How can you feel alone around people? Something must be wrong with you. You're probably just blocking it. You need to open up & share yourself with other people whether you feel comfortable or not. Just fake it 'til you make it. It's not as hard as you make it out to be. You just need to be more outgoing.

Familiarity breeds comfort. Be careful that it does not breed contempt.

Yes, practice being around other humans.

This is important, as they will become increasingly difficult to avoid. You very urgently need to get used to their presence, and figure out how to best function in social settings. As a strongly expressed introvert, I assure you that it is worthwhile, because it won't get any easier if you don't start.

There are already 7.2+ billion here, and more every day. The ones that are born today, will likely live well over 100 years, and you may be around that long yourself. Recent projections estimate that for every one human you see today, in several decades there will likely be two. Most of them will be from cultures and religions very different than the North American norm.

I wish I had a comfortable solution to suggest.

"How can you feel alone around people? Something must be wrong with you."

Wow, way to generalize, and completely disregard different personality types and perspectives. Some people are introverted or have issues such as anxiety. And while telling someone to "open up & share yourself with other people whether you feel comfortable or not" is somewhat sound advice because it must often be done in social and professional settings, it's not really helpful to say "It's not as hard as you make it out to be. You just need to be more outgoing." You are obviously an outgoing person yourself, because you have no idea how hard it actually is for non-outgoing people to completely change who they are and act extroverted (and how frustrating it is that they are expected to do this in most situations). You can't suddenly hit a switch and become some outgoing people person, unless you are completely putting on an act. And I for one, would rather have people act genuine to who they really are rather than act completely fake. There is value in being a quieter, less outgoing person too. Don't just choose to disregard that.

I 100% understand where you're coming from. The thing is, no, it is not better to be in the company of others if you feel disconnected from them. When I'm in that situation, I often feel WORSE than I would have if I were to have spent my time alone. It can honestly make me depressed. It all depends on who you're interacting with. The people that make you feel great after hanging out are the ones you should keep around. Pay attention to how you feel after seeing certain people, and this'll be an indicator of who you should be spending your time with, or not.

Everyone in our lives is here to teach us something about ourselves, like you said. But sometimes these relationships are more short-lived than others, and this is why people come in and out of our lives. When we have learned (perhaps subconsciously) whatever we're meant to learn from them…that's when we start to feel that gaping feeling. Their presence is no longer necessary, and thus we move on.

Also, maybe you are ignoring who you are. It sounds like you're a bit of a loner at heart but you're fighting it. Honestly, just do what feels right TO YOU. Because there's no right or wrong.

I know some people will disagree with what I said, or not understand it, but I hope it helps.

I read this book--http://www.drlauriehelgoe.com/introvertpower.html

It was great reading first hand experience of an introverted psychologist and her anonymous clients in an extrovert's world.

I often feel what you have expressed and like other posters I agree that it takes time and practice to feel comfortable socializing if you have been out of the loop. Also, remember to listen to your gut about people and how they make you feel. Lastly, recharge alone and don't feel bad about it!! You'll find a healthy balance that works for you if you experiment.