I'm like you, in my thirties and this topic resonates so I'll add something. The word "loneliness" is quite loaded. I find I'm more lonely now that I have my o

I'm like you, in my thirties and this topic resonates so I'll add something. The word "loneliness" is quite loaded. I find I'm more lonely now that I have my own family then when I didn't. I know, weird, but that's life. Being alone and being lonely are truly very different things. Another obvious thing is you are 30 and you don't mention having a partner so I assume you don't. Let's not beat around the bush. It's not hard to imagine you want a partner of some kind. Whether you can or not is unknown, but it's quite obviously a big issue for a lot of people so be open to do something about that. Like some other poster here said, look into childhood emotional neglect. You can have the nicest parents that gave you everything, but they can still mess you up big time. No abuse necessary. I don't wish to go therapist on you, but I know this helped me figure out lingering feelings/problems in my life. It gives you a very distinct, empty, lonely feeling that is hard to describe. You may feel like something is wrong with you. Some sort of invisible "fatal flaw". You never quite connect with the world like other people seem to. This can happen if you learned - early stuff, this could start to happen at 1yo - to disconnect from your own feelings and needs in an attempt to survive an emotionally empty environment. This could explain the seemingly strange necessity you feel to create a "void" as you say - which basically ensures you never feel because that could be dangerous (infant-perspective). Could be, don't know. Worth looking into. Also, it's important to know yourself. What charges you and what doesn't. For me, other people don't charge me. They deplete me and pretty fast too. Even the best and closest ones can only be neutral in that regard. They can never charge me. It just never happens. That charge comes from inside and no matter how "society" is signalling me that I should change I'm old enough now to accept it for what it is: introversion and a pretty hefty dose of it. Doesn't need fixing. Don't confuse introversion with social skills by the way. I'm not shy at all and can easily address strangers, audiences, whatever. I don't care. That has nothing to do with it. It's not binary either, you can be a bit of both and probably are. If you're even slightly extraverted - big chance - you need to give yourself that "fix" now and then. Like at least every week or so. If that is part of the problem, just force it. Meet some friend, go to your family, whatever is available to you. If you're a total introvert however, don't bother forcing it. It will do nothing.