Hey Charlee,
Ive been living in housebound isolation for 10 years with no offline friends, and no family support, so I just want you to know your not alone in your loneliness.
One thing that is hard with loneliness is finding self-worth when you have no one to interact with. It can be easy to blame ourselves for our isolation and wonder how we got in to such a predicament. But the truth is, it often just comes down to bad luck... maybe you got caught up with health issues, mental health issues, lost people you cared about, had financial trouble... whatever the reasons, its not your fault, its just really unfortunate.
I also struggle with anxiety so I know saying "just get out there and make new friends" isn't going to cut it. Instead I would say, start small, and work your way up as your comfortable.
For example, I would say messaging on this forum is a great first step! You interacted with other people and that's something to celebrate!
So I would suggest to keep doing that. Join some forums, social media, anything that has people. You dont even have to talk to anyone, just be around other people and read what they have to say. Then as you get more confident being around others you can attempt talking to them, and just keep going from there. Take it as fast or slow as you like. Youll make friends when your ready, instead focus on simply being around people.
But I also get that while your working on that, your still going to be lonely, and that can be really difficult.
One thing I do for myself to deal with loneliness is to get in to media. For two reasons:
1: Sometimes hearing someone else talk, even if on tv or radio, can help ease the isolated feelings.
2. Learning about other people or characters in the books, games or shows I watch makes me feel like I'm apart of something. It might not be real, but it matters enough that I feel happier.
I would also suggest going for walks or going on outings by yourself, and even though it might make you feel silly, talking out loud or singing to yourself when your at home. Sometimes we need to hear our own voice just as much as someone elses. So dont feel too embarrassed if you ever need to just complain out loud or say hello to the birds outside. It can help.
But yeah loneliness sucks, but know you are not worth any less for it.
