Squishor

Listen to this guy, he knows what he's talking about.

I am an attractive female, no supermodel but I seem to get more than my share of male attention, guys of all descriptions approaching me wherever I go. Yet, the guys I have chosen to be with have not necessarily been the obvious prizewinners in terms of looks, social skills, etc. I'm an individual and I appreciate people for who they are, their individual quirks and personality. I see threads in this forum where guys are advising other guys to go out there and play "alpha male" but you don't have to be a superhero to talk to girls or get them to accept you. We're just people like you, and any woman with a little heart will forgive some awkwardness.

My advice would be to do something to "demystify" the opposite sex a little, like go take a women's studies class or something. Plus then you'd be sitting in a room full of females on a regular basis, so your chances for making favorable contact would increase exponentially. I'm sure you're smart enough to know that you can strike up a conversation based on common interests, the time of day, etc., and that you'll never get anywhere unless you try. It sounds like your main issue is that your fear has grown rather than dimished; the snowball effect.

This might sound wacky but it could be worth a try - if you truly deeply find that your fear is disabling and not something you are able to control, you might try a hypnotherapy session. Don't laugh, it worked for me - I had a fear of driving that snowballed and was interfering with my life. At age 22 I ended up getting hypnotised and I was able to overcome my fear, to make a long story short. Good luck!