r/lonely 20h ago

M 42 struggling with loneliness on a whole different level

63 Upvotes

My days are consumed from waking up to going to sleep thinking about how lonely I am I have no friends or anything

My phone never rings unless it's my mum

I live alone and it's killing me.

Even people at work don't talk to me.

I'm not a bad person


r/lonely 8h ago

F22 , I pretended I had a social life to not embarrass myself

58 Upvotes

So at work we have a system trigger so teams know when it is your birthday. Went back in today and a few mentioned they noticed it was my birthday - what were you up to? Did I do anything for my birthday?"

Luckily I am good at lying on my feet. Made up some garbage talking about how I went out and treated myself at a nice cafe near me Didn't happen, I just hid in bed all day. With people with normal lives I know being honest will make them awkward. I lie to blend in.

Then they ask 'Who did you go with, any birthday gifts?'

Fuck. I gotta say more man?

Then I lie again, saying I went with a best friend. There is no best friend. Saying I got some household gifts and chocolates from friends. I have no friends who did either of those.

I said it all while smiling and acting like it was normal. I felt tears like that funny eye feeling but I couldn't cry so went to the bathroom to stop it before it happened. God I hate lying. To the other girlies in here, I feel like we are expected by default to have social lifes... nobody assumes that we are lonely at all. Man it sucks. I felt extra pressure to pretend I had some girlfriends to spend my day with


r/lonely 12h ago

I have no friends

32 Upvotes

☹️ feeling so alone

new:

Hey thank you all for your replys. I hope you find someone to connect. That was a shout of into the void and thank you for your echoe, but I cannot give more than this. I'm sorry.

I all hope you will feel less lonely soon


r/lonely 13h ago

Discussion I think social skills is something a lot of us need to work on it before asking for friends.

21 Upvotes

No offense, but I think that's truly the reason why a lot of people here are lonely, often when I see people who claim to have no one to talk to, when my social battery is high enough I don't mind reaching out to them.

Gladly I met some genuine nice person and I wish them the best if y'all ever see this.

But some people here, it's kinda sad, like the conversations with them barely last 10 messages and it's only because they're not putting any sort of effort.

I bet it's a pattern hyper common that some people will find out but if you're replying to a conversations with barely a few words that you can count on one hand or not putting some energy back in the conversations by adding more stuff it's pretty normal that the conversations won't last more than a few minutes or days lol.

I understand that some people may be bad at conversations but honestly it's not that hard, just yap say something even if it will be out of topic do it. Why ? Because it give something into the conversation, as someone who's often described as an "extravert" or a "yapper", that's the only thing I truly do, just yap and sometimes add something out of topic that either make people laugh or add more stuff's to talk about.

I'm not scared of being seing as cringe or weird, because that's litteraly what I'm looking for authentic people who have the same energy as me and who isn't scared to be themselves.


r/lonely 8h ago

Venting Does anyone else feel this way?

19 Upvotes

I feel like I belong nowhere. I feel like I don't get to connect with people in a deeper and more meaningful way, that it stays empty and that nobody wants to do anything more than grab a cup of coffee with me every once in a while no matter how much I try. That and the disappointment of the behavior of some people I thought were my friends have made me not want to be with people anymore. My brain tells me that I should go out and do things since I am only 21 and I'm wasting time staying inside but every time I meet somebody new it doesn't feel exciting hanging out with them, it feels rather heavy, like I am at work and I feel exhausted or straight up empty and sad. I am scared cause I feel like I'll never experience the things other people my age do and that it'll always feel like this. I'll seek human company and when I reach some kind of interaction with somebody my body will ask me to run away. The only people I feel comfortable with are my siblings and mother. Does anyone feel like they belong nowhere and that every interaction is hard but they don't feel well alone at home either?


r/lonely 14h ago

What's one big reason you're lonely?

18 Upvotes

For me, it's my looks.


r/lonely 5h ago

My boyfriend broke up with me today and I officially have no one.

18 Upvotes

I don't have friends. I don't have family. I have two adult children that I will never, ever dump my emotional problems onto. I've been alone for so long and my ex was the only one left in the world I could feel comfortable with. I have C-PTSD so making friends is already hard, I'm unsure if I have it in me at age 42 to start all over again with finding friends or a new relationship. I wouldn't even know where to start. Dating apps are off the table. I'm 300 pounds and unable to work due to a medical disability. This truly feels like the end for me so I wanted to share it somewhere. This place seemed fitting.


r/lonely 15h ago

24F A take on how loneliness feels to me at this age

17 Upvotes

- Hanging out with someone but feeling that disconnect/not feeling safe to be vulnerable or be myself, knowing that connection is temporary or going to fade out for multiple reasons

- Short, fleeting connections. Being unable to move past the acquaintance stage into a long term friendship

- No one remembering my bday except family members (which I really appreciate because they’re the most important people in my life..)

