People Explain How They Coped With Loneliness A Child

"I used to play..."

I used to play sports all by myself. I'd toss a football up and run to it and pretend I was playing against other people.

hardporecore69

"It's become..."

Pretty much just talking to myself. It's become such a habit that i still do it occasionally these days.

ItsYaSoyBoyTroy

"I was always told..."

Zoning out and staring at random things. I was always told to stop doing it as a child, but I'm now thankful that I can do it because it shuts off everything. I can't hear, I can't move, and I can't speak. Just peace.

illiteratesanders

"I read in school..."

Obsessive reading. Like, so much it became a problem.

I read in school during class instead of working, through recess, on the bus. I spent every waking moment of my life with my nose in a book.

Savvaloy

"I used to sleep..."

I used to sleep with all my plush toys, laying them in what i thought were friends groups (all the bears together, the dog and the cat because they were cousins, etc)

I even remember waking up at the middle of the night to face the other side, so those who were at my back wouldn't get sad.

chinchuberry

"Walking."

Walking.

I used to walk miles when I was a kid. Realized in my 40s why I did it so much, but now in my 60s I can do it anymore and it's hard.

adanipse

"They felt more real..."

Treating my "alter egos/other personalities" as their own individual selves. They felt more real than real people (at the time).

LolisAndTentacles

"I now realize..."

Immersing myself in an imaginary world. I now realize it was a coping mechanism for my chaotic environment too. I'm 20 and still have it but I need to let it go because I have a habit of slipping in and out of it when I'm doing essential things. The adult world makes it hard to foster imagination.

SeveralExcuses

"I've gone through..."

Overdosing on music. I've gone through so many earbuds in my lifetime because of how much I listen to music. My Spotify is a tomb of playlist I've created in my free time. In the last year I discovered 800 new artist( Spotify pointed that out to me). I developed heavy depression in high school & it was the only way to cope. My family would badger me for always having earphones in. To this day I'd rather ride in a car with music playing than hold a conversation. I fall asleep with music playing, idk.

I don't think I'm crazy, just a little unwell.

itsMondaybackwards

"I remember..."

Back in elementary school, I had very little friends. I would talk to myself at times. I remember being attached to a soft toy as a friend, who I called 'Fluffy'. I would walk around the halls in school during recess.

I guess I'm still a bit of a loner now.

eldritch_candy