Afraid of being alone forever?

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KayteeKay
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29 Jan 2015, 9:11 pm

Alone forever is a possibility. For everybody.



Chronos
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02 Feb 2015, 1:37 am

As you have discovered, most women don't get asked out all that much. Why don't you ask guys out?



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02 Feb 2015, 1:45 am

goofygoobers wrote:
Rhapsody wrote:
goofygoobers wrote:
I don't really hang around drunk people, so no, I don't have that problem. I wish I had female friends that would help me. All they say is "Aww. You'll find someone someday."

Whoa, if you're managing to avoid all the drunk people at college, kudos to you! I never hung out with them. They always found me. Which is terrifying now that I think about it.

Also, my friends gave me pretty much the same sort of “advice.” xD So, I took matters into my own hands. I extrapolated based on what they were doing (because they'd give me a play by play if they were interested in a guy), and from observing other girl's social interactions, to figure out what I was supposed to do. It would be nice to be able to rely on NT friends, but that's difficult because they don't totally understand the issues. You can learn a lot from observing other people. So hopefully that helps you some.

Unfortunately, it doesn't help me at all. I don't know how to show interest the way other girls do. I check guys out and talk to them, but then I see them hold hands with girls much prettier than me...


You should see if your school has a social skills group. These will typically be at their psychological services center. If it doesn't, you should look into social skills groups elsewhere.

Also, as always, if you do end up going out with a guy, go someplace public like a coffee shop or the movies, and make sure a friend or roommate or family member knows who you are with, where you are going, and when you will be back. If a guy starts to touch you in a way that you are not comfortable with, tell him to stop. Don't leave your drink unattended lest someone try to slip something into it, and don't drink alcoholic beverages.



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02 Feb 2015, 5:25 pm

I remember being 19. I was terrified that I was going to spend the rest of my life alone.

No shortage of guys that wanted to talk. No shortage of guys that wanted to f**k. Complete and total dearth of guys that wanted to actually get to know each other, hang out and spend time together, with the possibility of a committed relationship potentially leading to a lifetime commitment.

Now I'm 37. I found one.

There are worse things than being alone. Like being committed to someone who, for all they are a great person and you are a great person and you love each other very much, you just don't fit with. It's easier than you think to have it happen-- all that has to happen is for one young, insecure, lonely idealist to meet and fall in love with another young, insecure, lonely idealist.

Fifty percent of marriages end in divorce. More than half of all divorces start with two young, insecure, idealistic kids who fall in love and figure they'll work it out.

People used to tell me that the best way for a woman to meet a great guy was to work on building a life that she could be happy in for herself, by herself. Pursue the career you want, pursue the interests that thrill your soul, cultivate friendships (by which I mean strictly friendships).

Get a vibrator and a body pillow.

If you absolutely must sleep with something with a heartbeat, consider a medium-sized dog. Mutts tend to have a vigorous constitution and a good temperament. Cats, of course, are more independent, and might be a better choice if you like to travel.

Cultivate friendships. Good, close, nurturing friendships.

The rest of it will come if it's meant to.

If it doesn't, please believe me, it's not the tragedy that it feels like it would be at 19.

The real tragedy is to have this time, right now, and be so focused on "finding somebody" that you miss the chance to build a life that fits YOU.


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goofygoobers
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02 Feb 2015, 9:21 pm

BuyerBeware wrote:
I remember being 19. I was terrified that I was going to spend the rest of my life alone.

No shortage of guys that wanted to talk. No shortage of guys that wanted to f**k. Complete and total dearth of guys that wanted to actually get to know each other, hang out and spend time together, with the possibility of a committed relationship potentially leading to a lifetime commitment.

Now I'm 37. I found one.

There are worse things than being alone. Like being committed to someone who, for all they are a great person and you are a great person and you love each other very much, you just don't fit with. It's easier than you think to have it happen-- all that has to happen is for one young, insecure, lonely idealist to meet and fall in love with another young, insecure, lonely idealist.

Fifty percent of marriages end in divorce. More than half of all divorces start with two young, insecure, idealistic kids who fall in love and figure they'll work it out.

People used to tell me that the best way for a woman to meet a great guy was to work on building a life that she could be happy in for herself, by herself. Pursue the career you want, pursue the interests that thrill your soul, cultivate friendships (by which I mean strictly friendships).

Get a vibrator and a body pillow.

If you absolutely must sleep with something with a heartbeat, consider a medium-sized dog. Mutts tend to have a vigorous constitution and a good temperament. Cats, of course, are more independent, and might be a better choice if you like to travel.

Cultivate friendships. Good, close, nurturing friendships.

The rest of it will come if it's meant to.

