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constvoidasterix

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I know this is isn't going to sound new and exciting to anybody, but here we go anyway.

My issue is quite simply that I am constantly rejected and left out of everything. It has been a problem for me as far back as I can remember. I often imagine there's a "wrongness" that people can sense immediately.

At 31, things aren't getting any easier. After leaving the university, there just aren't a lot of opportunities to meet people. Everyone I meet seems to have settled down already and don't need anyone else in their life. I have a few "friends" that I meet about two times a years. I have one actual, real friend left that I'm afraid to lose because of my inability to keep my pessimism to myself.

Throughout most of my 20s, I was overwhelmed with sadness and suicidal thoughts and I isolated myself (which is something you can really get away with as a student). On top of that, I have also been struggling with OCD, to the point where I would "have to" use so much strong soap that my hands were bleeding. The point is, it hasn't been the greatest life, ok? :)

A few years ago, just had enough of it all and decided that if I didn't have the guts to kill myself, I had to to try something else. Through a massive effort, I got healthier habits (not staying up too late for example), I started working out and got into much better shape and I'm doing well at work. I even (more or less) defeated my annoying OCD.

But it still just isn't good enough, and it's driving me nuts. There just doesn't seem to be any way out of the hole I've fallen into. I can't figure out how you meet people, and I'm even more clueless about what to say to them. On the rare occasions I do talk to people outside of work, what I say always seems to be the wrong thing, or just too alien for them to understand.

I've tried online dating too. Rejection. After a long time and having contacted a lot of people, I realized that there's just no chance. They don't even care enough to click the "send standard reply" button. Wow.

Despite fighting as hard as I could, I am below rock bottom now. I don't quite know what I am going to do (no, I won't hurt anyone, don't ask!). The whole has left me seething with rage. I don't feel like this is my fault anymore. I shouldn't have to take this.

I've also heard a lot of well-meaning advice. It pretty much goes along the lines of "stop whining" or "well you just have to meet someone". They aren't trying to be mean though, they just don't know what to say. Quite often it seems to me that the very people claiming to know how you beat loneliness are the ones who haven't actually tried the real thing. Come back when you've had a few years of experience, or ten! See how easy it is to "just meet new people" when you've got a lifetime of constant rejection in your head at all times.

Anyway, I felt like writing this. Whether anyone reads it is probably less important.
 
Welcome to the site, there are people here who can relate and I'm sure can help. Have a read around, join in some games and see what happens.
 
constvoidasterix said:
I know this is isn't going to sound new and exciting to anybody, but here we go anyway.

My issue is quite simply that I am constantly rejected and left out of everything. It has been a problem for me as far back as I can remember. I often imagine there's a "wrongness" that people can sense immediately.

At 31, things aren't getting any easier. After leaving the university, there just aren't a lot of opportunities to meet people. Everyone I meet seems to have settled down already and don't need anyone else in their life. I have a few "friends" that I meet about two times a years. I have one actual, real friend left that I'm afraid to lose because of my inability to keep my pessimism to myself.

Throughout most of my 20s, I was overwhelmed with sadness and suicidal thoughts and I isolated myself (which is something you can really get away with as a student). On top of that, I have also been struggling with OCD, to the point where I would "have to" use so much strong soap that my hands were bleeding. The point is, it hasn't been the greatest life, ok? :)

A few years ago, just had enough of it all and decided that if I didn't have the guts to kill myself, I had to to try something else. Through a massive effort, I got healthier habits (not staying up too late for example), I started working out and got into much better shape and I'm doing well at work. I even (more or less) defeated my annoying OCD.

But it still just isn't good enough, and it's driving me nuts. There just doesn't seem to be any way out of the hole I've fallen into. I can't figure out how you meet people, and I'm even more clueless about what to say to them. On the rare occasions I do talk to people outside of work, what I say always seems to be the wrong thing, or just too alien for them to understand.

I've tried online dating too. Rejection. After a long time and having contacted a lot of people, I realized that there's just no chance. They don't even care enough to click the "send standard reply" button. Wow.

Despite fighting as hard as I could, I am below rock bottom now. I don't quite know what I am going to do (no, I won't hurt anyone, don't ask!). The whole has left me seething with rage. I don't feel like this is my fault anymore. I shouldn't have to take this.

I've also heard a lot of well-meaning advice. It pretty much goes along the lines of "stop whining" or "well you just have to meet someone". They aren't trying to be mean though, they just don't know what to say. Quite often it seems to me that the very people claiming to know how you beat loneliness are the ones who haven't actually tried the real thing. Come back when you've had a few years of experience, or ten! See how easy it is to "just meet new people" when you've got a lifetime of constant rejection in your head at all times.

Anyway, I felt like writing this. Whether anyone reads it is probably less important.