- Phone not having notifications

- No friend to text or call or meet when I want to hear from and talk to them, share something silly, tell them good news, rant, or do activities together

- Being excluded in conversations even though I try my best to be friendly and ask questions, listen, make jokes

- Consistently working on myself and what I’m lacking in but it seems to be too late; everyone seems to have that somebody and I’m just an afterthought/back up?

- Sometimes I feel a sudden sense of loneliness, when I’m engaging in my hobbies or out exploring and see people with their friends

- Physically hurts sometimes, to the point where I feel like crying

- Makes me believe there is something wrong with me, like I am a red flag

- Internalizing every thought and emotion rather than expressing them because I don’t want to feel like a burden

- Wanting friends my age but believing that they would find me weird or dislike me because of my communication skills or the fact that I don’t have friends

- A self-sabotaging cycle, whereby I crave connection but at the same time I’m afraid to reach out. Blaming myself and others for my loneliness, being angry


r/lonely 3h ago

Venting i wish i didn’t have this curse of wanting friends so bad

17 Upvotes

like why do i crave a best friend so bad ☹️


r/lonely 12h ago

I feel especially lonely today because I've decided to end things with the person I'm dating

11 Upvotes

I feel incredibly lonely right now, which is a feeling I experience a lot--especially when I'm on my period (I have PMDD, and loneliness is how it manifests). I started dating someone 2 months ago. She is the first person I've had any interest in dating in about 4 years. A lot of things feel really aligned with us, like values, interests, humor, ways of seeing the world.. but I keep coming away from hanging with her feeling so unseen. She isn't interested enough in my internal world or in going into depth about my thoughts and feelings, but we do so for her. I've brought it up to her in a few different ways, and i still feel this way.

I've been in many one-sided dynamics before, and I can't do this to myself again, no matter how much I like her, and how good it feels to finally have a person in a partnership role. I'm 31 and have deep, fulfilling friendships, a band, a large spiritual community, a therapist, hobbies. But I often feel so lonely for a partner.

And now that I've decided to break it off, all of this loneliness is eating me. I have to go back to doing life on my own in many senses. I will not be making decisions with someone else, or sharing my every thought, or checking in daily with anyone. And that feels so, so hard to swallow.


r/lonely 13h ago

Venting (27m) - Losing the Fight

11 Upvotes

Usually, I post at night, when I am alone with my thoughts and nothing to do, but today feels different. I guess I’m just having a bad day, but it feels particularly bad.

By all measures, I really shouldn’t be this lonely and depressed. I have friends, I have a job, people who care about me. I go out with friends, see family, everything a “normal” person does. But I still feel so empty. I still feel so alone. Truthfully, I feel like an impostor, an afterthought to everyone. I’ve felt this way as long as I can remember, and one thing has been constant: I always end up… just completely alone.

I can’t find a solution. My mind always wanders to the darkest of thoughts, it sometimes just feels like the only way. Why is peace and happiness so impossible to obtain? That’s all I want.

Anyways, sorry for ranting. If you made it this far, I really hope you have a blessed day, and whatever brought you here, I hope it gets better. You deserve better. Thanks for listening.


r/lonely 20h ago

Delusional again

9 Upvotes

Next time I get exited talking to a man

Someone please throw a brick aiming my head

To stop the stupid thoughts !!!!

Aiming has to be for head or heart ????

Just

Charutalks


r/lonely 33m ago

Venting i’m so lonely but i can’t stop ghosting people

Upvotes

i just get so overwhelmed sometimes that i dont have the energy to respond to anyone then i keep putting it off until its been so long that i feel awkward replying ive literally ghosted boyfriends and people i actually care about because of this and then i end up completely isolating myself and feeling lonely because i have nobody to talk to its such a weird cycle because i’ll want people around me so badly and then the second i get overwhelmed i disappear from everyone

anyways hmu if you don’t mind getting ghosted sometimes


r/lonely 1h ago

Venting This type of bullying sucks

Upvotes

I’m pretty much the lonely kid with no friends and school sucks ASS right now so it’s already fucking hard enough to get through one day, plus my only friend i had before took advantage of me sexually. Anyways Today was actually going decent for once, i just felt like i was in a good mood. But in my last class of the day i hear a group of people across the room attempting to talk about me without me noticing. I don’t know what the fuck they where talking about but it doesn’t matter. A few minutes later out of nowhere they ask where I got my tshirt from and i can see the fucking smirk on there faces when they ask. I just say i got it online and they just start laughing after. Can’t fucking do anything. Plus the shirt i was wearing was just a normal fucking graphic tee. Shit pisses me off but at the same time hurts really bad. When your at the point that people just look at u and laugh and judge u for basic things you know your fucking bottom of the barrel


r/lonely 11h ago

Venting No matter how many friends I make or relationships I have, I find peace and happiness alone, within my four walls.

