i have been with several women. I also knew I was messed up since I was 13 (I am now 33). My first partner (at the age of 20) I gave it my all. I also showed parts of me to her that I never did with close family. Needless to say, as my mask started coming off and I felt like I had found the one she broke up with me (I was 22 then). The pain of knowing that I got rejected because I was starting to show my vulnerability was the worst. It took about 3 years for me to start back dating. My dating experiences since then haven't been the best. I know its a very shitty thing to do but I just go with women, have sex with them and look for any excuse soon after to call it quits with them. I know why I am doing this. I still want human interaction but, I know that when you see just how broken I am you will definitely leave. Can't take that pain again. Op, if you are interested in dating then, what helped me was getting into shape (gym), improving my fashion sense (youtube videos) and reading dating help books (corny but it really helps imo). Off course though the most significant stumbling block is lack of finances. Maybe try looking for jobs that are full remote work. That way you don't have to be in unfamiliar environments that may trigger you.