Have you felt lonely at any stage of life?

I’m a human being…so yes. :-)

And I dealt with the situation by working on and valuing myself. The rest took care of itself. Others value you as YOU value you.

Sure. What you have to do is be the first to reach out. Consider asking someone you know from school or work for coffee. Then ask them questions about themselves, and really listen to their answers.

Join Meet-up or other groups that focus on interests that you have. that way you can meet like-minded people.

Volunteer. (You will feel good about yourself. you may meet people, and you will see that in comparison to what it could be your life isn’t that bad.

After I separated after my first marriage broke down I often felt lonely. Especially on weekends when my children were with their dad.

Reach out to existing friends, and do as @marinelife suggests, make some new ones. Sometimes we have to be proactive and change our lives. I hope we can help you feel a little less lonely.

I often feel lonely….it’s been a constant in my life. I’ve had very good, close friends, but they are few, far too few. If I was honest (and I’m trying to be) I would say that I have very high standards for friendship and that is part of the problem. I don’t know how to change that dynamic though. I expect a certain loyalty and understanding from my close friends. I need someone to sympathetically hear out my feelings and actions, even when they may be misguided or even wrong. I think the best friendships need to allow for differences of opinion. After all, you are looking for friends, not sycophants, right? But in order not to feel lonely you want to have a friend that listens, really listens, even when they disagree with you. . You want a friend who doesn’t rush to judgement. You want a friend that you can call when you are in need without feeling like you are unwelcome, a nuisance even.

So to answer your real question of “how do you deal” ? I’m not sure I can tell you the best way. I can only tell you my way, for what it’s worth.

First, learn to be happy in your own skin. Learn to love doing what you want to do, in your own way, in your own time. This is the upside of loneliness, if there is one. You choose. Cherish the fact that you have this choice to be yourself with or without anyone else’s opinion or company.

But you also want to share with others what you feel, what your know, what you think. Yes, of course, you don’t want to live in a bubble. I hear you. Keep trying to connect.

Today I checked my email and for the bazillioneth time saw an email from Meetup.com. I signed up eons ago but never did any of the things I intended to. Today, on a whim, I checked out things in my area. I saw 2 which interested me. One was a drawing group that goes to various locations in New York and sometimes has live models, and one was a mostly free things to do in New York group that had a great Jazz/Museum happening next week. I am definitely going to check both things out. That is so unlike me, but I am trying to turn over a new leaf. I am going with my wife, but maybe I’ll meet some interesting people. Funny (because New York is a big city, ya know) but one of the people who was confirmed for the Jazz/Museum event was also in the drawing group!

So you have to start somewhere to end your loneliness,just keep trying. First, learn to be happy when you’re alone, doing things you love to do, second, get out there and meet people. No one can do that for you. I have high standards for close friends, but maybe acquaintances of like mind and similar interests can help to fill the gap and ease the loneliness your feel?

No. Never. Really.

Thanks @Earthbound_misfit – I am sure you guys will..)