Loneliness and stop gap solutions

Hi All,

Sorry ... long rambling post. I have read all the prior posts on here about loneliness and the guides.

I posted on here over 7 months ago about being new to WA and struggling to cope with extreme feelings of loneliness. I thought I would give an update and seek advice as I am still majorly struggling .... especially as I have been off work and bed ridden for 2 weeks with illness, which eventually developed into COVID (despite 3 x Vax) so I am now half way through 7 days of isolation. So basically 3 weeks with minimal people interaction.

I am a single 50 year old male and work full time 5 days a week.

Over many years I have tried psychiatrists and psychologists and vast array of medications with seemingly minimal improvement..

When physically well, I keep up an exercise regime including riding bike to and from work, attending gym, running several times a week with a run group, at parkrun and Orienteering events (both on foot and on mountain bike). I try to interact with strangers at parkrun and run group.

As I simply couldn't cope with coming home to an empty house each night .... I got a tenant. We became good friends and would do things together like walks, rides and sometimes movies plus we would talk about each others days. He moved out recently to be with his family (who just relocated to Australia) and I got a new tenant a week or so back ... but since I have been sick she has been keeping to herself to ensure she doesn't get COVID. I will try and talk to her more but it appears unlikely it will develop into a connection similar to what I had before.

I can't have a pet in my rental. Its not permitted and the yard is all concrete so its not viable.

I regularly (if not obsessively) attend meetup events including walks, hikes, dinner nights, bowling, discussion groups, group pool (as in with cues), cards and board games. Before getting sick I was almost attending one daily, sometimes multiple on weekends, and it wasn't filling the void. My communication skills have dramatically improved and I can talk to strangers easily and people seem genuinely interested in interactions but it never seems enough. There are people I talk to again and again upon return to the same meetup and they look forward to seeing me again.

I have investigated options for Mens Sheds, Rotary and other volunteer organisations but haven't yet visited them as constantly juggling with time plus my past experience is they are older retired people where I won't find a connection.

I have tried dating sites and met multiple people, sometimes for repeated dates, but the rejection and ghosting rate is very very high. Its really hard to not take this personally but all the men/women I talk about are all totally over the modern dating scene. Its a nightmare.

So I am at the point of frustration and exhaustion. Whilst I can be frantically busy driving from event to event .... I am completely over doing it all by myself. It got to the point I was doubling my efforts, and doubling again, and doubling again. I talk to my work colleagues and my life is busier than all of them now .... but whilst I have made some contacts I still can't seem to fill the void and certainly can't get what I crave which is a long term stable relationship.

My love language is touch and I don't know how to live without it. Someone suggested I add dancing to my activities (but I am hopeless) simply so I could be held a few times a week as a stop gap since I can't get what I want yet.

Can anyone else suggest alternatives I am missing?
People tell me I am doing all the right things but I am at the point of exhaustion and still can't fill the void.
I keep thinking I just need to do more and its not working no matter how much effort I expend.
Or can people suggest stop gaps for that human connection / touch / interaction whilst I can't seem to get in a relationship (and no I don't mean one night stands or friend with benefits or anything like that).