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socialanxiety
This is always a tricky part of high school, as some people want to seem “cool” in front of others and other people have no interest at all. First of all, stick true to who you are. Just because your friends are trying out drugs and alcohol does not mean you need to as well. With that being said, if it really makes you uncomfortable or concerned, it is important you voice your opinions to them. If they get annoyed or do not care, it might be in your best interest to make new friends who also are not comfortable with drugs or alcohol, or who simply have no interest in trying all of that out. Here is an article to learn more about how to handle the drug culture, especially when you get to college.
A helpful resource:
https://www.healthline.com/health/how-to-navigate-the-college-drug-scene
You are definitely not alone in not having a date for your dance or prom. As much as it really stinks, there are a few options. If you do not have a date because no one asked you, take the initiative and ask someone yourself! There is no shame in taking some initiative and asking someone to the dance or prom. If you are really uncomfortable with that, who said you can’t go to the dance or prom alone? More often than not, people just take a picture with their date before the event starts, and once people get to the venue they just go off and dance with their friends. There is no shame in going alone to a dance or prom, and hey, sometimes it makes life even easier! Definitely do not skip the dance or prom just because you are riding solo.
If someone is bullying you, please find a trusted adult you can speak with to let them know what is going on. Do not let the bullying go on and on, as that is only going to make things more severe. If you do not feel comfortable talking to an adult right away, confide in a close friend. If your school has STOPit Solutions, please use that app. Bullying is such a horrible, horrible thing, so please reach out for help.
It is a great first step that you realize what YOU want to do, and that will never make you “lame.” It is always upsetting when you are being peer pressured to do things. If your friends are peer pressuring you and you said you did not want to do whatever it was, then those might not be the right friends for you. True friends will never force you to do something you do not want to do. Try to have a conversation with your friends and explain that you are not interested in what they want you to do. If they keep pushing you, move on. You will never seem “lame” for not wanting to do something when you have friends who respect you. You already seem to be true to yourself if you have this concern, but here is an article to reinforce that what you are doing/thinking is worth it.
A helpful resource:
I am sorry that you do not have any friends. If you are still in school, try to join different clubs or activities that you enjoy, because you will meet people there and have at least one thing in common to talk about. As uncomfortable as it might be at first, put yourself out there to meet others. You are definitely not alone in having no friends, so do your best to get out there and talk to others. If you really do not feel comfortable doing that right away, go to something like a group workout class, for instance, where you can be surrounded by other people but you do not have to talk to anyone. Start slow and build up to what you are comfortable with, but you got this! Anyone would be lucky to have you as their friend.
