Hi there,
I also have problems making friends. I have many acquaintances but no close friends. I will go out with co-workers at times for a drink after work but it never progresses past that point. I am not sure why. My best friend is on-line and in another country--Hi Deep!--I think it is easier for me that way because I am not worried about bothering her at home. I e-mail her at anytime of the day and she reads it when she feels like it. Where as with people near by I am afraid of calling because I may be bothering them when they are doing something else. I am afraid to ask them out because I feel as if I am imposing on their time. My efforts to not be a bother to other people make me all but invisible to them. I wonder if it is the same way for you.

A month ago I had an anxiety attack because my son was going to need to be picked up at school at a different time then usual but I was working so would have to arrange some way of taking care of it. I couldn't think of anyone I could call to help me. This made me extremely sad and a wee bit suicidal because I started obsessing about my unlikability. My thinking at the time was nobody liked me because I was not a good person. This isn't true. People do like me but Idon't allow them to get close to me. The next morning I decided to do something about it. I took a big step and joined a book group at Borders. I don't expect any sudden friendships but I felt that at least I was trying to make new friends and that was a beginning. Next month I will try to actually start up a conversation with someone in the group. Perhaps eventually I will get the nerve to invite them for a cup of coffee after the meeting. This would be fairly safe because there is a coffee shop in the store.

Hope this helps and things will get better for you.
Zen

<font color=blue>Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else--Judy Garland