I think that's a really good question. I think I have felt lonely in the past because others did not accept me or support my opinions or thoughts or feelings so I felt I had to keep them bottled up inside. Because of that, I fell into a pattern of isolation, and although people are more supportive now, I have held on to my own pattern of not being very social.

I feel like I didn't really learn how to make find and make friends and am not really comfortable in some social situations.

I also feel I am really picky about people, but this is probably more due to the fact that I don't get out enough to be exposed to a wide enough variety of people.

Well, I think this is a really good question because it helps me realize that there probably are things I can examine and maybe change about my attitude and behaviors so that there might be more hope for me to become less lonely.
Thanks.

I only need touch.I do not need to talk.I go get a massage every week.It is expansive but work.I feel good after.

It started for me when I was a young boy.

I was extremely sensitive to everything and anyone around me. I would react oddly to people, especially adults at times, especially if I got a bad "read" on them.

I also got picked on alot and that, combined with being overly sensitive, led to me withdraw. I can remember one day long ago, when I was an 8-year old kid.....I was in the middle of my yard playing stick ball by myself, and it suddenly dawned on me that I was different from others in some fundamental way, and always would be.

Also, at home, I could not talk about what I was feeling, because that was not encouraged in our household. And so I withdrew even further.

By the time I reached middle school, I was wrapped up in a world of my own creation, spending whole days alone and holding conversations with myself. Most of my time was spent in books, they were a wonderful escape from reality in those days.

In high school, I did not date or go to proms (or talk crudely about women), and my only friends at that time were the other social outcasts of the day, which included a couple of gay guys. I, therefore, earned a label as gay. Frankly, I could have cared less because, by then, I no longer cared what anyone thought.

You see, loneliness, doesn't happen all at once. I take years to happen.

Thank you for your everyone who has answered.

I think my lonliness is that l am misunderstood! No-one would guess im lonely, as l appear to be very confident. This has been my whole life really .

I appear to be the optomist , happy and confident, but inside lm screamingly lonely

I am the person who always asks how you are, is a great listener, , supports everyone, then it seems l make everyone so focused on themselves, and no-one ever asks how l am.

This situation is now even more focused, as for approximately now two years since l have lost my drivers licence, no one calls me,, rings, enquires, or visits me, l actually dont have any friends at all, even my sister doesnt visit me.

Most people are very mean and self absorbed l think .

And every one thinks im okay :(