Hi There,
Yes, I can relate.
Quitting all those additions/badhabits or whatever we choose to call them, is a great acheivement in itself.
You should give yourself a big congratulations.

I stopped drinking alcohol over 10 years ago. At first it is lonely, but never as lonely as drinking was for me.
I went to AA. Even though I didn't want to go, I knew that it has helped me through the years. I think mainly because there were others in my situation with drugs/alcohol.

I gave up cigarettes about a year after that.

You need to give yourself time to adapt to your new life.
Don't give up, this feeling will go in time. It did for me.
From Sanzra

hI..for me, a life time of dealing with bp, isolation is my stomping ground despite feelings of loneliness...

I have much respect for you for working your sobriety, and on top, adding cigarettes...please be gentle with yourself...

Sometimes when I need 'company' I'll go to the grocery store and talk in line...or library just to have people around me...a mall has too much stimulation..at least now...

I don't know...seasonal changes hit me hard ...hoping you'll continue to write, help is here...

Take good care, ml

Thank you everyone for your support.

Big hug for you Beautiful...… What about joining a support group such as NA?

It would give you support for addiction as well you'd be making healthy new connections and potential friends?....xo

I'm a very lonely person. I would like to have more friends but I'm on the shy side. I just started dating, again, recently. That's nerve wracking. I call it dating Hell. It's so sad that getting together is so difficult. Hugs.

Thanks SunCloud I actually did that and it is working out well so far.

I appreciate the support.

I do not feel lonely because I'm a different type person. But every day of my life I carry with me a deeply seated feeling of inadequacy and the conviction that I do not measure up to the rest of the world. I know that doing affirmations is the only way of changing the deeply ingrained negativity, but I'm so lazy about that sort of thing.

Miro - so true ! I even partnered off with an undiagnosed, untreated bipolar guy and together we did our isolation thing for 17 years during which he was too ill to work so I had to support us both.