I know you don't want sympathy, but I will give you empathy. I'm 44 and have been single most of my adult life. I managed to find someone long enough to get pregnant and have a kid, but having that relationship fail brought a whole other set of issues.
So, I can relate to the loneliness, and it's freaking hard. And what I've learned that, as a general rule, people are not good at knowing how to help or comfort someone who is going through a tough time but isn't a total train wreck. If you look ok on the outside most of the time, people often won't ask how you're doing or notice that you're going through a rough patch, which kind of makes you want to isolate more.
Anyway, I agree with the poster above. A relationship won't solve all of your problems. I finally did meet a great guy, and I still have other crap in my life to deal with.
But I realized not too long ago that physical connection and touch is a huge thing. A friend gave me a hug when I was in the middle of a difficult time, and I nearly burst into tears because I was so starved for that. So, if you are struggling and do have someone in your life, don't push them away from a physical standpoint. There is a lot of comfort and healing that just being physically close to someone can bring (in case anyone is wondering, this is not a a thinly veiled reference to one night stands).
But if you are single/alone, my best advice is don't put off things you want to do because you're waiting until you find "the one" or get married or have kids. Do those things now (and then do them again when you have a family). I really enjoy travel but didn't do it for a long time because I felt self-conscious doing it alone - until I finally took a solo trip. It was big for me to move forward with my life and do things that I wanted to do but didn't think I could or should do as a single person.
And therapy is great. Again, it won't solve your problems, but it does help with self-reflection, setting boundaries, and understanding what you can and can't control.
