I can relate completely.  I went from relationship to relationship and marriage #1 to marriage #2 because I had never been alone and feared it.  I was extremely lonely when I was at the end of each marriage.  When my second husband and I separated I was terrified.  I had never lived alone before and hadn't been completely single for 18 years.  At first I was miserable.  I had two people move in with me.   After they moved out, I started to appreciate being alone.  Some nights I just sit at home and think "I actually did this. survived it, learned from it and am usually happy."  I admit, I still get lonely sometimes, especially at night and around the holidays.  However, I have really learned to enjoy being single and having complete control over my life.  Thank you for the great blog!  It really made me think.