Unable to talk to people and initiate conversation - why?

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I don't think its Social Anxiety Disorder because it's not that I feel embarrassed to talk and socialize. I don't have panic attacks or sweating or shaking or anything. Here's my deal: I am unable to talk to strangers and even some people I know unless they talk to me first, and even then it won't be more than a few words. I can NEVER initiate conversation with someone. If you think I'll just approach you (or anyone for that matter) one day and say Hi, how are ya? It would never happen unless I was seconds away from death and the only way to save my life was to talk to a stranger. I've always been this way with strangers. Also, in school I never talked to any of my classmates or raised my hand (funny - I was able to do this until about 3rd grade or so, and then it just... stopped) (Also, if it matters, I've been taking Concerta for years starting in 3rd grade for ADHD which I suspect was misdiagnosed) I never raised my hand in school, even If I knew the answer to a problem. If I needed help with something I ALWAYS asked the teacher after class or risked just getting my work wrong. Whenever I go out with my family, be it to a store or somewhere else, I always ask my mom "Can you ask that guy (employee) where I can find _________ for me" if for example I'm looking for a product at the store. I try to avoid any and all situations that involve talking to people. My favorite form of communication, if possible, is emailing. What is wrong with me??

People have been enabling you. That's what's wrong.
Think about it in real terms, not in "afraid" terms. You ask a drug store employee where the cosmetics are. What is the worst thing s/he can do? The absolute worst? What? Laugh at you because you don't know the layout of their stupid store? Whatever!
Mis-direct you? You could probably get them fired.

I have social anxiety and the more I let it dictate what I do the less happy I am. When I challenge the fear and push myself to do things that I'm afraid of doing, I'm always happier. Even when it doesn't work out. It's the feeling of powerlessness that kills me.

Do you honestly enjoy emailing, or is it simply more bearable to email than to talk to someone in person?

Also, can you remember any events (possibly unpleasant ones) that might have led to the degradation in socialisation in grade 3?

I agree with cozysweater. You have to force yourself to initiate these interactions. You can't rely on your Mom to ask. I think this is a case for CBT. You need to learn to express yourself or you will have a real hard time getting by. The next time you walk past someone and you have that feeling of, should I look at this person or should I look away, do this: look directly at them and say something even if it's just "hi" and a nod. Don't worry about how the other person reacts; it doesn't matter. Force yourself to deal with cashiers and waiters, etc. The more you do it, the better you'll get at it.

I have the same sort of issue sort of, and most people simply don't get it....I mean not sure if it seems like this for you, but does it feel physically impossible sort of? That is how I experiance it, its like there is literally something preventing me from initiating a conversation even if I'd want to. I can talk to people I know if they don't talk to me first, but if its someone new or that I don't know too well I can't initiate conversation, but am pretty much fine talking to them if they end up expressing interest otherwise I don't say much and just end up feeling awkward. It was quite the issue in school, I was able to raise my hand to answer questions sometimes or like if I had to ask the teacher something and you where supposed to raise your hand to do so. But then when I got more into middle school and then highschool where a lot of times people just call out the anwers or whatever without rasing their hand I couldn't do that, and it was hard for me to say 'insert teachers name' and then ask them what I was going to ask so a lot of times I ended up just going up to their desk till they asked what i needed.

But yeah most people seem to simply not understand and don't realize how unbeliviably frusterating it can be....I had a therapist when I was 16 who suggested I just force myself and do certain excercises to become more comfortable so I could over come it but it doesn't work like that or then I am embarrased in situations when it comes up that I have trouble initiating conversation like when people wonder why I can't just get the waitresses attention for instance.

I can very much relate to this feeling of being unable to initiate or talk to people although I have improved, I think that happened when I began to question if I even wanted to, mostly the point of engaging with others now seem to be the pretence of being normal and now I even question why bother. It's only a problem now as is seems to hold me back.

There are several "It just doesn't work like that" comments and agreements here. It actually does work like that. I know this from personal experience and from the experience of others I know. Trying to avoid pain never makes it better. Start with small steps and yeah it's going to hurt. It's going to feel utterly wrong and you're going to have anxiety attacks about it and lay awake at night freaking out about it, because that's what Anxiety as a "mental health issue" does. But the only way out of it is through it. If you keep avoiding it, it will just get worse. Your fear of the situations will grow. Your panic attacks when you're put on the spot will get even worse.
Maybe your individual case of Anxiety requires medication to be manageable enough to work through. Maybe not. Personally, mine has been both. There have been times when my anxiety was so bad that I needed medication to take the worst of the edge off. And sometimes I haven't needed that.

I’m exactly the same way, but my problems are caused by my schizophrenia. Psychologists call this symptom of schizophrenia alogia, or sometimes simply refer to it as “poverty of speech.” Basically, it means a person has extreme problems in initiating conversations, and even when they are asked questions, they simply reply with one or two word responses because the persons thought processes are extremely disrupted. I’m not necessarily saying that you also have schizophrenia, but maybe there are other disorders as well that have alogia as a symptom.

Nevermind.