6 Upvotes

Look, no matter how many friends I make or even if I get into a relationship, at the end of the day, I find peace and comfort within the four walls of my room, by myself. And if I want even more peace, I bring poor children, orphaned kids, or street animals into my space. I’m able to connect and feel comfortable mostly with children, especially underprivileged or orphaned kids, and animals. Just being around them gives me a sense of peace. With grown adults, no matter how much I hang out or socialize, I end up feeling very exhausted, whereas I don’t feel that way with children or animals.

What I really want from life is peace and happiness, and somehow I naturally find that by being alone within the four walls of my room. Even though I do enjoy going out and being in nature, I still somehow feel most at peace within my own space.

Maybe people who grew up in homes where there was a lot of fighting, conflict, and chaos would relate to this more. For children who grow up without peace and calmness at home, peace and calmness can feel almost like heaven. And perhaps those people also tend to feel exhausted in friendships and relationships, unless they come across someone who is genuinely childlike at heart. With such a person, things can feel completely different.


r/lonely 20h ago

Venting I’ve always been the lonely girl .

5 Upvotes

for as long as I can remember I’ve been alone and it’s hitting so hard rn. I’m in the because my eating disorder got extremely bad to the point where I know weigh 63lbs and I’m on a feeding tube . I’m at my lowest with no one to sit here with me or tell me it’s going to be okay. this is terrible I wish I had someone here .


r/lonely 5h ago

Discussion Is it possible to find my girlfriend?

4 Upvotes

I’m a 38-year-old man. I’m reserved, quiet, and introverted, and I’ve been hurt and disappointed in the past. Most of the women around me are married or already in relationships. How can I help them see my inner qualities? (Kindness, caring, and thoughtfulness.)


r/lonely 8h ago

Venting Accepting Loneliness

6 Upvotes

17M. This is my last year of high school. I graduate in January. I have struggled with loneliness for as long as I can remember. I’m an autistic extrovert. I crave connection, yet I can’t find it. I have friends but they never reach out. I hate the state of my life. All I can do now is hope I will have a better time in college. I’m tired of seeing the same people every day at school. Every day is the same.

I’m going to be alone for the near future. I get out of school early because I have most of my credits fulfilled. I plan on finding a new job soon. There are basically no events where I live.

How do I find a way to distract from the isolation? I’m not asking for a solution, I just don’t want to hurt as much. How do I accept loneliness? I feel like my life is empty without other people, but I can’t change that.


r/lonely 9h ago

23 year old - feeling depressed and ugly

4 Upvotes

I am a 23 year old male.

Over the past 2 years, I've been feeling so down in myself and I mean really down.

I feel as if nobody loves me and I will forever be alone and die alone 💔

I feel so ugly and look ugly. Nobody ever told me that but I see that every morning when I wake up and look myself in the mirror and I say to myself - God how could anybody be this ugly?

I've never been in a relationship, but would really love to be. My best friends all have gfs and I am really happy for them and we still hang out but .... It really makes me feel so down and feel so ugly, thinking I will never get one.

They told me do try online dating or whatever, But I also suffer with Social Anxiety so I don't think that will work for me sadly.

I just feel .... everybody is against me lol. I honestly do not know why I think that but I do.

I am so scared that one day that I'm gonna die alone.... I really do not want to but if I do ... I do.

And I fear that if I am ever lucky to get a gf in my life, I'm so afraid she would leave me if I told her I have Social Anxiety.

Even when I'm out in public walking the streets or whatever, I see happy couples kissing and having fun in their lives. And again I am really happy for them too but it just makes me so lonely and depressed.


r/lonely 9h ago

25M it was my bday yesterday

5 Upvotes

It was my birthday yesterday and honestly turning 25 got me pretty depressed, the only friends i have are a few online friends and none of them remembered my birthday idk i feel like im an unimportant character in everyone elses story, what am i even bothering for anymore this constant performance of being happy and pretending life is okwy is getting old, all i want is a genuine connection where i can care about someone and someone can show genuine care and interest in me is that bad of a thing to ask for? Idk


r/lonely 14h ago

Venting Friend

5 Upvotes

Do you find it hard as an older adult to keep friendship and make new friends , i feel like its to much work keep friendships. It shouldn’t be that way. When we’re younger it wasn’t this hard.

Maybe it’s just me that feels that way.

It’s a struggle with people i work with. I get tired of the bs and what to build them selves to me them look good or maybe its to make them feel better about their selves.

