We're just finishing up a thread on here about a crazy that a guy was talking to on e-mail and is now stalking him. Maybe you want to keep coming to D.S. and take that stalking thread as a good reason to stay on the main board if you're that lonely.

hi if you want to PM me I am around daily several times....hugs bill

I am sorry you are hurting. Yes you may contact me. I will be there for you. Bless u

See what I mean about life keeping me so busy? Sometimes it's all I can do just to keep up... Thank you for your replies... I am not a stalker & don't want to create a situation inviting one so I guess I will just have to keep trying to return here.

The many, many posts seem so hard to be a part of... I guess that's where I lose heart also... kind of overload : (

Would be happy to get pm(s) from a female near my age group.
I don't answer many personal questions, even on pms - that was a problem once, and if someone is looking for a following - that was a
problem once, I just stop the messaging. Someone truly seeking a
friend, like a sister, for clarity, the word is misued so often, I'm far from perfect and they don't have to be perfect, either, that's something I'm hoping to eventually find here.

Feel free to send a pm.

I guess I missed the stalking post but now I'm curious. Lol.

You can always stop in at D.S. on the boards for some "share and care" because we all care to share and have some fun in between. That's really how you get to know people and have fun too, especially with your busy schedule.

Responding to AsTimes' cautionary.

I think I am less conservative than AT, but only a little.

No exchanging of e-mails, what we do on DS does not include that. Is unnecessary and in my book a no-no.

I myself am careful whom I accept as DS friends, on the one hand. They, as I understand are the only people (ppl :) I can exchange msg w. In my humble opinion (IMHO) many should pay extra close attention for awhile to what is said by any of their DS friends.

If someone passes the test and continues to pass the test, I'd think one could pass messages w him or her okay. I have inclination to do that (have done almost none however during these first months I've bee here) for "bandwith" reasons. (Ham radio lingo.) It means I don't want to use more than my share of public space -- ya' see I can be pretty darn wordy.

Though I have not very much need for privacy, another person might feel sensitive about a post meant for just one other (or a very few..w msg duplicated to a couple more) being read by everybody. And possible getting some advice when no advice was sought.

* * have tried to cover as much as I can, hope your're feeling better soon/where I am the weather is trying to get better :) and that always helps, some may disagree with me and you will get good ideas from many here. am hoping for you, Caleb

PS: The share-and-care I guess I haven't learned about yet. It may be a help 4 U.

I can understand why so many people are leaving... a private message
is still part of the Daily Strength board. It isn't as if you're meeting
someone. All the warnings seem extreme and I wonder if they come
from all the gossip from private messages.

So, I take it that everyone here who has replied to my post finds that participating in the various discussions to be helpful with their sense of loneliness? Maybe it just isn't the place for me

When I first joined DS I found myself doing so much reading of everyone's posts that I just got overwhelmed and felt totally lost in the shuffle. I tried to participate but if I didn't keep up every day eventually I felt like I wasn't a part anymore... one of the characteristics of loneliness, so that I felt worse than before : (

I don't need a "following"... I just want to keep it simple. Any suggestions on how to do that?

Well thank you very much Canaan... it helps more than you know just to hear you say 'don't be discouraged' I will try again, maybe participate in just a couple of discussions and check back at least every other day.

Bryteyz; If you're not getting that friend, it would be time to change your tactics. New threads pop up every day here--post in them. Or start reading them. So join us on the boards and enjoy.

I just finished dealing with a friend who was coming over my place and calling only to just drone on and on about her problems and she would start to yell and explain "you're not listening to me." I had listened because she had repeated her problems over and over so she was probably on the 8th time I had heard them. I finally couldn't take it any longer. I refused to be her therapist and I felt used.

I try to help others when I can, but I finally had to tell her she could visit or call, but she had to leave her problems at home because that is all she brought to me. She didn't bring friendship, she didn't bring a smile or a warm greeting, she didn't bring news of good things happening to her, and she refused to bring options to solve her problems. I haven't heard from her since, and my home has gone back to calm, upbeat and happy.

Pinterest, what I said is not GOSSIP. I was on a board here about 6 to 8 months ago were the woman came on and posted she had a horrible experience with another person on D.S. I joined D.S. and got hit on immediately with someone wanting romance with me--told him no way. I also was on a D.S. board where someone was removed and kept returning on various boards under different names and this was a problem for D.S. and they kept removing her repeatedly and we would get messages from an Admin or CL about how XXX was actually that removed poster--that made people be careful about accepting friend requests from new posters (those messages are removed). I also had someone bother me pretty bad on the private messages and he would not stop because he wanted me to think as he did. THIS IS THE INTERNET and all types of people come on here including the not so nice ones. Please don't accuse me of gossip.

As Time Goes By: I didn't accuse YOU of anything. I'm aware of the
situation re the person who repeatedly came back with new identities,
and because of her unique bad (unique) grammar, I realized that she
was the same person that had stirred things up for weeks.

You may read every board here, twice a day, but you aren't aware of
what private messages someone else has received.

My point was accurate. People are extreme about warning others
about private messages. This is on the DS board -not a private e-mail account. You can delete anyone at anytime, you can report
anything inappropriate to the appointed D S C Ls, etc.

Participating in the forums doesn't really solve my loneliness. I find it as a good distraction though. No, my loneliness is better helped by one-on-one interactions with others. Like having a conversation with someone and getting to know them personally. Forums are fine but I often feel like a solitary voice in the crowd that most people ignore.

So, personally, I do prefer if I can get to know people using the private messaging. I'm also not against trading emails or instant messaging. I only draw the line at phone numbers and facebook because those things are more personal.

Communications can always go wrong. I've had several negative interactions with DS members on and off the forums. But just like you can block someone on DS, you can block their emails and instant messagers too. They aren't going to show up at your front door because you shared your email address. Just don't share your home address :P

I know the feeling