hi bruingirl, loneliness is going to be one of those feelings that is very frequent in the beginning--because our brain is literally re-wiring after a break-up. bonds do create specific pathways in our brains and when a break up happens, losing this bond means the brain panics and is in survival mode.
while feelings of loneliness will happen throughout the rest of our lives, they will occur less and less.
this is the best time to really try new things or get back into things you used to do before so that your brain can get rewired into new patterns. for example, i love to read--with the A in my life i (we) tried to read but i could never read more than a book a month or even a book every other month! i always blamed it on other life events on why i wasnt reading up to the level i used to (one book/week or two), but ever since my break up i've re-wired and am able to read a lot again! and nothing else really changed (i.e. i still have the same life activities and responsibilities and actually see friends more, only difference is i no longer have to spend all of my free time fixing some relationship problem or dodging one).
not saying to specifically start reading--just that, there is something you probably used to do before you got in your relationship or something new that you may have not yet even started... remember those goals you had WITH the A in your life ? why not just try and go for one on your own?
it's freeing and the feeling of loneliness lessens once you remind your brain you enjoy doing things on your own afterall
