I think the best way to develop these is to have many friends, which means you need to get out and meet a lot of people. Everyone has a limited ability to offer support... everyone has their own problems. I noticed that there are some people (not suggesting you, op, but some people do this) that make *one* friend and then try to rely on that one person for everything. Different people can better offer support in different ways.

Think about this: even online or email connections "matter" and can be a source of support... look around here!!

While I would agree that its ideal to form face-to-face relationships with people, trying to connect with others in any way possible so you have a lot of avenues for support (and can in turn support them when they need it!) will probably make a positive difference.