I went from having 7–8 close friends to possibly zero by choice, for my peace. But I'm scared I won't be able to handle it.

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I used to be someone with a solid circle — around 7–8 friends I genuinely cared about and thought would be in my life for a long time. But over the last couple of years, while going through trauma, a toxic relationship, and healing, I’ve slowly lost them — one by one.

Some I cut off because they drained me. Others drifted because I couldn’t be the same person I used to be. And now I’m standing here, looking at the possibility of having zero close friends.

The scary part? It’s mostly by choice.

I chose to let go of friendships that no longer felt safe or supportive. I chose distance over drama. I chose peace over people-pleasing. And while I know it’s the right thing for my mental health, I’m terrified.

I’m afraid of the silence. Afraid of the loneliness that might come with having no one to text, no one to call, no one to share little moments with. But I'm not attached to any of my friends except one i recently got cut off, I keep asking myself:

“What if I can’t handle being alone?”

“What if I regret this?”

“What if I end up with no one, and it breaks me?”

I know I’m doing this for my peace. But peace feels different when you’re walking through it alone.

Has anyone else gone through this? How did you cope with the loneliness of choosing yourself over people?