Feeling lonely and want to vent

I am sorry your nieces and nephews are not contacting you even though you are trying to keep in touch with them. The younger generation becomes so busy with their lives that they do not keep contact with family who loves them so much.

Yes. Must be so hard to be a parent. When I was older (in my mid 50s, I decided to start visiting my parents on Sundays (if not more). And to call weekly. I knew I would NEVER regret visiting, or taking that 20 minute drive to see them. I was not wrong.

@willow5 “Friends are family you get to choose”.

I am s single person and have had my share of E.R. Visits. It’s either ambulance, depending on whether I feel I can drive or take Uber. If you take ambulance there and you’re released, you need Uber to get back home. I don’t like this aspect of being single. I’m at a point of looking at care communities so I wouldn’t have to deal with this by myself.

Very true

I can definitely relate to friend thing.and my house rabbit is my support.

I have always had trouble making friends. My therapist has diagnosed me with PTSD due to an abusive childhood. Perhaps when people ask you if you need anything you need to be more specific than just saying yes. Be specific. Tell them exactly what you need. You may be surprised by the results. Personally I like to live by The Golden Rule. I would urge you to seek therapy. It is much better than drugs.

Very sorry about folks dealing with loneliness. I was a violent crime victim in 1982. Instead of people helping and supporting me...like bats flaying out of a cave, they all abandoned me. Friendship never really returned to me. A bit, but not much. I have had 20 year periods where not a single person visited my house.

It is enormously destructive.

Whatever folks can to out there to get some kind of socialization, I strongly recommend it.

Even if it is just going into therapy.

That is better than nothing.

And see if there are ways you can re-explore people from the past. Oh, you know, there was a friend in high school that you just lost contact with and there are no negative feelings.

Just see if there are any possibilities around.

Good comments. Thanks.

One thing I try to remind people -- if you're feeling isolated, come here to Mayo Connect and encourage others. They need it.

Everybody does, me included.

Dear Ellie, I've had that experience also of people saying "is there an-n-ny thing I can do to help you out. When I suggest something that would be helpful they start telling me how busy they are. It was hurtful originally until I figured out that is similist to the social greeting of "How are you" when they really don't want you to tell them. I think those who sincerely want to help will suggest what they are able to do, IE: run the vacuum cleaner, clean up the kitchen, pick up meds, or do the laundry. Perhaps those who use it as a socially nice thing to say have never ever been sick and had to take care of themself, the house, the bills, any children, etc. I have another pet peeve, when the church sends people to visit who are specially the ones who offer to help but are too busy. They come at a time I shouldn't be out of bed and can hardly get out of bed, of course I look like a witch that got caught in a windstorm. Well, I am well now and no surgeries in sight so that is gratefully all in the past.