i have lost all my friends and really need new ones
have u lost a friend?

Friends come and go; one friend left because she thought that my going to therapy was selfish. In her opinion I was spending all this time with a therapist talking about myself and I should have spent that time with my child.

Some people do not have a clue about different ways people need to care for themselves. Others may need therapy themselves but are too afraid to go. Seeing you take steps to care for yourself can be pretty intimidating or threatening for them.

Of course there are other friends that I have raged and blown up on and kind of scared them away and they don't want to be in that position again.

Thankfully my true friends have stayed with me. Your true friends most likely will too. They may take a break, but eventually they will return. Fortunately people are resiliant and so are you. If old friends do not return, you are a valuable person and new friends will be drawn to you if you let them in.

Most of my friends do not live near me, so we email or talk on the phone. I am sure you will find some friends on this board who can relate to you and have honest discussions. Keep posting and you will never be alone and that will give you courage to talk to people in real life.

The hardest lesson for me to learn was that I am loveable. When I am feeling alone, my dear older friend always says "flash that beautiful smile; that is what draws others to you."

Hope something in this helps.

Hi Tessan

I'm sorry that you are feeling so alone.

I understand what you are going through. I have lost friends due to my PTSD. One reason is that I push people away, which is probably due to not wanting to be hurt. Also, sometimes, when I have tried to open up to someone, they have occaisionally run away. This makes it harder to open up in the future.

As Cecilia says - true friends will stick around, and those that don't aren't worth knowing.

I'm sure you'll find plenty of people here who understand all that you are going through. I hope new friends come to you in time. You sometimes just have to take that chance to let someone in to your life.

Good luck

As others have stated, feeling alone is pretty common with PTSD. Sometimes you can have many friends but still feel isolated and alone.

I tend to have different types of friends. Some are friends due to a common interest or activity we participate in. Others are friends due to similar experiences we have shared. Other are simply friends because we've known each other for so long, even if we don't share as much anymore.

There are many different ways to meet and make new friends. Check out local meet-ups; (there's a website, but I don't know what it is). This a great way to meet others who are also looking to meet new people and start friendships. Also, try taking a class, perhaps through a local adult education center. Not only is it a good way to help fight off the blues by getting out and doing something fun, but it also can be another outlet to meet others.

Good luck, and take care.

Nic

Tessan the best advice I can give here is to be your own friend. Because I have lost some friends in the worst time of need, which made me realize that I can only depend on myself.

I'm not saying don't have any friends. But what I'm trying to convey here is be your own best friend and others will follow, but if they don't you still have yourself to count on.

Peace
Tammy

tessan, i have no friends too. i have had only one friend in my life, for two years, and she flyed away when a surgeon distroyed my knee.
i have learned to not close myself between the walls of my house, i attend a course of martial arts and a course of carribean dances. i always have someone to go out with, to tell something with, to laught a little bit with.
i am not happy, i feel alone because i have no one near my heart. but at least i survive and i enjoy myself too!
keep strong! good luck!

While looking through the various threads I found this and realized that others have friend issues too.

My question is--do you guys find that you tend to chase friends away if they get too close? I seem to let people get just so close. If they seem to be getting to close, I will do what I can to get them out of my life and away from me.

Consequently, at this stage I too have no friends. Got my cats LOL They don't care if I am a little strange! They love me anyway

Thank you all for all your kind words even if its online its a warm feeling i get when i read all your responses

when you need i am here ;)

I'm hard on friends too. I'm sure my PTSD is the cause of it too. Hardly seems fair does it? People like us need friends the most. I have one or two friends who have stuck by me through everything. It makes all the difference.