[QUOTE=zapatoes;6706705]Sorry to hear you are struggling and it’s frustrating. Keep trying to get out and meet others, and it may help to volunteer to help others with soup kitchen, etc. It can take time to connect and click with people so maybe keep going to the same volunteer event or same meetup or go to cooking lessons or arts and crafts for several weeks in a row to get to know others. Maybe I should take my own advice as struggle with the same things you’ve mentioned with trying to make friends, but often it’s difficult since only see others at meetups once in awhile and co-workers are married and have a life. Good luck and keep trying.

Thanks, Zapatoes. I still have been making myself go out even when it's feeling hopeless. I've been doing a lot of political events lately and have met some nice people with shared values that way. No personal connections have happened yet, mostly because they already have friendships and relationships, but working together for a common goal is a good feeling too. Unfortunately my work shift gets in the way of going to more events and Meetups and classes that would help me to meet more people and form emotional bonds. So many things are only held on weekday evenings when I'm stuck at work. I've lost count of the job applications I have put out over the years but haven't gotten so much as a call for an interview... which of course only adds to the feeling of hopelessness and my uselessness. I still put in another one a few months ago but no word yet, which I can only interpret as a no.