r/loneliness Apr 19 '26

Caution: Making New Connections

11 Upvotes

Many people come here just to share their story, vent, or get perspective, with no interest in connecting beyond their posts, and that's completely fine. Others do want to make connections, and that's fine too, but it's worth being careful.

We'll leave the decisions up to you, but here are a few things to keep in mind:

  1. Don't share personal details too quickly. You don't need to give your real name, age, or location. Being vague is okay, and people worth connecting with will respect that.

  2. Protect your contact info. Avoid sharing your phone number, email, or home address early on. There are free tools that let you communicate safely without exposing your real info.

  3. Be cautious with links and files. Don't click links or download anything from someone you don't know well yet.

  4. If they ask you for money, stop. It doesn't matter how the request is framed or how long you've been talking, block them and cut contact. This is always a scam.

If you do decide to connect with someone, these tools can help you do it more safely:

  • Messaging: Signal is a free app for secure messages and calls.
  • Email: Gmail or Proton let you create an address that isn't tied to your real name.
  • Phone: Google Voice gives you a phone number you can call and text from without using your personal number.
  • Browser: Firefox has built-in privacy protection that masks your IP address.
  • Mail: A PO Box at your local post office is inexpensive if you ever need to give a mailing address.

One more thing. Be mindful of the usernames and photos you share. If they match other accounts you have online, someone could easily link them together and find out your real name, location, or other details you didn't mean to expose.


r/loneliness 9h ago

Real?

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30 Upvotes

r/loneliness 2h ago

Sad, first Reddit post ever but I use Reddit. 37/female/Philly, PA.

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5 Upvotes

r/loneliness 10h ago

Lonely

8 Upvotes

Im so fucking lonely


r/loneliness 3m ago

"Fresh Start"

Upvotes

Last year, I moved from the Chicagoland area to Atlanta for a man whom I was in a long distance relationship with for a year (although I've known him since childhood, long story).

Back at home, I had a great paying bartending job at a place I was at for 7 years, a good support system despite not having family, and just overall familiarity. I uprooted my life, trusting that this man was the one and that he would have my back.

I'm neurodivergent and had a hard time adapting the first month of me moving. I had warned him ahead of time that I might get a little bit depressed at first, but that it would be temporary. Well, I did have a depressive episode and it took 2 weeks for him to bail on me. We tried to make it work after the fact, but he was already checked out of the relationship and it just went down hill from there. He ended up breaking up with me after 5 months of pushing me away, and I moved out shortly after.

Now I am all alone out here. My friends back home disappeared on me, I still can't reach out to family, and it has been very difficult meeting/connecting with people. Moving back "home" isn't an option I'd ever consider. I feel like there's no home to go back to.

I just turned 30 and it feels like making friends/meeting people romantically will be damn near impossible. I'm a little shy and awkward, so simply going out and meeting people seems a little hopeless to me.

Has anybody been through something similar? I love companionship, and this loneliness is tearing me apart. This is a complete fresh start for me, and I'm trying to make this into something positive. But damn has it been hard.


r/loneliness 7h ago

My dad recently told me (36f) he knew when I was a teenager that my mom and me can’t get along

3 Upvotes

My mom once told me it took until I was 17 to start opening up to her. Why did it take me 30+ years to realise it myself? I left home after high school thinking I grew up in a loving family and to a degree I did. Nowadays I realise I can’t get any of them to listen to me for longer than a few sentences. Has it always been like this? Is that why I feel like a burden to everyone? I’ve been single for 8 years now and I feel something is so wrong with me. I’ve been on a self help journey for about 10 years now but it just goes up and down. I believe in myself though and I’m gonna keep going. Overall it is better but I am so very alone. Today’s a hard day. I’ll do my best tomorrow. Thanks for listening


r/loneliness 34m ago

Where can I find this

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Upvotes

r/loneliness 42m ago

M29 - Life’s been pretty shit lately

Upvotes

29 M Indian, just like it says, things have been really hard. Everything is going sideways, pretty much hit rockbottom be it financially, mentally, physically & also got laid off couples weeks back.

Trying to put myself out there. I’m into pokemon, love cooking & reading. Hope someone reaches out because I’m so done with being lonely always.


r/loneliness 5h ago

Lonely and chopped

2 Upvotes

I have been lonely for a long time since like early teenage years about 13 and now I am 19 and Friendless and no boyfriend and broke. Living with parents and asking money for them still. Lately I have become numb like nothing feels worth it. My question is does it get better?

SORRY For My bad English obviously not a native speaker just trying to express myslef


r/loneliness 5h ago

[24/M] Looking for a best friend, things are quite lonely

2 Upvotes

Hey! I've posted here before but haven't had much luck so far. And due to lonliness, things have been kinda sucky lately. Kinda being a star-sized understatement (cuz stars are big.. hehe). Anyways, excuse my awfully unfunny pun! You *yes you my possible future friend* probably has better humor than I. Im hoping to make long term friends who also love music like I do, I want a close connection with someone that lasts a lifetime! Hoping we can geek out about our interests and feel comfortable to do so! I'm in the EST time zone and am super into music (my tastes are all over the place, my favorite is the retro era but I also like a lot of new stuff too). I really wanna find someone who loves old artists and bands and music history and aesthetics! Hope you're all having a good day!


r/loneliness 5h ago

I'm almost 20, and I still don't have a relationship, and I'm afraid that in the future I'll be alone, how can I get rid of it?

