Hello & Welcome, Steve27!
I'm not in a similar situation, but I am aware of a number of folks posting here who
- have long-term depression/dysthymia/bipolar,
- have for a variety of reasons missed out on developing and sustaining close relationships throughout the years.
The Depression,
Bipolar and
Relationships & Communication forums will hopefully provide you with many stories and at least a few ideas.
__________________
My dog
mastered the "fetch" command. He would communicate he wanted something, and I would fetch it.