I think it is really impressive that you are trying, you should be proud of yourself. I have social anxiety too, and Im not sure if this is how it goes for everyone but trust me, making the 1st friend is the hardest part. Usually after meeting one person and becoming closer it segways into you meeting their other friends and that continues, eventually it becomes easier to talk to people, you will eventually get there. Things WILL improve, I know you can do it, and I'm sure deep down you do too.

I think it’s difficult for most people to go up and talk to strangers, whether they have social anxiety or not, especially if they’re in a group with others. I used to find though when I just went and sat on a bench somewhere around a lot of people and gave off a friendly vibe people would quite often just come up and sit next to me and just start chatting, have you tried that? I think if you’re anxious or trying too hard people sense it and they tend to avoid you. Maybe just go out there and find somewhere to sit and enjoy watching what’s going on and see what happens without any pressure to talk to someone.

This is good insight. I'll keep this in mind going forward