How to Make Lasting Connections and Build a Support Group?

I need help with this too I’m in the same situation.

I would suggest finding friends, that have the same interests as you. (If you do art, join an art club and be friends with other artists.) It can be easier to start to be friends with an extrovert, since they are more likely to be looking for new friends anyways, and it might be easier to get closer to them.

Ugh The whole "introvert who craves genuine connection but has such angst it's seemingly impossible" cycle... I can't tell you the last time I had a conversation that did not consist of "stop talking about poop, don't eat buggers, no you can't melt old dolls etc... " It's awful - I would probably enjoy having a friend or two if I wasn't so used to living in isolated silence that I can't tolerate having anyone else around....

Idk. I too have a difficult time making friends or good friends irl or even online. I try to stay away from people that annoy me too much. I try to treat❤️🤗👍 everyone like how I wanna be treated.

You don't need to love yourself to be loved or have self confidence to make good friends, I actually feel like while that sentiment is only misguided it has a lot of unintended negative effects that causes those with self worth issues to become more isolated because they believe they don't deserve to be loved in any capacity because they are at a stage that they cannot love themselves for whatever reason. Self love and self confidence are often mistaken for the ability to healthily communicate boundaries and needs as well as the persistence and lack of self doubt to repeatedly make attempts to connect. People who love themselves and are confident in themselves just have an easier time standing up for themselves, adhering to boundaries, and have less nervousness around trying over and over to connect with others. Friendship and long term emotional bonds develop over repeatedly connecting with someone over mutual interests and support, this can take a long time and there can be complications with navigating compatibility and communication as well as scheduling and personal life related complications that might make it harder to connect and feel secure that the other person is still interested. Advice to join a club or other group activity is great! It begins the connection and builds experiences on a mutual interest. Just remember to branch out to other mutual interests as well as trying some of their interests and inviting them to try some of yours with each other. Also remember to establish boundaries and respect their's to make sure that they aren't taking advantage of or wasting your time and energy and vice versa.

Reading these feedbacks i wish i had advice like this growing up.

One thing that helps me is to find some activities I really enjoy doing. It can be a public activity like sports or concerts or church or comicons. Or if its an at-home hobby like reading or crafts, you can join a group for people who enjoy that same hobby to discuss it (online or in person). If you make friends based on shared interests, you have something in common besides being in the same class. That way you continue having something to talk about when youre no longer in the same class.