Getting rid of shyness and social anxiety

For those of you who felt very shy and socially anxious after the bar exam, what did you do to overcome it and how long did it take?

I don’t study effectively around other people, so aside from two weeks in May, I was primarily alone for four months (finals and prep). I’m trying to overcome this by going to different social events, but it doesn’t seem to be working, and sometimes it feels like an inescapable prison. I have friends in different states but talking on the phone doesn’t help. No real live connection.