You aren't alone with this. I have a few close friends that I talk to on skype (because I don't live near them anymore) when I get lonely. Just talking with anyone rather than keeping to myself works well for me. I'm not good at making friends either, and my best friendships happened pretty randomly.

I guess it is a natural thing to just grow apart from people. I've broken off friendships or lost touch with people for some of the most trivial reasons. I still contact a few of those old friends from time to time to talk about our old shared interests, but it isn't as close as before because we both changed and are living different lives.

I have strained or lost friendships going on right now. I'm just not sure if I can, or need to, fix them. I think my depression might be causing people to not want to hang out with me too. I've been thinking of just pretending to be happy, so that people would want to be around me, until I actually am happy.

I suppose people do just grow apart from one another but I just wish it didn't have to be that way. I cherish my relationships, I suppose I'm just not great at keeping them no matter how hard I try. I know from personal experience that depression can cause people to not want to talk to you, it's happened to me on more than one occasion. I've had people tell me that they no longer want to be my friend because I'm too depressed. It's something I've had to just accept will happen sometimes.

I was thinking of this lost friendship just the other day....she was a friend from Junior high and in high school she got pregnant....she moved away to have the baby and then gave it up to adoption and moved back but to an all girls catholic school....I graduated in 1976 so long long ago...I think in the early 80s I met her again and she ended up getting married to someone I did not know....they disappeared...I ran into mutual friend in like 1988 or so and he told me after I said I wanted to see her again that she did not want to meet with me...it ruined my day and has hurt for years...but there are things I know that I am not disclosing here that may have helped her make that decision plus her life changed with getting married....

another friend I just contacted for first time back in 2009 since his leaving contact between us go in like 1992 or so...I called him when my dad died by looking him up with internet....he brought his mom to visitation at the funeral home and it was like we were old friends still but we had been best high school friends and lost touch...well I contacted him again this year after a mutual friend died and then again little later this year after that mutual friends mom also died....he did finally call me much to my surprise month or more after the funeral and disclosed to me that he had been diagnosed with parkensons disease....asked me not to tell anyone....I asked if I could tell my mom...he said yes...I honor his request and haven't mentioned this to anyone else who would know him....I just texted him this week to see how his trip to mayo clinic this month had gone and wish him Merry Christmas....he did reply to that text again after I retexted it.....I doubt he would try to initiate getting together with me as he is married I haven't met his wife and I am poor now on disability and he is stock broker in big company....

yes these feelings come to us and we think what went wrong:?

I just know that God has his reasons and he makes no mistakes....

merry christmas to all tonight on eve of the birth of our lord Jesus.

No, you aren't the only one. I can give you a long list of faceless individuals with whom I used to be close friends with. And for whatever reason, we are no longer in touch. I wonder what happened to them. Some of them appeared to have dropped off the face of the earth, others just found girlfriends and we drifted apart. I do miss them, but what can one do? I do try to meet new people, and I have.

The way I see it is, if they can get up and walk away from me, seemingly forgetting me and everything we shared in the process, then good riddance. Think about what you do have and be happy for it, then stop telling yourself that you aren't good at meeting / keeping friends. Believe in yourself, and strive to make friends that will last. Be loyal and faithful to them and demand the same in return. If they cannot give you this, then you might want to reevaluate thier position in your life.

You're an interesting, intelligent and worthy guy; many people out there will appreciate and be drawn to this. Many others won't, and that's fine. But remember your good qualities, and if loneliness is such an issue, then put your past away, get up and venture out to seek out others with whom you might forge a strong bond and friendship with today and now.

I have a hard time with lost friendships as well. I am like you in that I cherish my relationships and it's hard when they end. It's hard to get over it. I suppose I never truly do because I do think about them at times and even dream of my old friends that I had growing up. I often wonder if they cared about me as much as I cared about them or if they ever think of me like I think of them. I suppose they didn't care as much or we'd still be friends. That's part of what makes it so hard. It makes it difficult to want to make new friends because who wants to experience the same thing again?

No, you are not alone. I still think about past friendships and wonder why they ended. Sigh. Just like you, I want to have people in my life who appreciate me but I have a hard time making friends with women. Hugs. Hang in there.