Anxiety can hold you back from making friends But, when social anxiety is intense and persistent, it becomes social anxiety disorder (SAD). If you have anxiety and you feel crippled when trying to socialize, this can be the cause of you feeling like “no one wants to be my friend”.
There are plenty of reasons why someone doesn't want to be friends with you. They might have enough friends already and can't fit anymore in their life. They might not like you for whatever reason. Or perhaps they just think the two of you would not have anything in common.
They're nervous or insecure about initiating contact
They may want to text you about a funny piece of news they heard, but think they'd be pestering you, or that they're boring to talk to, or that they'll say something strange, or one of a dozen other worries.
Low self-esteem. People who are lonely are more likely to be critical of themselves and anticipate rejection. Low self-esteem might discourage you from reaching out to others.
Often getting left out can result from simple miscommunications: Maybe your friends thought you were too busy with your job to go shopping on a weekday. Perhaps you accidentally texted them the wrong date or time for an event, and they planned something else without you.
Jessica Harrison, a licensed professional counselor and owner of Courageous Counseling and Consulting, says a lack of long-term friendships is a major red flag. "It shows that they have not been committed to growing in relationships, which takes time and effort on both friends' part," says Harrison.
Here are some reasons friends might ignore you:
You might be too negative. You might be too high or low energy compared to your friend. You might talk too much about yourself. You might talk about things your friend isn't interested in.
Many scenarios of social exclusion happen by mistake. Maybe someone thought you were busy that day or wouldn't be interested in attending. Sometimes, however, not being included can stem from a deliberate omission. Bullying someone by intentionally leaving them out can also transfer into the online world.
Some research suggests that loneliness is associated with an increased risk of certain mental health problems, including depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, sleep problems and increased stress.
Good friends are hard to come by nowadays because people are becoming more and more self-centered. They're always looking out for themselves and their interests and don't really care about anyone else. If they feel they won't gain something from you, they don't bother you.
In general, based on 2021 survey data, the average person in America has between 3 and 5 close friends. According to this survey: almost half (49%) report having 3 or fewer close friends. over one-third (36%) report having between 4 and 9 close friends.
There are a few reasons for feeling lonely even when surrounded by friends and family: You hide your true self. You have a history of being misunderstood or judged. Perhaps you feel insecure about certain aspects of your personality.
In general, having no friends is relatively normal. A February 2021 report found that 36% of Americans felt serious loneliness and a 2019 report showed that 1 in 5 people had no friends. If you have no friends, you are not alone. However, having no friends can lead to loneliness for some people.
Some people view loners in a negative context. However, some studies show that being a loner can lead to happiness for the individual and could actually be good for your health. Some people in this study experienced greater life satisfaction with less frequent interaction with their friends.
Although humans are social creatures by nature for survival, that does not mean we were all meant to pair up for life, or at all. There are some people who are just meant to be alone, and that is okay.
A lot of mental illnesses like bipolar, anxiety and depression can all make people feel very lonely. Mental illness can make you anxious about seeing others, so you might spend more time indoors. Or it can lead to insomnia, which in turn can make you tired, irritable and lonely.
Emotional loneliness is the absence of a significant other with whom a close attachment or meaningful relationship existed (a partner or close friend). Social loneliness is the lack of a wider social network of friends, neighbours or colleagues.