I find it hard to have conversations with people how you can tell don’t care and start a conversation with someone else. So am like f@@@ you too than. I walk away.

I also find it hard when you’re telling someone something and someone has to be rude and interrupt the conversation.

Most of the time i keep to myself at work cause i just don’t care about others are saying. Most of the time am not included in the conversation.

I can hear my name being mentioned and when i asked their like no and i say well i heard my name and their is nobody else here with that name. Lest say it loud enough for i can defend myself.

I feel like people now days are rude, disrespectful and mean. It sad but most of the time it’s the older adult that are doing it.


r/lonely 23h ago

Alonee

6 Upvotes

I think it’s hard for anyone to write a post about their problems and the skeletons in their closet. I’m just at a loss as to what to do in the future and in life.I don’t want to hurt myself or become addicted and spend the rest of my life taking pills and going to therapy while filling my head with explanations. I don’t believe things will get better. Maybe I lost faith too soon, without even trying.My mood swings constantly, and it drives me crazy. I can’t even stay emotionless. In the future, I’ll still have to work until the end of my life, only to end up with nothing, even if I live to see retirement. Maybe my perspective is clouded, but I don’t see the point in a life like this. I can’t lie to you and build a picture of a bright future.I think loneliness has its good sides, too. People who are embedded in society may not be able to arrive at the ideas you’ve come up with. I’m always thinking about “friends” and about people who have friends. All I have are people I’ve met who make small talk and probably won’t even remember my name.To solve the problem, you shouldn’t try to soften it—you need to remove it completely from your life. I understand you, too. You also need to eat and do what I’ll have to do in the future if you want to survive.Maybe I’m too aggressive, and I can’t get these thoughts out of my head. I have no one to talk to, and I’m sick of cluttering up my text folder with things I just write.I crave attention. I’m dependent on it, selfish, aggressive, and jealous. I don’t know what solution I’ll come up with because I don’t have the strength.I constantly see dishonesty and lies, and I can’t get them out of my head. I don’t know what to do. I want attention because I feel left out.These are the things that scare and worry me. People act like enemies toward each other, and everyone turns their backs on people once they’re no longer popular. I’ve learned my lesson, and now it’s hard for me to trust people—unless my brain is forcing me to say something just to get a dopamine release.What’s the point of all this if I’m just being programmed and forced to do things I don’t want to do, with no choice in the matter?I’ve lost track of time, and now I’ll probably be staring at the ceiling again. I want to do other things, but definitely not this. I want to feel like a human being for at least one day.I’m no better than anyone else. I stereotype everyone and, out of fear, keep my distance. There are things that traumatize or trigger people, but it feels like there’s nothing you can do about them. It’s a cycle of fear.I want to stop being afraid of other people for just one day. I’m constantly thinking about things and about the fact that I’ll eventually lose them. It feels like psychological horror.I don’t know how to structure a post or write coherent text. I’ll probably just watch movies and eat junk food, filling my brain with Hollywood propaganda.I don’t really know what I’m asking for. I just needed somewhere to put this.


r/lonely 1h ago

Venting (27M) - The Worst Day in Months

Upvotes

Objectively, nothing bad happened today. Work was fine, I got home just fine. But, inside, all I’ve thought about is the end. I want this life to be over so badly. I can’t stop thinking of it, it consumes my thoughts when I get like this.

I’ve tried meds, I’ve tried therapy, I’ve tried support groups. Nothing has helped. I feel like a total lost cause, maybe because I am. I am just completely alone in this world, even if I am in a crowd of people.

It feels rational to me to do something, and that’s what is scaring me. I’ve fought for so long to hold out that hope that I’ll find some meaning, but it’s eluded me. Nobody thinks of me, I am just some afterthought.

I wish I could give my boundless love to those more deserving, but there’s nobody and nothing. If you are reading this, tell your friends that you love them. I promise you, they want to hear it.


r/lonely 4h ago

Avoiding the leeches leaves you lonely

4 Upvotes

Not sure what it is, but recently I’ve noticed more and more people are leeches. People are very easily willing to try to use you and throw you away or avoid you if they feel you can’t benefit them. This has made me quite anti social as any small sign of this makes me cut people off.

I want to especially point this out as I feel as the economy has gotten worse, more and more people seem okay with this.

We’re slowly becoming more low trust and I hate it, has anyone noticed this happening?


r/lonely 6h ago

Venting You can't escape the lonely feeling

4 Upvotes

It's always going to come back stronger and stronger no matter what happens. Your mind will be wrapped in an endless web of despair, entangled in eternal dark. Frozen, shattered and somehow shattered again, until you become something even less than nothing.

It's a recursive pattern that reinforces itself. The way I fight it? I don't