Have you asked people, especially women, to look at you and tell you your shortcomings? If you've got the courage to hear it, you can work on it.

How many books on dating have you read?

How many times have you risked to talk to a woman you may like? Have you tried switching things around?

Nobody got anywhere without hurt. You must be used to it by now, so adapt and keep on. Develop thicker skin. And as you've said, you have healthiER habits, but not perfect ones. Don't fall in the trap of condemning yourself that you will always be lonely.
 
for the loneliness, did you try sharing an apartment with people who seem friendly? I don't know where you live, but in larger cities there is a lot of people in their thirties who haven't settled down yet, and might be lonely just like you.
 
Thanks for the welcome, and sorry for a long-winded sob story again. Feels good to write it anonymously. There's nobody in "real life" I can talk to about this. People have all sorts of funny ideas of what it means to be lonely, and in particular I don't want anyone at work to know (you really don't want your boss to think you're not stable).

perfanoff said:
Have you asked people, especially women, to look at you and tell you your shortcomings? If you've got the courage to hear it, you can work on it.

I have the courage to hear it I think, but I don't know where I'd ask. I don't really get to a point where I even get the chance to ask.

I know one woman who isn't family. She's married though and I'm not sure I want to have that kind of a conversation with her. She's just about the coolest and nicest person I've ever met, and I don't want anyone getting the wrong idea and messing that up.

How many books on dating have you read?

Honestly? Someone showed me one once but that's it. I guess you can say then that there are things I haven't tried. The book I saw was not exactly for me though, and I also think it was borderline misogynist.

How many times have you risked to talk to a woman you may like? Have you tried switching things around?

Nobody got anywhere without hurt. You must be used to it by now, so adapt and keep on. Develop thicker skin. And as you've said, you have healthiER habits, but not perfect ones. Don't fall in the trap of condemning yourself that you will always be lonely.

I have recently been trying and "put myself out there", but it's difficult. As a software developer (such a cliche, I know!), pretty much everyone I know is a male nerd. I want to be able to go talk to women I don't know, but I also don't want to annoy a stranger who most likely wants to be left alone. Online dating is presumably for people who are looking for someone, but if I just get ignored, I don't get anywhere. I've tried writing different kinds of messages, I've been changing my profile a lot. Doesn't seem to work.

The funny part is that most people who give me a chance and actually talk to me like me well enough, it just doesn't happen often that I get the chance.

Peaches said:
for the loneliness, did you try sharing an apartment with people who seem friendly? I don't know where you live, but in larger cities there is a lot of people in their thirties who haven't settled down yet, and might be lonely just like you.

Large city. It's a good point, really. I was doing considerably better when I was still living in my dorm room. I don't think people around here normally have roommates though. I've never really heard of such a thing. Maybe it happens more in other countries.
 
Haha, oh man. Judging from this site, are software developers the loneliest profession or what..?

Pretty depressing conclusion to make about my prospects, seeing that I'm one, too. Lol.
 
Most software developers I know, too. To single life, that is :p

Less than half of those guys I know in their 20s have a girlfriend.
 
That is great that you decided to choose a healthy alternative to harming yourself. Whether it was a last hope choice, or not that is wonderful. What starts is helping yourself, that's for sure. There are definitely a lot of people out there who are lonely or feel alone, so you really aren't alone in that department. I haven't tried it, but there are websites about local meetups. More of a group kinda thing but it's an idea.
 
As for your friend and your concern about pessimism, a true friend is going to stand by you no matter how pessimistic you are. Sure it can be annoying (I would also describe myself as somewhat pessimistic and have seen others' reactions to it) but a good friend is going to at least think about why you're so pessimistic and not just what things you say. A good friend will understand, above all else.

As for making friends, I find that somewhat easy (and by "easy" I mean I have a 1 in 10 chance of success :p). Go pretty much anywhere that serves for some kind hobby (video game stores, book/comic stores, etc.) that you find interesting. Make smalltalk and see if it picks up. If someone is near reading an interesting book you've read, for instance, glance and make a small remark about the book's merits. If the person is interested in talking they may respond in a way with an opening. Take it from there but don't act obsessed.

As for dating, I don't know what to tell you there. I'm in a relationship and have been in others but I have no clue how to actually go about successfully initiating it. I've personally gotten so many mixed signals and made so many awkward mistakes because of assumptions I've made that I've just kind of given up on it for fear of one day getting pepper-sprayed. :p I would assume it would be a lot like just making regular friends, but it's always proven to be rather difficult if the prospective date has no intentions of making the first move.
 
welcome to the forum man guys around here do not reject any one they are really nice to talk to.
 
Hello and welcome to the forum.
Hope you find what you're looking for here.
 

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