What will be the result of a lonely lifestyle

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Highly_Autistic
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01 Aug 2023, 5:50 am

As you know I dont have any friends or relationships, only family. But I have some goals, earning more than enough money, and living independantly, or with someone likeminded. Im scared of ending up homeless. I hate people talking and crowds. Whats the consequence of such way of life.

Did any of you went through this path



Pagliaccio
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01 Aug 2023, 7:22 am

My parents were not interested in me as a child.
I was a lonely teenager.
I was homeless when I was 19.
I hit rock bottom at 24.

I met my wife when I was 25.
Got a decent job.
Bought a house.
Have 2 degrees.

None of this solved my problems. They will never be solved because I am an autistic guy living in a neurotypical world that doesn't give a damn. I am not as social as I would like, but I have enough. I do not have as much money as I would like, but who does? And when I look back on all my struggles I find I am, as far as I can be, happy.

Looking forward I see little positive, and looking back I just see joy. Funny thing is, that's how it always was.

My advice to you is DO NOT BE AFRAID.



rse92
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01 Aug 2023, 7:58 am

You are 25. You are barely a man. Don't give up.



BTDT
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01 Aug 2023, 8:18 am

I live by myself in a paid for house and have plenty of retirement savings.
I've lived by myself for 25 out of 60 years and can't really say that I feel lonely living by myself.
Never really thought of it as I'm too busy doing stuff around the house.

But, I did feel lonely living in college for the first time away from family, even though I was surrounded by other people.

I would suggest that you find your own path. Don't worry about not being "normal."
Seemingly normal people have their own issues. Being female, folks would open up to me about them.
I'd listen. Made them feel better.

I'm AMAB but socially I present female. I love shopping for clothes. With a 25 inch waist there are no men's appropriate clothes for me to wear. 8O But, the world is my oyster when it comes to buying women's clothes in my size! During the summer I save money by not running the A/C. Instead I wear skimpy clothes like most women. When I play golf on a hot summer afternoon I can wear sleeveless tops and skorts.

As a guy I wasted a lot of time and money trying to find clothes that fit. Specialty clothes for small guys. I bought sewing machines and learned to alter my clothes. Now i can just wear stuff off the rack and it fits perfectly. :D

I am fortunate to live in a very accepting area. I am also careful about where I go. Since transitioning I've only gone to Long Island, Cape Cod, and other vacation spots in the greater Boston area.



shortfatbalduglyman
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01 Aug 2023, 3:05 pm

Highly autistic

The Surgeon General allegedly said that loneliness has the same impact on mortality as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. How he measured and defined "loneliness", the article doesn't specify

However some things are worse for your health than smoking 15 cigarettes a day.



DuckHairback
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01 Aug 2023, 3:10 pm

shortfatbalduglyman wrote:
The Surgeon General allegedly said that loneliness has the same impact on mortality as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. How he measured and defined "loneliness", the article doesn't specify


This is what I wonder about. Do you think it's the case if you don't feel the loneliness but are socially isolated? I mean, is it the isolation or just the feeling isolated that's bad for you?


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KitLily
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01 Aug 2023, 3:41 pm

I too wonder what will happen to lonely people like me, and the vast numbers of lonely people that now live in the world.

Everywhere I look I see gloomy warnings that loneliness is as bad for our health as things like smoking, drinking, cancer etc. Warnings that loneliness is increasing rapidly every year around the world.

So why aren't we lonely ones dying in great numbers? Will we all die when we hit 60 or something? What is the true effect of loneliness?

Maybe I'm not lonely because I have one husband and one daughter? I always feel lonely because I don't have a group of friends like I used to. Maybe all we need is 2 other people in our lives.

But what happens when I get old and my husband dies, and my daughter marries and moves away with her own family? There will be no one left to spend time with and give me some kind of human contact. Maybe that's when I'll immediately die?

Or maybe we lonely ones are just learning to live with it, to live with almost zero human contact 24/7? Personally I've almost lost my social skills because I never meet anyone but my husband and daughter. I feel terrified in groups of people now and don't know how to communicate with them.

It is confusing and worrying.


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jimmyjazzuk
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02 Aug 2023, 11:59 am

I wonder if life expectancy for lonely people is reduced because no one is there to help in an emergency or no one will advocate on your behalf when you are ill and doctors are busy



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02 Aug 2023, 12:17 pm

jimmyjazzuk wrote:
I wonder if life expectancy for lonely people is reduced because no one is there to help in an emergency or no one will advocate on your behalf when you are ill and doctors are busy


That is a good point. A more practical explanation for their grim warnings about loneliness.

God knows there was no one to help when my daughter was very ill, I had to lean out of the front window to ask strangers to fetch bread and milk from the shops for us because obviously I couldn't leave her. We had no friends or family to take me and her to hospital when my husband couldn't get home from work til later.

We have no friends or family to help my mum out where she lives 3 hours drive away. There's just...no one near us or near her.


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DeepHour
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03 Aug 2023, 6:04 pm

I used to be bothered about the whole business of not being in a 'relationship' or not having many, or any, friends, etc. For the last fifteen years or so I've moved beyond that - I really value the whole solitude thing, not having any responsibilities or obligations, even to family members. I enjoy being anonymous, not being on anyone's 'radar screen' so to speak, and even get a bit annoyed if anyone recognizes or approaches me in a public place.

I do worry about certain aspects of my future though - getting ill or unable to live independently. There's no way I'd want to depend on anyone else, and wouldn't know what to do in such an eventuality. At least dogs and horses in that situation get 'sorted out'. LOL (actually, not funny....).


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KitLily
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04 Aug 2023, 11:32 am

That's the thing isn't it: if you're alone and happy, it doesn't matter, until...

You get ill.
You get injured.
You lose your home.
You have a baby and no one to help look after them.
You need practical help with something.
You are the victim of a crime.

etc. etc.

That's when being lonely hits hard. It's not a happy prospect is it...


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Mikurotoro92
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04 Aug 2023, 12:26 pm

This is part of why I am looking for love and marriage



MatchboxVagabond
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04 Aug 2023, 12:49 pm

DuckHairback wrote:
shortfatbalduglyman wrote:
The Surgeon General allegedly said that loneliness has the same impact on mortality as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. How he measured and defined "loneliness", the article doesn't specify


This is what I wonder about. Do you think it's the case if you don't feel the loneliness but are socially isolated? I mean, is it the isolation or just the feeling isolated that's bad for you?

Yes, and unfortunately, even for the chronic loners, there's still a cost to being alone. Not feeling it doesn't get you off the hook for not having it, similarly to if you don't feel hungry or thirsty, you still need to eat or drink.

It's part of why there's so much confusion between schizoid and autistic historically as schizoids are oftentimes just autistic people that have poor awareness of their need for socialization.



RetroGamer87
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05 Aug 2023, 10:23 am

I kind of miss living by myself.


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