# Does anyone live alone?



## VeganGirl93 (Aug 2, 2011)

Just wondering how people with social anxiety cope living alone

Do you find it OK? Get lonely often? Prefer your own company?


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## phreader (Mar 28, 2012)

There are big pros as well as cons to it. 

I involuntarily ended up living by myself in an apartment. My roommate dropped out of college in the fall, so i ended up living the year by myself. I find that I had a lot more time for introspection and could do things on my own time without feeling judged (which is a big PRO). I really learned a lot about myself and found myself more able to relax so that I could tackle the outside world. 

At the same time, it provided a little too much time to reflect and if i spend too much time inside, i become more anxious and depressed. i would ruminate on how alone i felt and that crap. I don't have a social circle. 

overall though i think made me grow up a LOT and feel like a stronger person because of it. i had a lot of highs and lows and i feel like i have a better tackle on my SA bc i sought counseling and CBT and forced myself to take small step outside my comfort zone. but it was hard in the process


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## ChrissyQ (Apr 15, 2009)

I have a love hate relationship with living alone what i love about it is you can do whatever you want without bothering anyone and anyone bothering you no one judges you what i hate about it is you get lonely and bored out of your mind!


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## cherryblossomm (Jun 16, 2012)

I prefer living alone. I've noticed some people always want to have people around them, and some people (like me) like having alone time. When living alone, you can let people in when you want, but when you want to be alone, you can. That's hard to do with roommates. Guess it just depends on the kind of person you are.


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## haebangja (Jun 16, 2012)

For me it really doesn't matter as long as the roommates are people I already know. Having said that, I prefer living alone. Can't truly focus otherwise, kinda like there's always a bit of raised awareness with each person within the vicinity. How about you?


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## Nada (Dec 19, 2004)

I have a love hate relationship with living alone also. I like living alone, but it also meant being alone. Hardly ever had friends or people over, always single, never really got out much, and etc. Over time you lose touch of reality and wonder if you're going insane.


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## Liasaurus (Feb 20, 2013)

*I hate living alone.*

I moved into my first flat almost 2 weeks ago and i already hate it. It's bad enough that i don't cope very well with change or with being able to go outside alone. I had to move from my parents house because my grandma is ill and the family are moving closer to her to look after her but i chose to stay in this area due to the number of mental health center's i attend here. At first i was excited about having a place to call my own, that i could decorate it how i wanted and basically make it my own home, But as reality set in i now realize that i'm all alone in this flat with my dog, my computers and my xbox....it's pretty depressing to be honest. If i could re do things i would have moved with my family. I'm so far out of my comfort zone it's horrible but i know this is for the best and that this happens to everyone eventually...we all have to leave the nest. My boyfriend stays with me a few nights a week and my mum comes to stay once a week but i miss having someone around during the day and evenings. I've also noticed that whilst living alone, my traits of O.C.D seem to have gotten slightly worse, forever checking and organizing things, it drives me crazy lol I think if I'd have moved near someone i know things wouldn't make me feel so down but i live about an hour or so's walk away from anyone i know. I've phoned my mum a good handful of times and cried and asked if i could move in with them and the answer is always "no" but i know she's not saying that to be horrible it's a sort of "tough love" thing to make me toughen up and deal with the situation, for example: when i lived at home and my dog needed to go outside we had a back garden so it was easy enough for me to let it into the garden and i never left the house alone, now that i'm living in my own place with no front or back garden i now have to take the dog out a few times a day, which is quite stressful for me and it does sort of put me into fight or fly mode a lot of the time but i know it's helping me get used to being outside alone and knowing that nothing bad is going to happen to me. Sorry to have rambled on a little bit, but that is my view on living alone lol


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## always starting over (Mar 15, 2013)

Nada said:


> I have a love hate relationship with living alone also. I like living alone, but it also meant being alone. Hardly ever had friends or people over, always single, never really got out much, and etc. Over time you lose touch of reality and wonder if you're going insane.


Same here. I like being able to do whatever I want, but eventually it gets to me. Been hearing things lately and I'm just barely starting to get over it. I always make sure it's never completely quiet in my place, so I don't have to be with my own thoughts.


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## pablo123 (Feb 19, 2013)

its like my dream to live alone but at the same time im scared that i would get more anti-social and depressed


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## steve2006 (Mar 4, 2013)

I have lived alone for the last 1.5 years. Prior to this i lived in a flat with 6 guys. Living alone at first was really lonely. First few weeks I was depressed. But then as time past, I really live having "me" time. You dont have to deal with stress, distractions and other problems housemates may bring. But i make sure I leave the house for a few hours everyday. It would drive me insane if I was locked up all day alone in my flat


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## Rainbat (Jan 5, 2012)

I live alone, and in 3 years I haven't spoken to a single person outside of group projects. I haven't received a text message or a call other than my own mother in about 5 months.

I figured what fun is college without crippling depression to go along with it?


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## TenYears (Jan 15, 2010)

I'd rather be living with my girlfriend...I wish she was still alive. I miss her, and us having our own place together. We were perfect for each other. We never fought over anything really.

Living alone has some perks....you can do what you want, watch what you want, listen to what you want....but also has some very real drawbacks....I get so lonely sometimes that I seriously feel like I'm losing my mind. I go for days, sometimes weeks without speaking.

I'm lonely but I'm too anxious, too depressed, too messed up to put any effort into make friends. It's like being cursed. Seems like it's my destiny to be lonely, depressed and borderline suicidal for the rest of my life.


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