Lost myself

[Unregistered]

Just so you know I'm a 16 year old girl. When I was little I was very social and i had friends over or i went to a friends house almost every weekend. When i would go on vacation, i would always invite someone to come. Once i got into eight grade, i started to notice how weird i was and how i was not as socially mature as everyone else was. Everyone else started making more friends and started to want to hang out with the "cool kids". I was perfectly fine with the friends i had and i wanted it to stay that way. I stopped going to a lot of my friends houses because i was scared to for some reason. My friends started to notice and just thought i didn't want to hang out with them. I started feeling bad and then isolated myself more because i thought they didn't like me anymore. I moved in 9th grade and went to a new school. At first i loved it but then i realized i have no friends anymore. I still have my old friends but its never the same when we hang out because we have no fun or excited plans for the future like we used to talk about when we were kids. The kids in my school are nice but i feel like i can't be myself around them. This has really changed me because I'm so mad all the time and i never smile like i used too. I feel so alone and i want to make more friends who truly accept me and want to do things with me. The trouble is i have a hard time being myself and i get all awkward when i try to talk to everyone. I really hate this because it makes me feel like an outcast and that is not me at all. I love being social, i just forget how to..... Advice? Thanks

[2NDFLOOR]

It can be hard adjusting to a new school, meeting new people, and making new friends. I can understand why you feel like you lost who you were and don't feel like you are being yourself. The good thing about new schools is that you have the ability to be yourself. These students don't know you so give them the real you from the start. If they find you to be different or don't like your personality those aren't people you want to surround yourself with anyway. Every time you feel yourself getting nervous or feel awkward remind yourself you are/want to be. Try being that version of you for a day, see how you feel letting everyone see the real you. Also when it comes to your old friends, remember that friendships grow and change. You don't have the same conversations you had when you were little, because you aren't little anymore. You're a teenager. Talk to your friends about what you are going through at this school, they may understand better than you would think! If you want to talk more please call 2NDFLOOR Youth Helpline anytime, we are here 24/7 at 888-222-2228 or text us every Friday 4-8PM at 908-280-0235 we want to help!!