Emotional Scars

I am eighteen years old now and I suddenly realize that I have some untreated emotional scars from the past. As a student, I felt consistently isolated and labeled "nerd" because of my academic leanings. I didn't appear modest about it either, and was ultra-competitive with my peers. Now, I am intimidated by anyone who is not labeled a "nerd" in my mind. I've found it hard to become a "nerd" again because I irrationally believe that being a "nerd" has led me to be disliked by my peers. Nowadays, in college, whenever I try to do challenge myself academically, there is always a little voice in the back of my mind telling me "don't! you'll be labeled a nerd! You will be shunned!". Even writing this post now, I am beginning to feel sad and slightly teary-eyed.

Now, isn't that an irrational emotional scar that needs to be dealt with?

However, I believe that the reason I didn't succeed socially during school days was not because I was academically inclined but because I kept to myself and lacked social skills. I understand that rationally, but my body still reacts negatively when I'm in social situations and I am constantly wary of being judged by the "non-nerds". Are there any resources I can use to overcome this irrational emotional scar?

You need to stop believing that being a nerd led you to be disliked by your peers - it was probably more because you kept to yourself. And everyone has "social skills", we are born with the ability to socialize... so that's the least of your concerns.

The way you change a "belief" is you keep repeating the new true belief to yourself until the old one doesn't make sense anymore or stops making you feel bad.

"I was not disliked by me peers because I was a "nerd", but because I kept to myself"... just rationalize your beliefs and repeat what you rational to be true in your head over and over till it sticks. A belief is just a thought you keep thinking