Pat's Answer
To Pat / 4 May 2020
I've been feeling really lonely
Your Question
hey pat,i’ve been feeling really lonely lately,i feel like nobody really likes me and i’m nobody’s friend..all my friends hang out with there other friends but i don’t have many friends..it’s kind of hard for me to make friends because i have social anxiety so i’m usually very shy,i also got bullied when i was younger and that knocked down my confidence…i’m going into first year soon and i’m very worried i won’t make many friends due to my social anxiety:(
From Pat /12 May 2020
Answer
Welcome to Ask Pat,
It sounds like you are going through a lot at the moment and it would be understandable if you are feeling overwhelmed by what you are thinking. Sorry to hear that you are feeling lonely. It sounds like you would like to hang out with your friends more. While you mention having friends, it seems like you feel left out and you feel like no one really likes you and you think that you find it hard to meet and make new friends.
You also talk about two other significant things that you are going through, firstly, you say you have social anxiety and you are shy, this you feel was impacted by your experiencing of bullying when you are younger and you feel it also knocked your confidence. Secondly, you are going into first year in September which is a big transition in a young persons’ life and you are worried about making friends when you go into secondary school.
You have the right to get support from someone if you want to chat about this more. If you do not feel like there is someone in your life that you can get support from then there is always the option of contacting Childline, who are there to listen.
There is also support and information on the HSE website www.yourmentalhealth.ie. where you can find information about many issues related to feelings of anxiety and about other support services. You might find some useful information regarding friendships on our website in the ‘Friends’ or ‘How I feel’ piece in our ‘Info and Advice’ section.
Remember when you talk to Childline, you can explore your thoughts, feelings and options when you chat to us by phone, text or webchat. We do not judge what you say at Childline and your chat can stay confidential. You will find all our contact details on the website www.childline.ie
Take care,
Pat