Tag: lonely
A new beginning—but I don’t want to be alone
QUESTION Hi Irene, I’m 27 and have never had what I have felt is a real friend. I just got out of a three-year relationship with a great guy but he just wasn’t great for me at this point in my life; I was never in love with him. I have been in a few [...]
Lonely in High School
The middle of high school can be a difficult time to make new friends, especially in small schools and small towns. QUESTION Dear Irene, I’m a 17-year-old high school girl. Recently, my best friend since fifth grade quit talking to me. We never had a fight and I never thought anything was wrong. Just [...]
Complicated Grief: Having an extremely hard time getting over the death of a spouse
QUESTION Dear Irene, My wife died last May, almost six months ago. We were so devoted to each other that we didn’t need any friends. I don’t go to pubs or clubs and am very much a loner. Now, I seem to be pushing people away in case they want something I’m unable to give [...]
Finding Friends After Divorce: Can we count the ways?
NEED YOUR HELP! Divorce can destabilize many friendships and create a wedge between friends. Unfortunately, some friends don’t want to choose sides; others may be threatened by your suddenly single status; and still others may feel that your life is too different than theirs. This comes at a time when a divorced woman needs [...]
Depression, loneliness and friendship
QUESTION Hi Irene, In March 2010, a friend of mine was depressed and we stopped doing all the things we had been doing for years. I did not see it clearly then but it led to my own depression and hopelessness and one day without premeditation I took a bottle of Tylenol codeine pills and [...]
Deserted by housemates
QUESTION Dear Irene, For the past sixteen months I’ve lived with two very vibrant, interesting, artistic women in a lovely house in the Toronto Beaches. Two days ago they moved out and I’ve been crying non-stop. I knew they were leaving for three months but it didn’t hit me until they left. I have a [...]
Finding friends in the middle of nowhere
QUESTION Dear Irene, I just found your site while looking for a safe place to talk to someone who is as lonely as I am. We recently retired to the middle of nowhere in Illinois. No neighbors, no friends. My husband is very happy playing with tractors and hunting. I feel like I am [...]
