Feeling Lonely / Looking for Friends

This is very relatable for many of us here on this forum, I think. 

In terms of dealing with loneliness, I really can't give much advice, as I struggle too. I have found that simply being honest and open about how you feel with others and with yourself can offer many more opportunities for interaction and support, at least online, but that doesn't make the loneliness go away in as much as it just helps you feel less alone (hopefully that makes sense haha). The worst thing one can do when they feel lonely is hide themselves away from everyone and everything, at least in my experience.

As for actually making and keeping friends, I honestly have no idea. Personally I struggle a lot with anxiety and depression, which affects how I interact with others and how often I do so. Sometimes I'll feel too tired and depress to check in on people and feel anxious and guilty when I am ready to do so again, which usually results in me either being too afraid to message them first and waiting in vain for a new message, or only sending one small message asking if they're ok and then giving up. Don't know if you have a similar issue. I also believe there are supposed to be sites similar to dating sites that are just meant to find people that share your interests, but I have no experience with those. Ironically, I have made the occasional friend through actual dating sites though, but using such sites also gave a massive blow to my mental health in exchange, so I wouldn't recommend. 

I'll send you a friend request if you'd like, with absolutely no pressure on you to accept if you don't want to. It might not be the same as having people around you irl that you can consider friends, but at least talking with other neurodivergent/autistic people on this site can make you feel more supported and less alienated, at least from my experience so far. 

Thanks for taking the time to reply and share your experience. I feel like I relate to all of this a lot, im also struggling with anxiety and depression and i feel like its gotten worse lately. Lately i have been focusing all of my limited energy on studying and now that i just finished school, im starting to feel the issues of neglecting other parts of my life including my mental health and needs for social interaction. 
I have different strugles with both irl interaction as well as online. In face to face interactions, i often spend too much time focusing on trying to focus on things like facial expressions or eye contact and it’s difficult to focus so i dont know how to act. But online, i have a similar issue to you, i think, I usually spend too much time thinking if i should message them or wait for them to do it first, or how much to say.

Anyways, sorry for the long text. I accepted your friend request and i would love to chat with you sometimes if would be interested.

Thanks for taking the time to reply and share your experience. I feel like I relate to all of this a lot, im also struggling with anxiety and depression and i feel like its gotten worse lately. Lately i have been focusing all of my limited energy on studying and now that i just finished school, im starting to feel the issues of neglecting other parts of my life including my mental health and needs for social interaction. 
I have different strugles with both irl interaction as well as online. In face to face interactions, i often spend too much time focusing on trying to focus on things like facial expressions or eye contact and it’s difficult to focus so i dont know how to act. But online, i have a similar issue to you, i think, I usually spend too much time thinking if i should message them or wait for them to do it first, or how much to say.

Anyways, sorry for the long text. I accepted your friend request and i would love to chat with you sometimes if would be interested.