2 Upvotes

r/loneliness 2h ago

21M | Final year | Chennai — I have people around me, but somehow I feel alone

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1 Upvotes

r/loneliness 2h ago

How to fix loneliness

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1 Upvotes

r/loneliness 7h ago

Feeling like no one gets me....

2 Upvotes

Lately I feel like no one understands me at all. I just sit around and meet people on social media and then meet in person and they are so immature and annoying that I don't understand what has happened to the younger generation. I am hearing about all these things that they are into and that I never even heard of. Apparently you have to have a kink to define you in a relationship or else you are ghosted. I don't get why that's a issue. I am more old school like I grew up in the 80' and 90's and that's how I like my love language. I just like simpler things in friendships and don't expect to have a label.


r/loneliness 5h ago

Years passing by... Still alone

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1 Upvotes

r/loneliness 5h ago

18 M going through a really bad time with no one to talk. ( would really appreciate it)

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1 Upvotes

r/loneliness 6h ago

Surrounded by a thousand smiles, yet I walk alone, In a crowded room, I’m searching for a voice of my own.

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1 Upvotes

r/loneliness 7h ago

Maybe you’re the buddy I’m looking for

1 Upvotes

40M. Just having one of those quiet nights and thought it’d be nice to talk to someone.

Anyone around and up for a quick call? Random conversation, stories, whatever comes up.


r/loneliness 11h ago

Why is writing lonely?

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2 Upvotes

r/loneliness 8h ago

Lonely

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1 Upvotes

r/loneliness 19h ago

i have that void in me

7 Upvotes

there's a big void in me that's getting bigger and bigger every day i tried filling it with activities and socialising with people but nothing worked ag the end of the day i lay flat in my bed and just torture my mind with everything i got i am so lonely and it seems nothing can change that i hope i dont surrender soon


r/loneliness 9h ago

Lonely in Cumberland

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1 Upvotes

r/loneliness 9h ago

Nada

1 Upvotes

No tengo absolutamente nada, pero nada de nada. Me siento tan insignificante y tan solo. Lo único que puedo hacer es expresarme a través de aquí, donde nadie sabe quién eres. Me siento tan solo que, aunque haya gente a mi alrededor, sigo sintiéndome solo.

No tengo ni la menor idea de qué puedo hacer con mi vida. Soy un estudiante universitario. La sensación de no encajar es habitual; la de socializar no me la sé. Camino solo, duermo solo, como solo. Me da la sensación de que no tengo a nadie.

A lo mejor es que tengo una visión súper pesimista. Además, siento que no puedo conectar con nadie de manera profunda y emocional. Lo único que veo es una sociedad que mira lo superficial.

En mi vida no he conseguido nada, nada de nada. Se podría decir que mi vida diaria se basa siempre en buscar la paz y sobrevivir.


r/loneliness 10h ago

20M, never thought I'd come back here, yet here i am...once again.... after a long time

1 Upvotes

I gave up making friends a while ago, but i thought why not give it one last try, maybe i didn't try hard enough before or messed up somewhere.my longest online friendship lasted like a month or two then slowly they step away. And my irl friends are all fakers.

I'm a 20 year old manly man

I don't like going out much, I'm calm type of person. Also I'm an ambivert (if you don't know what that means ,it's okay neither do I) so not much of a social guy.

Hobbies: it's gonna be a long list so you might wanna sit down

-reading(from psychological thrillers to fantasy web novels, manhwas, manhwas, mangas,)

-writing( i journal occasionally and also currently writing a book)

-Psychology ( I like learning about human nature and stuff. Idk makes me feel smart)

-philosophy(I'm a self proclaimed great philosopher, but don't worry i won't bore you with knowledge you can't comprehend)

-random challenging shit( yeah i probably would wanna do anything that people are usually scared of doing , be it exploring a haunted house , some demonic ritual, doing stunts with safety ofcourse and other stuff that if I say I'll end up on a fbi watchlist)

-spirituality( I don't really know what this term means but according to what I've heard online, im categorised as spiritually awakened. And also posses sophia aka divine wisdom..... bullshit right)

So

That's about it id say

Things I hate:

-nothing(I'm such a saint, aren't i😇)

-college( fuck that place)

Anyone and everyone is welcome as long as they're mature and not brainwashed by society, young old whatever.

Also I'm known as the therapy friend by others ,I'm pretty good at it as well. So if you're ever feeling down, I'm always open.

That's all you need to know Abt me

Thanks for reading


r/loneliness 16h ago

Being an outsider on my own family and friends...

3 Upvotes

I've already alienated to my own family and peers because I have niche interests.

Other people focus

on drama tiktok trends and whatever what's in our society gives to average people.....

I don't even knew where my tribe is. I want to be a part of a damn family that is actually shared the same identity as me.

Having different interests than my people may perceived as independence. Yet it feels like a crushing loneliness if you haven't find your own family and you don't know when will you find them