I am 16 and just finished my exams so I'm not back at school until September. I virtually never go out with my friends, I probably did twice last year. This year I have a little more, I've been out to one of my friends houses 3 times so far and I started walking home after school with my friends, which I didn't usually do, I used to walk a different way on my own because I preferred it that way. All I do mainly is sit at home and watch TV, listen to music or on my MacBook. I really want to go out with my friends but for many reasons I don't. Firstly I'm scared, I guess that is because I'm quite a shy and quiet person and going out with my friends is something I haven't done in a long time. So because my friends are so used to me declining their offers to go out with them they don't bother asking anymore. Also, many of my friends are really hyper most of the time and I'm not like that at all so I feel left out and they all talk about things they have done together and I have nothing to say, so again I'm left out. I have some trust issues too. I may be paranoid but I sometimes think that these people aren't my friends they just put up with me because they have to. I can't tell most of them secrets because they don't keep them as secrets.
I do really want to start being more confident and going out with them now I'm getting closer to leaving school and won't see a lot of them again. I am isolating myself and it feels like there is nothing that I can do about it. I am trying to do something about it, I was invited to a friends birthday sleepover last week and went but was really ill during the night and the night after I was due to be going to an end of exams sleepover, but because I was ill I chose not to go, but now I feel that people were talking about me behind my back and didn't really expect me to go after my track record. But this weekend I have invited a few of my friends round for a sleepover so I am looking forward to it but I don't think it's going to do much good for the future.

Does anybody have any tips for me to be more confident about going out with my friends and how I can stop myself from isolating myself any longer. Anything would be appreciated!!

Well, to stop isolating yourself you need to get out there! Talk to your friends about how you fee, see if they can help you out about that.

But if you're friends are talking about you behind your back because you're not hangout out with them, then I suggest you find some new friends because NO friend should do that no matter what.

As far as confidence... um... it really has to come from within. You need to look at yourself and see why you're being shy and just tell yourself you have to reason to be and just get out there...

You should make yourself enjoy life because some people are not so lucky to have all the abilities that you do and if you cannot enjoy life then you should go to the hospital in your town and go to the children's cancer floor and see why and how you are so blessed and then maybe you will appreciate life a little more and stop worrying about what you don't have and be thankful for what you do have

When you have a disease like that you cannot make yourself go out. Go to your Doctor explain the problem and ask him for the correct drugs It is called Agri-phobia I believe.

Agriphobia is a fear of farming.

Agoraphobia is "Agoraphobia is an anxiety disorder, often precipitated by the fear of having a panic attack in a setting from which there is no easy means of escape. As a result, sufferers of agoraphobia may avoid public and/or unfamiliar places. In severe cases, the sufferer may become confined to their home, experiencing difficulty traveling from this "safe place." " (From wikipedia)

She just isolates herself from her "friends" because they talk about her behind her back, she's not afraid to go outside or anything. Anybody would do the same thing, heck, I do it, but I still leave my house.

Baby steps... watch a movie called "What about Bob?" it's funny but there is a totally legit lesson there... it's all about baby steps. One thing at a time. Don't think about a year from now or a month from now. Think about now. One step at a time and things will get easier for you. Your on the right road you haven't totally shut everything out. I hope you get to hang out with your friends more and have a good time