I’m a senior in high school for context. I’ve been hanging out with a quite large group of friends for about half a year now. I’ve hung out with them multiple times, and we sit together every day at lunch.
I feel very insecure in the friend group. Oftentimes, I feel like a burden and that I’m just tagging along with them. I feel like nothing would change for them if I just disappeared. I see them post on social media about outings they had without me. They talk with each other, but I rarely feel included in the conversation, or anything for that matter. I love being with them and cherish our times together. However, after hanging out with them, I almost always feel depressed and overwhelmingly insecure. I’ve grown afraid they do things without me.
I’ve brought up my feelings before, albeit in a non-structured way. They find it annoying and seem to not know what to say. I expect reassurance but instead, it’s as if they’re caught off guard.
I’ve considered having a conversation about it, but I’m afraid to share my feelings. I’ve thought about leaving the group, but then I’d have nobody.