They pretty much mean someone that you are living with....given that I'm older I was living on my own for the last 5 years aside from the last couple of months. I still have parents so I realize it is not the same but they are out of state so they can't really provide care. I think you can do fine even without a primary caregiver, it just adds to the chances you'll recover and stay stable, it's not a requirement. As far a friends, you have us but if you want more friends you'll have to work for it. I started with no friends and I used the strictly platonic section of craigslist to meet people who were seeking friends. It took me like a year but I finally met my best friend. Its just like dating----if you want to meet people you have to put yourself out there and talk to people whether its in person or online. I actually met and still have as a friend someone I met here on PC who happened to live in the area.