I just feel so alone...
Abbafan1972
Forumite 6.5K Posts
Hi everyone,
I feel the need to post this as there are a few things going on in my life at the moment (you may have just read my post about my daughter and employment).
As the title says, I just feel so alone. I wouldn't really say I have any "friends" to speak of. There are people that I talk to, such as people I see at SW group and another group I go to as well, but they are not the sort of people that I would be able to message and say "lets go out" etc.
I have work colleagues who are lovely and we go out socially for a meal very occasionally, it's currently about every 6 months. I work from home, so I do talk to them on teams and we are starting to go into the office once a month as a team, so we get some interaction there.
Usually contact with old work colleagues fizzles out after I've left a company. I got back in touch with a lovely lady who I worked with years ago, she is the same age as my parents are, and we used to meet up now and again in the city centre and have coffee and a chat, but I've discovered that she now has dementia and I feel awful for her.
I have my family, but this unit is small, as I am an only child. Hubby doesn't keep in contact with his brother or parents after a falling out some years ago.
I don't want to ramble on, but just wanted to post this really to get it off my chest, as I just feel so down at the moment.
Thank you for reading. x
I feel the need to post this as there are a few things going on in my life at the moment (you may have just read my post about my daughter and employment).
As the title says, I just feel so alone. I wouldn't really say I have any "friends" to speak of. There are people that I talk to, such as people I see at SW group and another group I go to as well, but they are not the sort of people that I would be able to message and say "lets go out" etc.
I have work colleagues who are lovely and we go out socially for a meal very occasionally, it's currently about every 6 months. I work from home, so I do talk to them on teams and we are starting to go into the office once a month as a team, so we get some interaction there.
Usually contact with old work colleagues fizzles out after I've left a company. I got back in touch with a lovely lady who I worked with years ago, she is the same age as my parents are, and we used to meet up now and again in the city centre and have coffee and a chat, but I've discovered that she now has dementia and I feel awful for her.
I have my family, but this unit is small, as I am an only child. Hubby doesn't keep in contact with his brother or parents after a falling out some years ago.
I don't want to ramble on, but just wanted to post this really to get it off my chest, as I just feel so down at the moment.
Thank you for reading. x
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I understand that it takes time to build friendships, so there isn't going to a quick fix for your loneliness, but unless you take the steps to find people who you can be friends with, the situation will persist. I took up a new hobby a few years ago, mainly because I was interested in it, but the side benefit has been new freinds I have made. Some are little more than acquantaces, but I have found a connection with others than goes beyond our hobby. You don't know who you will connect with, or what you might get out of the friendship, so just try to make friends and see what happens.
I very much agree with the hobby idea for helping to meet new people with some similar interests - it gives you a place to start at least. Volunteering locally within the community can also be a great help if you can spare some time. An older friend of mine who is a widow really struggled after she retired so she started volunteering at her town's foodbank for a few hours once a week. She's made really good friends through it.
99.99% of the time I initiate things and make first contact, but while it does definitely bug me I have largely accepted that is the way it is, and needs to be should I wish to keep those friends- which I certainly do.
I would encourage you to get yourself out and about as much as possible, volunteering, hobby groups, socialising groups like meetup.com, might there also be a support group locally for people with special needs which encompasses family, carers etc?
I'm single and childless with health problems, I try to get out as much as possible.
Meetup and Zumba classes have led to real & lasting friendships for me personally.
Hope you are feeling a little better now. Your post really resonates with me as I'm sure it does to others too.
I have very few friends, well only really one if I'm honest, we chat through work channels and have a meal out once or twice a year pre covid.
I don't make friends easily, quite reserved and don't really expect people to like me - I realise how I must come across can't be enticing people to want to be my friend.
I was at a charity event last weekend, and saw the groups of friends sat together laughing and chatting and it hit me quite hard that seeing them felt so alien, and its been such a long time that I've felt that sense of belonging. I realised outside of my family I'm still looking for my herd.
I think some of find it harder than others to make friends, and I guess my post isn't really that helpful but wanted to let you know you aren't alone.
As we all go through life we 'move on' from friends and aquantancies, it's not a bad thing, it just means we've developed differently.
It might help to look at your thoughts differently - change the way you see your life/friends/etc .... sometimes it's more the way we see things than the thing itself.
Make time to spend it alone and relax, sit with your favourite drink/food and just enjoy the moment.
I say that because the above actions can alleviate feeling down and depressed and once your mind has worked through those kinks/bends you come out of it happier and clearer-minded.
🤗
I very often am the first to initiate and organise things. I make friends easily and have some life long ones but don't see them that often. I'd like someone I could feel really close to.
Ive recently been dropped by a friend and cannot even think as to a reason why. Its made me feel really down. I've accepted now it's come to an end but it certainly stings.
I hope you can start to feel better as you seem to have taken some positive steps.
i have felt very very lonely when working at home, a few weeks ago I decided to start ditching the car and walking to take and collect my daughter from school every day. I’m not sure if it’s a coincidence but I’ve felt a million times better ever since. It doesn’t make up for the lack of a social life but the fresh air, exercise twice a day really does lift my mood.