Has anyone struggled with and overcome loneliness and social interaction issues?
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I struggle with small talk and I find interaction with strangers quite difficult to initiate or sustain.
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Has anyone ever felt similar or had similar issues and come out the other side? Cheers
I'm just gonna share a little bit about myself so you know where I'm coming from. I'll include a TL;DR at the end if it gets too long.
My degree is in philosophy and I attended seminary and studied theology. I'm really into personal finance and wealth building and I'm absolutely obsessed with health and fitness. These are my favorite things to talk about. I don't know about the people you meet in day to day life, but most people I know want to talk about anything BUT philosophy, religion, personal finances, their diet, or how often they exercise. I do okay at social functions, but often fail to find "normal" things to talk about. If it weren't for my wife being the social junkie she is and "driving" at most of these engagements I'd be lost.
But here's what I know about myself, I wasn't always socially reserved. In fact in school and in many situations I'm very outgoing. I realized that I do best when I know what to expect before I go somewhere and I know in advance that everybody is working towards the same goal. I absolutely thrive in these environments. For instance, working on a Habitat for Humanity build - I get to know everybody since we're working on the same thing together with the same goal. Most of the conversation centers around the task at hand and additional conversation flows naturally from that.
I think this also explains why I love Brazilian Jiu Jitsu so much (well, there are many reasons). But I get to hang out with a group of guys on the regular who are as obsessed with BJJ as I am. And sure these relationships don't form instantly, but with time they become very strong. I saw the same thing at a recreational indoor soccer club I belonged to recently.
(TL;DR)
My point is this - sometimes "ordinary social interaction" isn't your cup of tea (I don't enjoy going to bars and clubs - so I don't). Figure out a situation you feel comfortable in (hopefully involving people you'd like to get to know better) and insert yourself into those situations. Just like strength - show up, get your reps in, and you'll see improvements.
Cheers