There’s a quiet kind of struggle that lives in the shadows of conversation. It hides behind polite smiles, hesitant laughter, and the constant hum of internal doubt. This is social anxiety — not simply “being shy,” but a persistent, often exhausting inner dialogue that questions everything we say, do, or don’t do. I’m Lilia Luby, and like many others, I’ve carried this invisible weight for years. And for a long time, I didn’t know how to talk about it — until I realized that talking about it might actually be part of the healing. What Social Anxiety Really Feels Like for me Imagine being in a room full of people and feeling like your every move is under a microscope — even when no one is really looking. Social anxiety makes everyday moments — ordering coffee, joining a group chat, or speaking up in a meeting — feel like high-stakes performances. It’s not about lacking confidence. It’s about an overactive inner critic that rarely rest...