Can being bullied as a kid affect your future social life?

[Naki]

I was bullied when I was a child throughout high school. I was not bad looking or overweight just quiet and I didn't care much for people who were loud or spoke badly about other people being their backs also was honest and people hated that. I was called ugly, bad dresser and a b!tch in elementary through high school and caused me to be a loner as an adult. I have two close friends but never been popular on social media sites or popular in general. I always took school very serious which allowed me to follow my dreams and attend grad school. I'm currently attending and one of the youngest students in my program. I don't keep up with anyone from high school but I'll occasionally see them working in stores or fast food joints. I usually laugh to myself and think these were the same girls who called me dumb and ugly now they're 30+ lbs overweight manager at MacDonalds. I never forgave them everything they did and said bother me to this day. They made my life hell. I was on the verge of suicide. I know it sounds bad that I haven't moved passed it and it's affecting my adult life to go out and meet new people but I'm ready to move on. I still live in the same town I went to high school in and everything is just a reminder of it when I pass the building or when I have subbing assignments at the high school. I want to move past the past and move on to the future.

[zzzzz]

It can have a major impact. I was bullied from the ages 8 - 16. I'm 21 now and suffer from Social Anxiety Disorder.

I was bullied because of my verbal difficulties due to dyslexia and dyspraxia. So now most times, I'm terrified to talk to people and express myself incase they would think I'm dumb. I'm also terrified to open up to people just incase they will turn their backs on me or do something horrible.

I've tried and tried to not feel like this. And I don't choose to be like this at all like some ignorant people claim.
Thankfully after meeting some good friends in recent years, I am slowly getting more confident.....
But I will never be the bubbly confident 8 yr that I was. Bullying has sort of changed the way I perceive people.