FORUMS > Mental Health Forum Rules

"At times in my life, I have been utterly lonely. At other times, I've had disgusting infectious diseases. Try admitting these things in our culture, and you'll find they evoke identical responses: Listeners cringe with a mixture of pity, revulsion, and alarm.

In a culture where everyone wants a happy family and a sizzling relationship, the phrase "I'm lonely" rings like the medieval leper's shout of "Unclean! Unclean!"

Fortunately, we now treat disease not by isolating its victims but by diagnosing and healing them. Finding those who can comprehend the emptiness of your heart, diagnosing and ameliorating its ailments, can keep you productively engaged when your loneliness is at its worst." ....

http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/personal/04/23/lonely.season/index.html

Well Caslon before I met my partner I had utter loneliness and an infectious disease at the same time.

It is not all bad though. I am one of those people that learn more from my trials in life then my happy moments. My worse bout of loneliness (81-82) increased my ability to be more independent and self-reliant. I don't need to be around people all the time to feel worthy or accepted.

Contracting HIV provided me with focus, increased self-discipline and appreciation for life. I became less pessimistic and cynical, and more tolerant of people. Now if I could only sleep more than 4 hours a night I would be hunky-dory.

Well One at home, can spend a lot of time alone, doing my yard work. Yet I am just about never lonely! Only boring people get board.

Well I've had a grand sex life. maybe 4000 encounters. I know. Such a conservative number, for a homo in his 40's. Yet one to this day. has not had to seek medical attension, for a STD.

Yet we live in a world, were most are lonely, or in need of love.

One may well of not had an STD before. But I well remember all the bullshit, in the early days of AIDES. Where just for being a homo. You were treated as if you did.

Human nature.

Wysiwyg60 said Now if I could only sleep more than 4 hours a night I would be hunky-dory.

try GABA or 5-HTP, precursors of serotonin...they will get you to sleep with any side effects.

Pattison saidWell I've had a grand sex life. maybe 4000 encounters.

Why does hearing that make me happy that you are gay?

Caslon said[quote][cite]Pattison said[/cite]Well I've had a grand sex life. maybe 4000 encounters.

Why does hearing that make me happy that you are gay?[/quote]


????????

Fearful if One was not?

Still such a conservative number. I just LOL. when one of my str8 mates talks about having maybe 50 diffrent encounters, as if that was a good achievement.

Gosh, and I did most of mine, in the 1970s, and early 1980s. in my late teens, and early to mid 20s.

But matey. One is not gay. One is a fag. Now you did hear that from me.

I'm lonely. Have been for 22 years. LOL

Basically, I want to know how it feels like to be loved, and I mean romantically, I've got more than enough when it comes to platonic and family love. I don't dwell on it though.

One interesting thing in the article:

Existential Loneliness can be fixed with art. ROFL. So true. I find that most artists are the lonely types. It's a great way to express emotion.

I find myself sometimes, looking at my finished pieces and then finding the answers to my questions.

Or seeing/reading/hearing a great work of art and then feeling that connection with the artist.

Loneliness is one of those truly profound emotions that fuel art. Anger, Love, and Happiness are the others.

If you're lonely, use it! Heh

When I used to feel lonely, I would try (literally) loving myself. The part of me that likes to love was satisfied, but the part that likes to be loved wasn't. Go figure!

I'm 49 and I haven't felt that loneliness for about five years. I expect it may come again when I'm much older and my friends have passed away and I regret my formerly free and easy lifestyle.

If things get too bad, I'll just pull the plug. I have no attachment (moral or otherwise) to a life that has more pain than pleasure.