Loneliness

T

Tabitha

New Member
Location
Australia


I am new here. This topic may have been covered before. If it has, please bear with me.

Are any of you lonely? How do you deal with it? Would you like to share any strategies you have for combatting it?


Thanks.

 

I don't get lonely, I get bored.

Look around and see what you can do for others, being of service to others may help to take your mind off of your own situation and eventually yield a friend or two.

Another thought, if you are lonely go to where the people are, maybe you will make some new acquaintances.

Good luck and welcome to SF.

 
Thanks for replying Aunt Bea. I have broken my leg, which means I can't get out and about to meet people.

i am sorry to read you get bored. I find the internet helps relieve boredom.
 

Tabitha - sorry to hear about the broken leg. Bummer. Since I now live alone here on the Big Island, with few if any friends, my issue, like Aunt Bea, is boredom. I have my house up for sale so I've done all the home handy man projects, had a garage sale and sold all my related tools. Sold my motorcycle. So I spend several hours a day on the internet, doing crosswords, looking at real estate on the mainland, poking gentle fun at some of the other posters on this web site and several others, but it is only 11 a.m. here and I'm already having a glass of merlot. I wish I had an answer to your question, because then I could take my own advice.

Mahalo
 
Where are you in Australia Tabitha?
I went through a broken leg a few years ago at age 72 and I nearly went up the wall with boredom. Because of my age, they reckoned it was unsafe for me to be on crutches, so was confined to a wheelchair for 7 weeks.
I live alone, with a dog.
I did have the "after hospital care" people coming in three times a week, and I had friends who turned up a couple of times a week too.
Trouble was, they were much the same age as me, and couldn't manage to negotiate my wheelchair up/down the one step in my house.
My son turned up once a week, after a 500 k drive and took me out, and I think that was the only thing that saved my sanity.
 
grannyjo thanks for writing. I am glad I joined this group. Thanks to the internet, I am feeling less lonely. I live in Melbourne. We have had a cyclone and severe flooding here this week.

You have experienced the frustration associated with a broken leg. The loss of mobility and independence is a killer. I am glad that your son was able to visit and relieve the boredom for you.

Thanks again for replying.:)
 
tabitha: I know your boredom being housebound. I have acute COPD and need
oxygen so I have to drag a large tank if I go out. Bored beyond belief and alone.
I recently lost my cat of 15yrs and the webpage is in a post entitled anyone lost a beloved pet. I have another cat here but it is not the same.
To help relive the loneliness I use irc(internet relay chat) there are many channels of older folks to chat with some even in you area.
I never married, and no family and the only person here is an occasional visit from an old high school pal.
 
I'm on the North Coast of NSW, though not in the badly affected areas of the Cyclone - a couple of hundred k away - just some very heavy rain, grey skies and general misery.
Today is the first day for ages that we've actually had some sunshine.

I've been out in my garden, pulling weeds, which have thrived with the warm moist conditions. After the heavy rain, the weeds have been so easy to pull out of the garden, so I guess I can count that as a plus.

How long ago did you break your leg?

Because I was older, it took just that bit longer for it to heal, and I still have some pain associated with nerve damage. I did have a rather severe break though, both my leg and ankle with pins, plates and so on.

Never had experienced a broken bone before, so it was rather a shock to the system.

It is good to be able to talk to people, via the internet.
 
Hello Deucemoi and thanks for writing. I am sorry to read about your health and associated isolation and boredom. Are you able to go out at all?

Oh I am sorry to read about the loss of your cat.
 
Grannyjo I am glad you are unaffected by the weather here.

My leg is taking ages to heal and I am so afraid of falling. You would be able to relate to that I am sure.

Nice to talk to you and enjoy your garden.
 
Tabitha, do you have any neighbors you are friendly with?

If so, why not invite one or two in for coffee or tea and cookies? You might have a friendly chat for an hour or so and then do it again the next week. This might help your loneliness.

I hope your leg heals soon so you can get out and meet some people. Feel free to stick around here and comment on other's posts that interest you. Also post some topics of your own.


 
Tabitha said:

I am new here. This topic may have been covered before. If it has, please bear with me.
Are any of you lonely? How do you deal with it? Would you like to share any strategies you have for combatting it?
Click to expand...

Tabitha, I'm sorry to hear that you're feeling so lonely, and that you broke your leg, that's terrible! Are you able to get out at all with a cane or a walker? I'm lucky that I'm not lonely, I've had a loving husband for many years and my pets to keep me company every day.

I agree with RadishRose's suggestion about maybe inviting a neighbor or friend over to watch a movie, maybe have some food delivered or play cards. If it's not easy for you to get out, you should just try to have someone stop by you to visit if possible, even if it's just a short time. Of course you can always find some company here no matter what hour of the day or night to talk to, that should help a bit. :)
 
Tabitha: I live alone with my little Dachshund. Yes, I get lonely and on top of that have severe anxiety hinder me greatly from leaving the house. I live very rural as well which does not help. I'm very quiet by nature and find it difficult to get to know people. So, I make it a point every day to get out of the house (usually force myself) even if it is just to walk around the grocery store. Also, I make myself available to my daughter, who just had twins, and home schools. I go over once a week to work on art, sewing, baking, whatever projects with the two oldest girls (4 and 9). Some weeks she needs more help than others. Soccer season is in now and I thank my lucky stars because I get to help out bringing the girls to practice and attend their games. I'm thinking about going to the library...bringing my own book that I'm in the middle of, and just sitting there for several hours to read. Never know who you might meet. Also, I have been making myself go out to lunch or breakfast once a week to be out and around people. I am thinking of going to the rec center and joining a senior citizen exercise group. Pray for me that I have the courage to do this. Trying for a week now maybe this week I can. I think there is a good opportunity there to meet someone my own age to chat with. I googled my county to see what was available for seniors and discovered that opportunity. I'm new to being home full-time alone so it is quite an adjustment. Try MeetUp.com I found a crochet group I am going to try and meet with as well. Never bored....have so many hobbies and jobs to do...do need a human to chat with on my level.
 
Play some games with us in the Games section of SF. We're all friends there, it's fun, and a great way to help combat loneliness.:eek:
 
To get to the Games section, just go to the first page of this web site, as you always do to get here. Then, instead of clicking on General Discussion, scroll down to near the bottom, where it says, "Games." Click on that. It's just another topic in this forum.

I agree with Chic, it's a great way to pass the time.
 

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