Adulting 101Anonymous

4 Jul 2 min read

I Don't Have a Single Friend Anymore

I never thought I would get to this stage in my life. I'm in my early 30s, and if I'm being honest, I don't have a single friend anymore. Not one. It's strange because growing up, I was always surrounded by people. Secondary school gave me friends I thought would be in my life forever. University came with another set of amazing people. During NYSC, I even met people I called family. Back then, my phone never stopped ringing. Weekends were always booked. There was always somewhere to go or someone to gist with. Today... My phone can stay silent for days. The WhatsApp groups that used to be active are now almost dead. Everyone is busy chasing life. Some have relocated. Some got married. Some became parents. Some simply stopped reaching out. At first, I blamed them. Then I realized I wasn't reaching out either. Somewhere between work, paying bills, family responsibilities and trying to survive in this economy, I also became unavailable. Now, if I have good news, I honestly don't know who to call first. If something bad happens, I mostly deal with it alone. The funny thing is that when people see me outside, they probably think I have plenty of friends because I smile and joke around. But once I get home... It's just me. Sometimes I scroll through my contacts wondering who I can call without feeling like I'm disturbing them. Then I lock my phone again. I know loneliness isn't something many people talk about, especially as adults. Everyone is expected to be "doing fine." But the truth is... Making friends as an adult feels much harder than anyone prepared me for. So I want to ask... Is this just part of growing older? Or has anyone else found themselves with no real friends anymore? How did you handle it?