If it doesn't, please believe me, it's not the tragedy that it feels like it would be at 19.

The real tragedy is to have this time, right now, and be so focused on "finding somebody" that you miss the chance to build a life that fits YOU.

But you don't understand. I've been lonely my whole entire life. Sometimes I feel suicidal because this loneliness won't go away.



EmeraldGreen
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02 Feb 2015, 10:14 pm

A wise woman (my step-mom) once said: don't worry about things that haven't happened yet or that may never happen.


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03 Feb 2015, 7:14 am

goofygoobers wrote:
Unfortunately, it doesn't help me at all. I don't know how to show interest the way other girls do. I check guys out and talk to them, but then I see them hold hands with girls much prettier than me...


Could be that you are checking out guys who are already in relationships before hand, there are ways of noticing that.



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04 Feb 2015, 12:25 pm

First off, you're 19 years old. Saying you're going to be forever alone is naive. But I can understand. Many people who are young and even old are scared they're going to die alone. Even i'm scared im not going to find someone. It is our human nature to want to find love. But most of the time, when you're in your 20s, you will find someone whether its a long term relationship or even marriage. Try not to have anxiety about not having a bf. I know it sucks for you, but sometimes you must learn to let go.

Heres a tip. When you come off as desperate, people arnet going to be attracted to you as much. Make sure you're friendly and have a smile on your face. People respond better to people who are nice and friendly to others. You must also be resilient as well. This means you may get rejected, but you're able to bounce back and try again. In life, you have to resilient because this world is tough and if you're not able to bounce back up, life will pass you by.



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04 Feb 2015, 1:29 pm

goofygoobers wrote:
BuyerBeware wrote:
I remember being 19. I was terrified that I was going to spend the rest of my life alone.

No shortage of guys that wanted to talk. No shortage of guys that wanted to f**k. Complete and total dearth of guys that wanted to actually get to know each other, hang out and spend time together, with the possibility of a committed relationship potentially leading to a lifetime commitment.

Now I'm 37. I found one.

There are worse things than being alone. Like being committed to someone who, for all they are a great person and you are a great person and you love each other very much, you just don't fit with. It's easier than you think to have it happen-- all that has to happen is for one young, insecure, lonely idealist to meet and fall in love with another young, insecure, lonely idealist.

Fifty percent of marriages end in divorce. More than half of all divorces start with two young, insecure, idealistic kids who fall in love and figure they'll work it out.

People used to tell me that the best way for a woman to meet a great guy was to work on building a life that she could be happy in for herself, by herself. Pursue the career you want, pursue the interests that thrill your soul, cultivate friendships (by which I mean strictly friendships).

Get a vibrator and a body pillow.

If you absolutely must sleep with something with a heartbeat, consider a medium-sized dog. Mutts tend to have a vigorous constitution and a good temperament. Cats, of course, are more independent, and might be a better choice if you like to travel.

Cultivate friendships. Good, close, nurturing friendships.

The rest of it will come if it's meant to.

If it doesn't, please believe me, it's not the tragedy that it feels like it would be at 19.

The real tragedy is to have this time, right now, and be so focused on "finding somebody" that you miss the chance to build a life that fits YOU.

But you don't understand. I've been lonely my whole entire life. Sometimes I feel suicidal because this loneliness won't go away.


Yes, I most emphatically DO understand. I was once 19 and uttering the same exact words. That was the year I got the informal diagnosis, because I was so lonely that I wanted to die and sought therapy trying to fix it all and understand why. That was the year that I wondered, every single day of my life, if THIS was going to be the day that I finally broke down and kissed the tailpipe.

Believe me, I understand in more different shades than I could ever manage to verbalize.

From 19+18, I'm speaking back in time, hoping to save you some of the boatloads of regret I've bought myself.

Because now I'm 37, married with four kids, can't ever be alone without hiring a sitter, getting in the car, driving a few miles away, dropping my cellphone down a sewer grate, hiking another half-mile, and climbing a tree. I am the epitome of not-alone.

And still as desperately lonely as I was at 19.

Honestly, NOSTALGIC for how desperately lonely I was at 19.

Because this is worse. Desperately lonely at 19, at least I was free. Desperately lonely at 37, I can't choose to go out and search for friends-- my time is owned by someone else. Desperately lonely at 37, I can't cultivate the life that pleases me-- my energy is owned and my lifestyle circumscribed by someone else. Desperately lonely at 19, at least I could close my door, or slink off somewhere, and sob and howl out my pain. Desperately lonely at 37, I can't even bury my face in a bag of Cheetos, swill Pepsi-Cola, and cry to my heart's release-- my time and energy are owned by someone else, who will be inconvenienced by the messy house, annoyed by the unprepared dinner, and agitated, upset, and enraged by my puffy, soppy, tear-stained countenance.

