IM SORRY IVE BEEN FORGETTING TO CHECK THIS

I think the worst I’d ever dealt with it was in middle school. I was a weird kid, but at least for 6-7th grade my saving grace was drawing. By 8th, that was no longer cool enough to excuse how weird I was, and it got to the point where I felt so othered that I had a very small group of friends I would even talk to. Everyone else I avoided initiating conversation with because I didn’t know if I was going to be set up to be a punchline. It really fucked with my communication skills for a few years.

As far as coping: knowing I did have SOME people I could talk to helped. I know not everyone has that luxury, so I also had online friends on a popular Animal Crossing forum as well as friends on Neopets to talk to as well, so it helped mitigate any of that stress. So if you’re struggling connecting to people in person, it’s okay to find friendships online (though if you’re younger in school, it’s better to find people around your age!!!! If an adult is giving you a bad vibe, block them freely or talk to someone you trust about it)