't make myself go up to people and try to start a conversation (I've tried to push myself MANY times.) we had to give up my pets before the move (I'm heartbroken) so I'm already not in sound mind. I'm moving from ny to fl, and moving from a tiny school (500 kids) to a bigger one (1,300 kids). I'm freaking out. I don't know how to control my anxiety, and I've had a bunch of full blown panic attacks. How can I control my anxiety and possibly feel better about this move? Do you think there's a chance people will come up to me and try to start a conversation? That's the way I usually made friends. PLEASE HELP, any advice helps at this point :(

Hi, I'm sure lots of people will come up and introduce themselves, hopefully there are not too many assholes in your year. When I was young and at school, I was the same, very shy and not really keen on going up to people, if they came to me I would soon open up. Still the same now. Just an idea but when starting a new school or anything like that, I'm a bit out of school trends now, but appear with something considered in at the moment, where it's clothes, a gadget or toy, a decent app on your phone, something that everyone relates to and can make conversation going and people come up to you. When I was at school in uk, addidas had just came out with fluorescent strips instead of the usual white or black ones, and no-one at school had the tracksuit before me, so it got people coming up to ask about it and I made a few more friends. Hope it helps.

Hey, I don't think this is just about moving schools, it's also a move to a new area that you've got to get used to, as well and giving up your pets too, which must of been hard. All of this plus a bigger school then you're use to has made your anxiety worse then normal? Maybe why you've had panick attacks? I don't think anyone is going to be horrible to you on your first day of school and if they are ignore them, they're not worth knowing. People will most probably come up to you and want to befriend you and if thats how you've made friends then that's good at least you know your approachable :). At my school, the teachers will often pair the new person up with someone, if they don't seem as confident or struggling to settle in or they offer help in other ways. But it's about getting through those first few days, maybe even the first week and getting to know the layout of the school and the teachers as well. I'm shy too, but I think pushing your self is the only way out of social anxiety or at least that's what I've learnt! I also know I'm better in smaller groups and have 3 close friends, I talk to other people in lessons, when my friends aren't there, but will always go back to my main friendship group. you don't always need loads of friends. But once you've pushed yourself to started a conversation with someone you'll begin to feel more confident but I get that doing it is the hard bit! Maybe think of some conversations before you even step foot into the classroom, like the night before.