Hello Sad, Lost, and Lonely -- I was you, a number of decades ago. It's a hard place to be.

I have gone through periods of depression and relative contentment, even occasional joy, all my life.

First, not all of us blossom in our teens. One of my HS sociology teachers, fresh out of college, used to say: People are telling you this is the best time of your life; it's not. They're wrong. But things will get better.

The film director John Waters once told me, "I don't trust anyone who peeks in high school." It's sad when one meets such a person as an adult, in his 50s and still talking about the big game when he scored three touchdowns against XXX High School. Or talking about when she was Promo Queen.

Next, let's look at what's involved in having 300 friends. It sounds exhausting to me. I used to envy people who had a great many friends. I came to realize that it takes a lot out of me to tend relationships with a few (one to three) friends and close family. I am not suited for the extrovert lifestyle. So consider whether 300 friends is something you genuinely would like.

A lot of us who are geeks, misfits, and outcasts bond with people who are more like us -- more creative, more independent of spirit, smarter - as we get out in the big world. Check out biographies of creative people, such as Truman Capote, and you will find any number of geeks who turned out to have grand adult lives.

Even when we craft satisfying adult lives, we who suffer from depression -- and gosh, it truly is suffering, isn't it? -- will continue to experience these bouts of darkness.

Are you working with a therapist who perhaps can prescribe a medication or one with whom you can talk honestly about this?

Take heart, Lonely Person. Many of us here understand your pain. I hope you will soon be on the other side of this dark tunnel.