What about social anxiety?

I don't think my experience would be the same as yours since I didn't have severe social anxiety to start with, and I think what happens after quitting a while is more a matter of social and communication skill if anything.

I don't know, but I think because people are so cooped up from sheltering in place anything you might attend in person now people might be a little bit more open or... just kind of glad to have someone to talk to face to face I guess, though it can depend. But my guess is they're not going to care as much and it's just cool to have actual people for the most part and not online stuff which makes it a better time than normal, so you may not have to worry about it as much.

 

I don’t care if I have to interact with someone but even if I just remember their face from grocery store a month ago I start hyperventilating. It’s not that I even care what they think of me, I’m just terrified of them now. If I don’t make friends with someone immediately I’ll fear them for the rest of my life.

 

It will go away, as it is written in "Your Brain On Porn".
I truly recommend it to you.
It explains a lot of things about porn consequences and rebooting.

 

Alexandros's comment is for sure a good one

As for me, I still struggle with social anxiety, though since I started nofap it turned quite mild, and more specific to girls im not familiar with rather then literally every stranger I meet.

I can relate to your case of the more extreme anxiety, been there for sure, but quitting pmo is just a head start, and a biological mechanism, exposure therapy is clearly the way to go when it comes to social anxiety, I cant think of any other solution

 

1.Exposure therapy (when ready, by doing #2 and #3, and little by little).
2.Mindfulness (special exercises, meditation, sports, any activity that takes all of your attention, cold showers, No PMO, no excessive daydreaming).
3.Visit a therapist and/or try to get to the root of the problem yourself (+self-help books).

 

I still have some anxiety, but this improves as time passes. I do not think covid helps. I find it is good to get out and be social. It really helps with your recovery. Very often as a PMO addict you spent so much time locked away alone that you become socially awkward. This only makes your social anxiety worst, you are just not accustomed to being with people.