We do tend to hermit and hide away....I think that most of us deal with some type of anxiety and social dysfunction so I am guessing this is the reason.

I don't know if its a BP thing but I know for me it's about trusting people and I tend to be extremely cautious, but heaven help you if I do get comfortable. I only have a very small group of close friends. Thank goodness they know my quirks and humor me a great deal when I am on a roll with my BP.

I was just at my Pharmacy, picking up meds....I was asking him about drug interactions , and how it will affect my liver function.

He commented on 2 things....

1 , my knowledge of my meds

2 I was taking a lot of meds for anxiety.

I told him Yep, I do take a lot of anti anxiety meds...BUT I was there !
AND I drove myself !
I told him, I am an extrovert , stuck in an anxiety ridden BP body.

He laughed, so did I.

But the fact is , I have friendly conversations with people ( I can make friends with sheet rock )...but in RL........I don't have " Friends "

The optimist in me would like to believe it's not simply a BP thing....um, but I hear dancingd - yep, it most likely IS a BP thing.

I tend to hermit away also. I have serious trust issues so I am very cautious in the "Real world" (RW). I do have 2 friends in the RW, 3 if you count my husband. I tend to not include family in this category because they are stuck with me, like it or lump it. But real friends are few and far between. I'm not sure if it's a BP thing or not. I know people who aren't BP, they just have trust issues and therefore no close friends. They are so worried about being let down AGAIN. So I guess I'm saying it's not just a BP thing. We may be sensitive to it, but we don't own it or anything. It is nice to come on here and chat with others who are going through the same thing. A kind of kinship, if you will. I feel welcomed and that is no small thing.

it s not part of the dx but it seems to be a common thread for what ever reason w people w BP. I dont know if its bc we sense we are different and shy away,or is it bc people arent drawn to us, do we push ppl away. my feeling for myself was that for whatever reason was that i repelled ppl.I am not sure why.i havent figured that out. but it hasnt just been since being dx bc that was a few years ago.but when i was a young girl,teenager, adult,in social setting,even much to my surprise church and even here.i see so many members that are friends w each other and i have a few which i love and appreciate and honor. on the outside in the real world i have one true friend and one sometime friend.i know 3 other beepers from church but we dont really hang out together. i have always felt on the outside looking in,have always felt left out and have always felt sad about it. and until recently resented those ppl that made me feel that way.now i just accept this how it is, I have the love of Jesus in my heart that is always present even when i dont feel it, I cherish and appreciate who is a friend online and in real life.i dont like alot about me.but what i know is that i care about ppl and will help anyone and be honest and truthful so for those who pass me by...its there loss!!!thats how i bypass the pain.I hope you can find a way too

no friends in rl...

my fb is pathetic.

I posted on Craig's List to meet friends and actually met a couple of people. I text them and they text me but not really great friends yet. Go out of your way to meet friends. I have lived in NY for 10 years and still have no friends. I am not a good friend cuz I turn into a hermit and hide and don't text them for weeks on end. Its hard to make friends with all my problems I have and apparantly others to.

I have two real life friends who I could call on for help of any kind at any time.

Shameful to say, but I rarely initiate contact with them. One I Email with sometimes back and forth almost every day -- and at other times, I let months go by without contacting her.

My other friend is always sending me 'thinking of you' cards and things like that. We went to kindergarten and all through school together, so she's been my friend for over fifty years.

Both of my friends invite me to places all the time. I rarely, if ever, go.

THEY are great friends!! *I* am not. I really love them, but my social anxiety -- which doesn't surface much when it comes to strangers for some odd reason -- is triggered greatly by venturing out in the world with either of my two friends.

I recently sent them both letters, thanking them for being such great friends and apologizing for and acknowledging that I am very remiss when it comes to keeping up with my end of things.

I've read more than a couple of times over the years that most people only have a couple of true best friends.

I don't seem to mind being a loner and I don't like crying on anyone's shoulder when I'm feeling low.

I will say that, as bad as I'm making myself sound, I AM there for my friends if they should need me and would more than willingly help them out however I could, should they need help!!!

I think that it's somewhat a BP thing and somewhat just part of the human condition.

I can so relate! When I'm manic, you would honestly think it was my job to socialise. I am literally the life and soul of the party and I would talk to a lamp post if it said hello lol However, then depression hits me down hard and I go in to my shell and it doesn't take my "friends" long to start thinking "what a weirdo".

I also feel that friendship isn't as valued or something as it once was; in my head a friend is someone that you stick with through the good and bad (within reason). Where as nowadays "friendships" are so superficial and verging on being artificial at times. Is friendship just a concept now? If I cancelled on someone for say..lunch one upon a time, the person would forgive you and you'd reschedule, where as now if you cancel on someone it's like you may as well have stolen their hamster or something! They screen your calls for a month or whatever. The majority of "normal" people are so self absorbed that friendship is like an accessory or something.

The impossible dilemma: continue to let people think you are strange or confess your beeper secret? Tough call. I generally stick with letting people think I am just very strange.

*sigh*

Where have all the good people gone?

I tend to hide away.. I don't like crowds at all and am often to tired to do a lot due to meds..
I do have a few wonderful friends.. I consider this RL.. it's sure a part of mine..sorry if you're feeling lonely sweetie... big hug for you..x

I completely understand. I hide in my house, I barely get to church once a month. I manage to get to my dr appts but I only go there is because I would get charged if I miss.
I feel really bad for my husband. He is outgoing and we use to have lots of friends but because I get panicky, and cancel at the last minute, we've lost all of our friends. I worry days in advance of having to go places.
Sorry, i didn't mean to go on.

so sorry you're struggling with socializing. I know how painful that can be.