I do many times. I do enjoy time alone, but there are times that I wish I had at least one or two good friends to share lives up and downs with.

Yes I find that I want a support system of people but then I get overwhelmed. If they come too close I want to push them away. I need space and I need people.

I get lonely and yet I enjoy my own company. At this stage I am trying to embrace my scars. I am like this as a result of trauma in my childhood, which has caused issues with intimacy. The past cannot be changed. Im trying daily to enjoy the present and not to be so hard on myself.

You are not alone. My goal is to trying and make friends and embrace present friendships. I gravitate towards hobbies which interest me and remain open to what presents with regard to people. Its not easy. We are the way we are for good reason. So its not a question of what is wrong with us. its how right we are for surviving despite adverse experiences.

Best of luck to you in your daily journey and thanks for sharing.

Thanks for the feedback. Jane, I'm sorry to hear about childhood trauma. That can't be easy. Fuzzy, I'm the same. Wish I had a friend or 2 to talk about life with. I used to but for some reason I either push people away, or they get tired of me. Not sure.

I do get what you and the other posters are saying. We're basically introverts who recognize the need for a support system but have no idea how to maintain it.

I feel the same way you do TK. I can relate to everything that everyone has posted. Somewhere in our lives, our circumstances or environments prevented us from learning. Unable to maintain personal relationships contributes to our loneliness. Is it fear that makes us push others away? If it is then what are we afraid of? Maybe we can support each other, here on this site. Thanks for sharing.

I'm kinda the same I suppose. I often feel extremely lonely and long for human company. But I also need my breathing space and can become overwhelmed.
I don't want or need 100 friends. Just one or two. And it's crucial they're someone I feel I can trust. Too many dishonest and dangerous people out there. These days I'm cautious and picky who I'll befriend or confide in.

I am a pretty young single 64 yr old, extroverted introvert who’s a bit OCD, so I thought I had this pandemic thing in the bag - until about month two. Like you, I crave alone time, but re-entry is very difficult especially with Delta. I have always taken many classes and those have stopped. My family is all over the place and are all coupled. So many friends have fallen by the wayside in the past two years because of illness, marriages, relocating, etc., and I’m finding myself slipping deeper into depression because I have lost my support system too. No, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with you. I think there’s a lot wrong with the world right now and we’re struggling for a balance that may not exist yet.