What's one harsh truth when it comes to dating/relationships?

It's not something that just happens. It's more of a process. For me, it was the risk of losing a good friend, someone I admire and care about, over my general attitude about things that helped me "decide" to try to be happy, as opposed to waiting for what I "knew would make me happy."

Part of my process was/is (as stupid as it may sound) simply having a positive attitude. Accepting things as they come, rather than fighting things because they didn't go exactly as I thought they should or planned. Granted, not everything in life is great or peachy, but part of it was being appreciative for things in my life that I like, instead of focusing on what I dislike about my life.

And that's not to say I don't feel lonely or unloved at times... I do. But you do have to also take account of the reasons in your life why you aren't unloved. If you have good friends in your life, they care about you, even if you're missing someone to love. I've made an effort to spend more time with my friends... And that's not to say that I hang out with them all the time, but rather than making an excuse and staying home alone, I hang out when the opportunity arises.

Staying home alone all the time when you have friends that want to spend time, only leads to more loneliness. The same way, making those extra efforts to be with people you care about and that probably care about you, tends to alleviate loneliness.

Also, sometimes its a chemical imbalance, and it's probably difficult if not impossible to fix without medication. I'm not advocating either way, but if you notice that you are making a conscious effort everywhere you can, but you still feel exactly the same with no improvement, there's nothing wrong with getting a little help. Otherwise, it's a process, and can take time. But you have to try, and keep at it. That's the only way to head in the right direction.

/r/AskReddit Thread Parent