What kind of things do you do to make friends? My support network has fallen apart lately so I am on the lookout for new friends for support and company. I volunteer at a local charity, so I know many people but it is a matter for me of getting closer to them. I keep most people at arms length so I do not hurt or disrupt their lives. I am also becoming more involved with my hobbies, I have met a few people through that but again no one I am too close to yet. When I get really lonely I always have my local mental health support group. I know any of them would help me out in a heartbeat if I asked. Is there anything like this available to you?

Online mates are great, I find encouraging messages from people very helpful, but it is not the same as having a friend in "Real Life". We also need to keep up our socialising so we dont bring on anxiety or hermiting behaviours.

There are heaps of community activites available in my country, there is a big push for "act, belong, commit" encouraging lonely people to be involved in their community for the sake of their own mental health.