Chronic Pain and Isolation

    There's something about chronic pain that leaves me feeling very alone. I spend so much of my time in dark places trying to minimize my pain. It leaves very little time for socialization. In fact, since I no longer am able to go to College, I am more isolated than ever. The most human contact I get other than my family is from my Dungeons and Dragons group, which meets just about every Sunday.
     I am a social creature if an anxious one. I absolutely love people, although sometimes it drains me to be around them. But nowadays I rarely leave the house. It's not good for me, and it can't be helping my depression. I want to be around people. But I don't entirely know how anymore.
    I honestly don't know anyone where I live but my Dungeons and Dragons group and a few friends of my parents. I've tried various apps for making friends but I don't think people are very active on them in this area. And sometimes I wonder - who would want to be friends with a woman who is incapacitated so often. Am I even fun anymore?
   There are a few plans I have in place to help my loneliness. My family is getting a dog. We're looking at miniature golden doodles (we'd adopt but my brother has allergies). A dog should get me out of the house. And people like people with dogs, right? They introduce themselves and pet the dog and try to get their dog to socialize with your dog and it's a big huge thing. I'm also looking at a local science fiction book club, which could be cool. And finally, once some of the issues with my migraines are sorted out, I'd like to go back to College. I certainly had MORE of a social life there, if not an incredible one.
   For now, I have the internet. I have a group of friends on tumblr and twitter who have been incredibly supportive. Some of them have chronic conditions or depression themselves. They have been my saving grace. I met my girlfriend, Sam, on there, and although she lives far too far away (damn you California), she has been a rock of support. Sometimes it's difficult for me because I can't talk to them too long when I have a migraine because the light from the laptop hurts my head. I have however discovered a program which changes the type of light my laptop emits, f.lux, which has made it easier, if not easy, for me to spend more time on the computer.
    I feel alone, but I am not helpless. I can change things. It doesn't have to be like this forever, and I don't have to let my migraines define my social life.