Does anyone else feel like they never belong?

I never belonged. But I chose to embrace it at a young age ("tween") and that was somewhat helpful.

It is hard for me to feel that I belong mainly due to having lost my family. I do have wonderful friends but family is so grounding to me. So yes.

I belong to no one and nothing.

Thank-you for this post. And yes, yes, yes. I feel more like I don't even fit in the world now. As a teenager I was very outgoing, loved to have lots of friends. Even as an older teen, that started to diminish, I think that is natural.

In every situation after that, it seemed like I was always feeling lively and wanting everyone to like me but they seemed put off and it felt like I was trying to invade some click or secret society that just did not want me there.

Nowadays that I am out of the socially accepted place in life, single, almost 60 and on disability for mental illness, I am shunned by most. Even at churches. I can go to services and be completely ignored, rarely spoken to. No one seems to want someone of my status in a group, even though I do love people and feel like I could contribute something. Because of social anxiety now I am not going to push to be accepted so therefore I just stay home alone.

I've always felt that I live in the wrong age, I should have lived in a way earlier time like the 1800's or even been a teenager in the 1950's. Of course there was not modern day birth control! Blah!

Again, thanks for this. I wish I could help you but as you see, I struggle with this myself.

I think we all feel like that in one point or another and if somebody disagrees, they may not want to admit it. We all get in places or feel stuck in life at certain points and it is normal. it is abnormal to NOT be stuck in those rough patches throughout our life, and it's okay.

I find that I really can relate to what a lot of people here are saying... I've never felt that I really belonged anywhere. I'm 18 and don't share much of the same interests with others my age. From preschool on I have been bullied and ignored, up until March of this year when I dropped out of my junior year of high school. I like to write poetry, which most my age consider weird and lame. Sometimes I wish I had more mainstream interests so that maybe I could have some friends... I get lonely. I wish I could say I'm proud to be different and to be who I am, but...

Constantly

All the time, with just about everyone. Only the exception of one friend I think, but I don't fully belong in his life.

I have always felt special and different not in a special positive way more like a special case. This feeling has poetically progressed into a terminal uniqueness that has infected every area of my life. They say out of the darkness comes the light and im convicned that this sequestered feeling if harnessed in the right way can be a ppwerfull beacon of positivity

I feel like I don't belong/fit in much of the time too. I feel like I belong, for the most part, when I'm at an AA meeting. I say for the most part because part of me still feels like if people there knew about my bipolar, they'd think less of me. The only times I feel completely accepted are here, with my husband and brother/his wife, two friends (who each are recovering alcoholics with a mental illness) and my therapist.

call me stupid ut i am bipolar, schitzoaffective and depressed, and i dont think im treated any different anymore. people who really know and friends if you have any seem to treat me good still. just saying there are good people out there who care and will go the extra mile to make a mental patient feel wanted.

I feel like I don't belong. In fact, I feel very lonely even when I'm surrounded by people. I have those that are my friends. Yet, I still feel alone even with having friends. I don't belong anywhere. I just exist.

I feel this way almost all the time. I feel that people judge me for being anxious, for being soft-spoken, awkward, for having shaking hands (which are caused by my meds). I feel so discouraged and sad about it, like people just see things that I can't help and judge me without knowing me or my heart.

You are not alone!

I often feel like not belonging which is partially caused by my upbringing. Being told from very young: " you're so different" and always being treated like "different" is not much help. It makes me also feel very alone and scared. Not many people understand how it feels though. Sending big hugs your way.

the only time i feel i belong is when i'm on these forums.

as an example, yesterday someone was talking about love- and i couldn't help asking them what does it feel like to actually feel loved and wanted

but on here i do so thank you all

Yes, I do and have all of my life. The words that you have used to describe your situation could have been written by me! Our experiences are so very simular. So you are not alone and it is a very frustrating place to be in life. esp, when no one will tell you why they leave you and you are left guessing! That lack of honest explaination exasperates me to no end! . Geeze, it they would at least tell you then you would have something to work with right!? But, then there are those mean and nasty personalities, that cut you to shreds with negative criticism, using wounding words that only kill and destroy you and are completely lacking love and compassion! This has been my experience anyway. Now after many years of this I have give up on having any meaningful relationships, I am hoping that this is just a temporary phase.

Idk I have mixed feelings about it. I want to belong and be successful as the rest of my friends, but I'm not capable of it due to my illnesses so I have to take a different route in life.

I've always felt like I don't belong. Like I'm from a different planet or more a different Universe. It's a constant stressful feeling. Wish someone would find a cure for all of these kind of things!

It seems like I've felt that way all of my life. I feel like I've done the best I can to be friendly and fit in. It just doesn't happen for me. I'm sure that I could possibly be the cause of it. Now that I'm older, it doesn't bother me as much as it use to.

By the way Stahrgeyzer, it seemed like you went very far back to find a thread and I'm impressed. I think it's nice to see some old threads from time to time.

Yes especially within my family. I'm an outsider.

I grew up feeling that way because my parents never belonged so be default I didn't either anywhere my parents were involved. School was my place but I was quiet mostly because I never answered questions unless I knew that I knew the answer because I didn't want to be like my dad who always said stuff he didn't know anything about & was mostly wrong....I thought that sounded stupid & I sure didn't want to sound stupid.

Got confidence with my degree & my career but kept myself mostly on the outside without ever truly belonging. Maybe because it was what I was used to growing up & what my now ex was like in our marriage.

Fast forward to now.....I am still not a huge social person who gets their identity out of belonging BUT the groups I am involved with & the church I go to make me know that I belong. Seriously it is a different feeling & sometimes I catch myself asking if this is truly real because it is so much different than I have ever experienced before. I realize now that just because things were one way for years in our lives they don't have to continue to be that way. HOWEVER I did need to learn how to connect with people after all those years. We have to put in work to change but also our community has to be condusive to that change making a difference

I’ve felt the dame way that you do. I’ve been bullied & rejected by a lot of people my whole life. My family bullied & rejected me, my husband treated me like nothing I do is good enough, that I’m weird, and even my so called friends seem to not care thar much about me usually. I feel like I’m only neing tolerated at best. I don’t even fit in on this forum, ugh.

Yes definitely and have learned have mild learning disability, nonverbal learning disorder. Almost feel as if I have mild autism.

Yes, many people experience feelings of not belonging at some point in their lives. It is a common human experience to question one's place in the world and struggle with a sense of belonging. You are not alone in feeling this way.

Yes, many people experience feelings of not belonging at various points in their lives. It can be a common human experience to struggle with a sense of belonging.