Loneliness!

[Bookworm]

I always thought that I was fine with the fact that I was a bit of a hermit, living on my own, no family near me, and only really knowing work colleagues in the city where I currently live. Then the Covid lockdown happened and I was suddenly working from home and completely cut off. The only face to face interactions being with the shop assistants at my local supermarket for months on end.
This forced isolation soon triggered bouts of loneliness, on a level I'd never experienced before. I managed to get through it by increasing regular phone contact with my family, almost daily chat with my two best friends on chat platforms whilst gaming online in the evenings, and also interacting with old friends and new members on here (Andy kindly reinstated this forum after it had been closed for several years, not long after the lockdown started).

Your situation sounds even more restrictive, from what I've read, due to your medical condition. I don't know what options are open to you, whether you are able to have regular virtual chats with family and friends. I'm guessing you might have regular contact with Healthcare staff perhaps, if your medical needs require that? 
I'm wondering whether there are any virtual support groups they can put you in touch with, for folks in a similar situation?

Reading helps me too. I can get lost in a book for hours on end, completely immersed. The characters I'm reading can become friends for a while, but I'm a bit sad like that