I posted this here as this seems to be the most active forum, and it is a related topic.

As many of you know from first hand experience, loneliness can very often be a by-product of mental illness. I know that loneliness was both a precursor to and product of my illness, and for a long time my T was the only person I ever came into contact with.

I'm also a (chronic) loner by nature, and although it is possible to be alone without experiencing loneliness, sometimes the solitude of long term social reclusion can creep up on you and induce intense feelings of loneliness.

I try to cope with this by listening to music, using internet forums (such as this one), going out for a run, walk, a hike into the mountains or forest, watching TV, or out for a drive and some shopping.

Despite interacting with people via the internet, these are all solitary activities, and as a loner who suffers from social anxiety (with a suspected but undiagnosed social phobia), I find it very difficult to go out into a bar and socialise with complete strangers. In fact it's something I don't want to do, as I used to attempt it in the past and usually ended up sitting on my own consuming large quantities of alcohol, and alcohol consumption had the long term effect of exacerbating my depression.

Besides going to see your T, how do you cope with your loneliness?