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> I was gaslighting myself for a while that they were just busy, but when I heard about a couple of social things that I wasn't invited to, I realised that the friendships weren't on hold, they were hanging up.

I feel this. It's incredibly painful to make that kind of realization and it's hard not to be resentful about it

This happened to me and I was bitter about it for about 2 years, should've been in counseling but didn't even realize I was bitter

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Sorry you experienced something similar. It sure is unpleasant. I can feel the bitterness but I don't think I'm ready to admit I can't work through it myself. Hope things are on the up for you.

"Work through it myself" is almost a contradiction in this case. Definitely look into getting some form of counseling you can afford.

Another thing you can do in parallel is reaching out to other friends/acquaintances you might have lost touch with. Tell them honestly what you appreciate about them and that you'd like to revive the friendship.

In both cases you'll feel awkward and uncertain. It's normal. Also, don't expect any single relationship to fulfill your unmet needs. But making yourself vulnerable to others is the beginning of "working through it yourself".

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