Do you have trouble making friends?

I am not sure if it's just not feeling confident, low self-esteem or a little social anxiety but I am 47 and have very few friends. I am not working any longer due to BP so I miss social interactions. The few friends (2 or 3) I have made over the years seem to be "hit and miss" since when I am depressed I don't leave the house. I think they have "given up on me." It is just very lonely.

Does anyone else feel this way?

Mom2trips+1

yes, especially right now ...

Sorry you also feel this way.

Yeah, I have 1 friend outside my husband.

I have no friends. I push people away because I don't trust them. I do have a boyfriend but I don't trust him either.

I make friends fairly easily, but I suck at maintaining them. I get so wrapped up in myself I forget about them.

I have never been good at making friends, well before my bipolar diagnosis. I wish there was a rulebook I could follow to make better friends even in the face of having bipolar, but also where I work right now/my lifestyle makes it hard to make friends.

I wouldn't say that I can't... I just don't really want to. I don't know why, but I feel like most friendships are pointless. I don't have any friends where I live right now other than my fiance. I think it could be that I've given up because I've gone through so many over the years. Or I'm just becoming more antisocial... I only have a handful of friends who live where I used to, and I talk to them occasionally.

I have a few acquaintances but only 1 friend besides my husband. I try to make friends but I'm not very good at it and the mood swings over the years haven't helped me maintain the few friendships I do manage to make.

I could easily in the past, but always got disappointed by them not reciprocating how much I'm putting into the relationship so I don't put myself out there as much anymore. Also, it was really easy when I was I was hypo manic. I was the bomb (my crazy mind though so)! LOL Yeah, right! That was sarcastic by the way!

I don't have friends right now but I am not lonely. Or rather I do have a long time telephone friend who I don't call much but none where I live here or have any regular contact with. My daughter doesn't deal well with the bipolar part of my life so I heavily edit how I am with her. I act socially acceptable around people. I used to partially dissociate to do that, to function at work when I worked, and life, etc. Now I have resolved that part of me. I attend a highly structured, role playing, social skills group twice a week which has taught me a lot realistically but I haven't been able to let myself get close to anyone so far for quite a few years. My husband and I divorced after approx 33 years some years ago but I hid a lot from him too. He was never my "best friend."

I have about 3 good friends, but 2 live out of town.
I am introverted and don't look for many friends.

If anyone needs someone to talk to, pm me.

I wanted to add - the only time I've been IP was right after I was diagnosed. And I was soon popular in the IP program. Or at least I was popular in my own head (I was manic). I actually do think I did a good job of making friends both because we were all in the same boat and because I was crazy/charismatic at the time.

This is pretty much me, except the husband part (no one put a ring on it lol). I've always struggled with making friends. Over the years all my mood swings have ruined many friendships and over time, I just stopped caring and making more friends because it felt like so much effort. I have maybe 2 people that I really trust, but they live in another state, so I'm pretty much alone out here. When I'm depressed, it's frustrating, otherwise when stable I'm fine with it.

I'm friends with my sister and brother in law and my brother and his fiancé (though we're kind of in a tiff right now). That's it. I am so so so lonely without my husband. He was my everything, my best friend, my true love...I don't know what to do now that he's gone. I spend the weekend shut in my house because if my brother is not available I've got no one else to call. It's awful. I'm so sad about it. I miss my husband so much it hurts right in my heart.

I don't have any friends

when im hypo.. it seems like I have plenty of friends and easy to meet people. Ill meet people at coffee shop and talk with strangers. normally, even while depressed I have about 4 good friends. id rather have a few select close friends who are Real, then a bunch of friends, aquaintances who are fake. also im close with my grandma and aunt I consider them family

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Friends? I have heard of such mythical beings as friends.
I thought they were just legends
No friends. I just can't seem to keep them

It is hard for me to make and keep friends offline. I have 0 friends (outside of psychcentral), and the friends I used to have either vanished, stopped talking to me, or didn't want to make the effort anymore. Maybe even a combination of the 3.

When I try to make friends out in the "real world" I feel like I mess something up with the inability to control the irritability or depression. Maybe people just find me a downer?

I feel like no one is ever alone here though

i can make acquaintances... i learned how to push myself to talk to people by reflecting on my old bad habits when trying to back then... friends, kinda hard since that takes two, but ive been fortunate to be able to deal with my standards for what i consider friends... in the past few years, ive made a healthy amount of friends, but there are other problems in my life, and i made mistakes in those times... so.... do i have trouble... not exactly... depends... having failed to make friends with the last acquaintance i made didnt define me as troubled with friends... just taught me what to do the next time...

all in all, ive met some really good people... because i was able to break the mold and make friends with people out of my norm... which changed my perspective... im glad i met all of them, even if for the time i had them...

I feel alone ALL of the time. I am only 25 but I feel like it has a lot to do with how you judge others and yourself. I seem to find myself hooking up with women and when one wants to be friends i feel like it is a trap or that they want something from me. It must be my self image being low that i don't think anyone would want to actually get to know me...

I thought this was the case with the last group i hung out with but she turned out to just wanting to go to the moves alone.... and she is married -_-

As far as advice for you... I'd say try to spend more time exploring new interests and getting into more blogs like this but for something you like. Best of luck!

I have old friends and some people that could be better friends, but I tend to repel people. I avoid invitations I choose to be alone most of the time.

I'm not the type of person were you can just show up at my house at any time and say hi. I've become like a hermit. Before in my teens I hung out with friends like everyday but we tended to smoke weed and pop pills I can't do that anymore.

Real life friends are hard for me to maintain. Like many others here maintaining friendships seems to be the biggest hurtle for me. I have one best friend who I talk to every night, and that seems to get me through fine. I have my mom, dad and sister. I have many online friends and if I ever need to get more they are just a mouse click away. I do get low though, and in those times I tend to seek people out.

That is not good though, because I don't want people to think I am using them or am a burden, so I usually keep the stuff to myself and it usually works itself out. You know, it gets lonely yes but we will leave this world alone so the best friendship you can have is with yourself.

I have no friends. Except for the parts about being there to help each other, I don't think I miss it. I used to have a few close friends but life changes, your move along and drift apart. I'm sure I could make friends but the desire is not there.

im sorry to hear that... idk u but for what its worth, i support u...

on another note.... i thinkthat although friendship is a great thing for us... its sometimes highly overrated... theres this one video on youtube... spoken word video about solitude, and its benefits... just takes changing perspective...