(continued from description) "Most of them are people who invaded my personal space and made me highly uncomfortable at some point.. is there anyone who can help me or should I just leave this to my therapists? Any advice is appreciated."

INSTRUCTIONS: Comment below with advice for @DecapitationCarnival.

I have extreme anxiety: every. day. It's really hard but know you're not alone. Theropy sounds helpful. I wish I could go there but I can't afford it. Try acting confident, I'm trying that too, It's just a little hard. If you are confident or can fake it till you make it that will help.

I really wish I could help more but I myself need the same help, I'm sorry.

*therapy

They probably don't mean to upset you by invading your personal space and may not even be aware they are doing it. Different people have different boundaries. Some may hug strangers, others may keep a distance between even their friends, and everything between. Everyone's an individual. But, if you feel that you become too anxious when close to people, you can work with your therapist on ways to be more comfortable. Some ways to start is to accept more and closer contact with your friends until you're more comfortable. Some people find it helpful to handle animals they don't know before moving onto humans they aren't friends with. See, part of closeness is just the sense of proximity, but there is also body heat and body smell that factors in. Others find layers of clothing make them feel more comfortable, so that's also a consideration. There are even breathing exercises to reduce stress and anxiety.

Personally, I like to remember that everyone's an individual with their own worries, fears and hopes. Many times we all want similar things out of life. Trying to see things from their point of view helps to make them less intimidating or foriegn and allows you to be more comfortable around them than if you don't try to imagine being them.

What you describe is actually not normal physical contact, so I can assure you that many people would react negatively to this and you may need more than just a therapist. You may need to report this to the school administration. If some of the behavior you describe happened outside and among adults, they would be arrested. The school has a responsibility to keep it's students safe as well as to prepare the students for life beyond school. So, if behavior would not be tolerated outside school, those participating in it must learn now before they leave school and are arrested. You can try getting your parents or a councilor involved too, since most school administrators think of anyone under 18 as partially inhuman and not deserving of full respect. As for regular contact, the previous advice should help. :3