Ask Allison: I am almost 30 and have no friends. How can I overcome my crippling anxiety?

Question: I’m writing this email to express how lonely I feel in my life. I will be 30 years old soon, which feels like a milestone age for me, and ever since this birthday has inched closer and closer and the impacts of the pandemic have hit, it has made me realise how lonely I am with no friendships of any sort. Ever since I started secondary school I have struggled not just to form friendships, but to speak to people.