When it hurts that bad, married at 37, you swallow your tears and paste on a smile. You say, "Everything's fine, Honey" and "Can I do anything for you, Honey?" and "I would love to make love with you, Honey."

There are worse things than being alone, and remedies for loneliness other than marriage. Cultivate friendships, and build a life that fulfills you.


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voleregard
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04 Feb 2015, 5:00 pm

It sounds like what you're really trying to cope with is the feeling of loneliness. You've likely completed about 12 years of education which teaches us mostly about how to access external resources and little to nothing about how to use or develop internal resources. Even religious institutions focused mostly on external knowledge and learning, and they did little for me in this area. I had to learn in other venues.

People who are externally moderated are better consumers. They'll buy cars, lipstick, magazines, jewelry, all kinds of products which can be offered as ways to find acceptance and meaning. So that's where education puts the emphasis so graduates are good consumers. To become internally moderated and find a way to negotiate through difficult feelings is ground it has taken many years to cover for me. Loneliness can be a crushing feeling. And driving an MG convertible doesn't make it go away.

I find the usefulness of spiritual pursuit discussed occasionally here, but I had to access certain techniques that took me a long time to find. Might not be your way, but it helped on mine. And having developed internally also translates into more confidence in yourself which will be seen as attractive to people you express interest toward.


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04 Feb 2015, 6:36 pm

Yes, I am afraid so.



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04 Feb 2015, 7:07 pm

When I look at the amount of stupid and selfish people around me, I really don't feel so bad about it.


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04 Feb 2015, 7:36 pm

No longer afraid to the extent I used to be, primarily because I have now come to live with and accept it. I guess it doesn't help to have an abrasive personality, a low tolerance for nonsense, a judgemental attitude, and a tendency to automatically correct the grammar of others, but I've tried to change, I have not been able to, and so I guess this must be who I really am. The fact that I am impossible to live with isn't really anyone's 'fault', it's just the way things turned out.
I remember well what it was like to be 19 years of age and rejected by virtually everyone I came into contact with, and not having any clue as to why I was treated this way (Asperger's Syndrome was something that I had not even heard of, no one I knew ever mentioned it to me). For 'goofy' I can't think of anything to say that would actually be of any help that others here have not already said. I've seen the pictures you link to, and I can honestly say you are definitely NOT alone and unhappy because of your appearance; you're beautiful! There is definitely another reason, but I just have no idea what it may be. Sorry :(



roteiro
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05 Feb 2015, 3:20 am

I was afraid of such a thing too some time ago. But then I started using some online dating solutions like Tinder and Kovla, and became really confident in myself and my future relationships. It is a really great opportunity for such people. Try it out too



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05 Feb 2015, 8:39 am

voleregard wrote:
It sounds like what you're really trying to cope with is the feeling of loneliness. You've likely completed about 12 years of education which teaches us mostly about how to access external resources and little to nothing about how to use or develop internal resources. Even religious institutions focused mostly on external knowledge and learning, and they did little for me in this area. I had to learn in other venues.

People who are externally moderated are better consumers. They'll buy cars, lipstick, magazines, jewelry, all kinds of products which can be offered as ways to find acceptance and meaning. So that's where education puts the emphasis so graduates are good consumers. To become internally moderated and find a way to negotiate through difficult feelings is ground it has taken many years to cover for me. Loneliness can be a crushing feeling. And driving an MG convertible doesn't make it go away.

I find the usefulness of spiritual pursuit discussed occasionally here, but I had to access certain techniques that took me a long time to find. Might not be your way, but it helped on mine. And having developed internally also translates into more confidence in yourself which will be seen as attractive to people you express interest toward.


That's better than what I said.

What you're fighting with isn't "being alone." It's "being LONELY."

It's sadly perfectly possible to be married, engaged, or otherwise surrounded by and engaged with people and still be desperately, killingly, crushingly lonely.

Meeting someone won't necessarily fix it. Finding internally motivated sources of fulfillment, and working on the attendant depression that causes it, is a better solution than looking for people to take it away. If you must look for people, "friends" are a better thing to look for in terms of people than "that special someone."


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"Alas, our dried voices when we whisper together are quiet and meaningless, as wind in dry grass, or rats' feet over broken glass in our dry cellar." --TS Eliot, "The Hollow Men"


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05 Feb 2015, 8:48 am

Seriously you should have nothing to worry about. It will be a matter of time before you meet the right person. It is just not your time. My wife and I met at random and it is perfect. Just have faith.