I know a lot of us have this issue, so I’m wondering if anyone has any advice or insights to share. I feel so ashamed of my flakiness. Sometimes, I withdraw from literally everyone in my life. If I isolate myself, I don’t have to worry about loved ones being disappointed in me, but I know it’s ruining my relationships as well as opportunities I might’ve had if I wasn’t deathly afraid of my email inbox.

And it’s not like I forgot to respond, even though I use that as an excuse sometimes. The unread messages and emails are always taking up space in my mind, always nagging me with guilt, but I still can’t get myself to respond. Often, I can’t even open my Gmail or instant messaging apps. It’s such a bad habit and it really hurts my self-esteem because I do not intentionally want to ghost people. I know it hurts them, and that’s not my intention. And yet I keep doing it.