Dear Annie,

Not for work, I felt okay there. I am able to focus on keeping myself busy with work and don’t think about other things.

That’s good, it means you don’t have a problem with saying No and setting boundaries at your work place, just at home. And as you explained, your resentment is mostly about being excluded from the circle of your loved ones (be it your family or your friends), of not being loved and appreciated equally, of being replaced. This is where you feel rejection the most, not so much at your work place.

Although with time, a similar type of scenario could happen at your work place too, where you might feel that your colleagues get along very well with each other, but are keeping you out of their tight circle. So if you don’t deal with the original pain of rejection, a similar problem may appear at your work place too.

I am still currently unemployed and looking for work because I got laid off.

I am sorry about that. If it’s anyhow possible, perhaps you can use some of the free time to do (or at least start) that course on emotional healing?

But I would prefer to find a roommate to live with which is hard because I don’t know anyone else who wants to do that.

Could you place an ad? Or you think people are weary of getting a roommate, due to covid?