It was my birthday today, an I had planned on spending it alone.

To my surprise, I was not left alone. I had many more people send me birthday wishes than I would have even hoped for. I even had someone I hadn't heard from in six months come to my door with a cake.

Sometimes we have an expectation that we'll be alone, and simply accept it as fact. Today was proof that there are often more people thinking about you than you realize.

You are more loved than you know.

My best friend told us she was pregnant. We have been friends for over 17 years. I thought I was in love with her, but she never felt the same, and I'm thankful for that because I learned overtime that we would not have been a good match. We both come from different sides of the tracks. She is a soc, and I'm a greaser; she is on the wealthy side, and I'm on the lower class.

But we remained great friend, and I've always been happy for that, because I don't have many friends, and as I got older, I got less and less friends.

At a Sunday brunch, she told me and my other friend. It was 5 of us, both my friends and their significant others, and me. My other friend has 4 kids with his wife. This will be her first child. So there leaves me, childless, no girlfriend, no nothing.

And as we all rejoiced and congratulated for the blessing to be, I thought deep how I'm growing further to a long life of loneliness. And amongst many thoughts, I began to get teary. It was obvious it wasn't me being emotional over this great news, and I just had to excuse myself.

See, im a 33 year old male. I imagined this point of my life years ago, and I could never imagine this level of loneliness. I thought I'd have it figured out by now, but it got worst, and worst, and I'm at the point of my life where I don't even know if I'll ever get a chance at the happiness my friends experience.

I have been lonely forever but I'm ready to live my life again I'm not gonna keep holding myself back anymore just because I have a fear of rejection and the fear of being alone doesn't mean I'm gonna stop living life sucks it really does but I'm still kicking so I'm gonna keep goin I know this isn't the right sub for this but people should see this and at least know that they can too

I have seen the general sentiment and statement “You need to love yourself/improve before others can love you” plenty of times, and I don't think anyone who throws around the phrase can comprehend how unhelpful it is. It's near impossible to undergo some grand self improvement when there is no one to support you, and it's even harder to bear being around yourself when those around you hate that you exist as yourself and want you to feel that way too. It's hard to exist at all let alone do the maximum amount of things to make others like you. I don't expect some fairytale romance or endless praise from those around me, I just want to be cared for and find those I am similar to.

I woke up at 2 p.m. today, and like every day, I woke up to "0 notifications." I'm lonely. I spend hours on my phone watching 15-second videos, and once I turn off my phone, I'm submerged in pure silence. My thoughts start going, but not a single one is positive. I don't have any friends that I can go out with. Honestly, there's no reason for me to write this, but I think I just want to be heard in some way.

I had a breakup recently, i am slowly moving on from him but he post break up loneliness is hitting me hard. I feel like i have no friends left. Please let me know if some one would just like to chat for a while?

Title.

Also, America's downfall is rather interesting to watch.

I’m actually really scared of being left alone without a partner forever like i’m currently living. Lol

Have you ever known a straight dude who just "became" gay or bisexual after one crazy night of partying or drinking?

When I started Testosterone therapy, I got some VIVID gay fantasies. Was I falsely convinced that I was straight?

I turned 22 last October. No presents, no one to celebrate it with, I just spent all day in bed.

I've never had a single friend my entire life. Hell, I've never had anyone I could even trust my entire life. I was raised in isolation so I don't even know how to socialize with others, when I tried asking to see where people go to meet others, the only answers I was given were bars, and I can't stand alcohol.

This past week I was screened by a therapist, according to them I have severe depression and anxiety. Though even they don't know that there are several days I wish I wasn't alive. If I told them, they'd have to report it, and I can't afford rent if I miss work because of that.

Every day I go to work and it's the same. I dread getting up in the morning, I dread going to sleep at night, and I dread every moment of my life.

I had hobbies, things that brought me joy. If I'm being honest now, they don't anymore. The dull and hollow pain of being alone has made me numb, apathetic. I don't care about anything.

I’m a 20 male, I have depression, anxiety, adhd and I’ve always been shy and I believe it’s due to the fact that I was severely depressed or something for a majority of my early life. I’ve never had any friends. I was never invited to birthday parties or sleepovers or play dates or anything. Didn’t get any better in highschool, I slept around in college due to a massive depression episode that landed me in the hospital 2 years ago and now I literally have nothing. I have no friends. The only people I regularly interact with are my family and co workers if my family were to die in an accident I’d have absolutely nobody…but I don’t know what I’m doing wrong. I’m not a great looking guy I get it maybe 4 or five on a good day. I’m not really mean or anything like that I just don’t understand what I’m doing wrong? Is there something I’m not getting because if this is what my life’s gonna be like for the next 50-60 years, I’m not gonna put up with this.

I'm already tired... I want to have friends, but finding someone who cares is difficult online, imagine how difficult it is in real life! I really don't know what to do. I think I've lost track of how human relationships even work. What's normal and what isn't? I don't know. Sometimes I just feel like isolating myself is the only way out. And I really wish I never felt anything for anyone again...

I lost my wife to cancer. I hate the silence of the house. I'm don't like being by myself. Is the fact I'm 68 mean I won't find love again. I'm I destined to be someone who dies alone?

