u/First_Commission_826

20F. Growing up, I had a lot of negative experiences with men, including some more recent ones. Because of that, whenever a guy approaches me or tries to start a conversation, I automatically become very closed off. I go quiet, avoid eye contact, and probably come across as cold or unfriendly even when I don’t mean to.

Consciously, I don’t dislike men and I do want normal interactions and friendships. It just feels like my brain immediately goes into defense mode before I can react naturally.

I don’t really have any male friends or much experience interacting with guys in general, so I was wondering if anyone else has struggled with this and slowly become more comfortable over time.