I’m 16 and need help making friends

I’m a sophomore in high school who doesn’t have many friends. I’ve always been shy and reserved and haven’t ever had a ton of friends. My best friends name is Greg and we will hang out about once a week maybe but I don’t keep in touch with anybody else. This year I went through a lot of medical stuff and got diagnosed with ADHD, anxiety, and depression. For about half of the school year I cut almost everyone I knew out of my life and just sat in my car during break. I’m on medication now and the depression has cleared up and I’m getting back on track, but now that I’m actually interested in having friends I don’t have any because I cut them all out except for Greg. I’ve been trying to talk to more people, but at the end of the day I’m still disappointed in myself because it doesn’t feel like I’m making any progress. I just don’t really know how to approach new people because all of my friends were usually through Greg. I want to have a good group of friends that I can hang out with and have fun and also a girlfriend if I can get one. I’m just completely clueless on how and where to start making knew friends and getting a girlfriend, and I also don’t know how to make myself comfortable talking to people I don’t know. Some things that might help with a response are im funny, nice, and relatable. I also have really bad social anxiety and i just want the process of making friends to not put me back through a depressive cycle again because it really sucked. I don’t care about my grades right now because I’m just not having enough fun to be able to motivate myself to do my schoolwork. Please help me I don’t have anymore people to go to for advice.

Join some clubs, groups, sport and/or after school activities. Start by smile at people saying hi to people, etc. Don't isolate yourself in your car or with only one friend.

I am sorry to hear you are going through this, but at the same time, that is great news that you are ready to move forward again. Believe it or not, this is somewhat common among people your age. In fact, one of my kids went through exactly what you are going through, and he has turned out just fine. Trying to reengage people who you have cut out of you life can be very challenging. Perhaps looking to establish a friendship or two somewhere else might worth a try? Three places come to mind. Maybe look to see if your church has a high school ministry. They usually meet once a week and might provide a place to reintroduce the new you to a fresh group of kids your age. Or, maybe you could find somewhere to volunteer like at an animal shelter. Once again, this might be a good place to meet some new faces and interact with people who will be more likely to see you for who you are since they would be volunteering too. Or, maybe you could see about finding a part time job. Once again, this might be someplace other than school that you can meet some new friends. It is hard to step out of your comfort zone and reengage, but if you can find the strength to do it, it will be well worth the effort.

I think that you should take the opportunity to reconnect with the people you cut out. Be honest with them. Truth be told, they are going through things too. A lot of people are good at putting up a front and keeping things to themselves. You might be surprised what you find out if you reconnect with them and be open and honest. Or keep busy by finding after school activities to participate in. Either way, reconnecting or making new friends takes time. Smiling is very important. It draws people in.