I've been feeling lonely for a while now. During the week, work helps to keep my mind busy. But when I get home, even though it's all I want after a stressful day, I just feel empty. Weekends, especially sundays, are the worst for me. I spend the week waiting for my rest days and no matter what I do to try to avoid it, I end up feeling down. Not having someone by my side hurts too much these days. Someone to talk about everything. Someone to love.

I don't know, I've been feeling so sad. I just don't want to exist anymore.

If you've read this far, thank you. Also, listen to U.S.D.D.O.S by trauma ray. <3

the other day, i called a suicide hotline. i was telling the lady on the line about my situation, how i would be homeless soon, i dont have a car, cant get therapy, and i was worried about eating at night. i was at the end of my rope. i was outside, walking around, skipping school. i told her how i wanted to kill myself, how i have nobody. no friends or family i can talk to about anything. i told her i would od on sleeping meds soon. and she calmed me down. a few hours later at home, i got three or so calls, i thought it was my brother so i didn't answer. it was her, for 10 minutes, she was trying to get me to answer. this stranger sounded so worried about me. some kid she met a few hours ago, she was WORRIED i wouldn't wake up. i dont understand, how could she feel like that? why would she worry for ME? all she knew about me, is that i make art and live in Colorado. and she cared for me.

i dont understand, and it feels so confusing. why would she think about me?

Just a question for the people.

I struggle even getting a single one since moving towns, and then I see people online posting about how differently they act in different friend groups. Man, what I'd give. I want to be outgoing but it feels like I am only able to show my true personality to people I'm really comfortable with, so in group settings, I go quiet and feel like an outsider.

Literally just want a reason to not be stuck at home everyday after work or on my days off. I wish I wasn't a loser in life. Wish I hadn't had those miscarriages, wish I hadnt found out I was being cheated on. I go to bed every night wondering why. So many evil women around me get everything they want and I've got nothing

im so fucking lonley. all my close friends moved to different cities for uni, here i am on my own. i dont know why i just cant make any new friends, i find it really hard. my mom is giving me such a hard time and she just doesn’t understand but she basically calls me a loser for not going out. she doesnt understand i literally dont have anyone. i dont even have my dog anymore for company. i hate this so much. i feel worthless. ugh.

Hey, I’m Ammar (online I go by Untamed Draws). I’m a professional concept artist — I spend most of my days helping bring stories and ideas to life for books and media. On the outside, it probably sounds like a dream job. And in many ways, it is. But honestly? Lately, I’ve just been feeling incredibly lonely.

I spend a lot of time in my own head, creating, thinking, overthinking... and while I love art and everything that comes with it — music, games, food, meaning, love, self-care, even things like home building and gardening — none of it really fills that space where human connection should be.

I’m an empath, which makes it even harder sometimes. I feel people deeply, but lately it feels like there’s no one around to feel with, if that makes sense.

I guess I’m just reaching out, hoping to find someone who understands what that kind of loneliness feels like. Someone who doesn’t mind slow conversations, deep thoughts, or just existing quietly together when the words aren’t there.

If any of this resonates with you, even a little, I’d love to talk. Whether it's about life, art, the weirdness of existence, or just how your day went — I’m here.

Thanks for reading.

How does it make you feel? I’ve felt it for so long I lose the ability to tell anymore. To think or feel much these days…do you also find your memory failing? I’m always forgetting things and finding myself forgetting more…it’s kinda like the brain saying there’s no use. Like all thoughts and emotions could easily just be imaginary. Like it’s near impossible believe anything living anymore discovering all to be a lie

I am extremely lonely with very little friends. What do you all do to keep yourself busy? How do you make friends in your thirties?

hi everyone, so basically I'm trying to make friends rn after a period of my life where I was very anti-social with others irl and I'm finding that almost everyone I talk to are unwilling to go the extra mile for me; like the moment I stop reaching out to them, almost everything (if not everything) stops. I'll go 30, 40, 50 miles for people who will maybe go 1 mile for me in return, and it's so tiring. I'm so tired of talking and putting my sweat and tears into people who seem friendly initially, but will just go cold and make no real effort to connect with me. btw I live in the Seattle area, which is pretty notorious in the US for its population being very unfriendly. I really don't know what to do about it tbh; maybe I keep talking to the wrong people somehow and I need to learn how to make surface-level judgements better? or maybe there's just something about me which is unlikable that I need to work on? I really don't know.

rn I feel like I need close friends more than ever; I can't spend all of my non-working waking hours sitting in the room of my parents' place of residence and, well, I want to move out sooner rather than later but that would be practically impossible without connections. someone I can share a room with and spend extended periods of my life with sounds like a pipe dream right now. I've had so many platonic fantasies about travelling with a (fictional) close friend and just doing fun activities together and enjoying ourselves, and it honestly sometimes hurts me to see people talk about their experiences with close friends and even small things like Instagram posts because it makes me feel like I've been robbed of so much. I'm not satisfied with where my life is rn and it's difficult to see things improving unless I can start actually connecting with people; rn that in itself seems improbable at best.

one of the only people who isn't like this (they're an autistic person who's older than me but had a lot in common with me when they were around my age) told me that they just started cutting these people out nice and early so that they don't have to stress about it and they can worry about the actual important people in their lives and I'm starting to think I should take a leaflet out of their book (or however the metaphor goes) because this is too exhausting for me. the issue for me is that I have no important friendships in my life to focus on instead.

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