When the people I care for can't contact me, how do I stop myself from feeling so helplessly lonely?

There are multiple things that you can do. You can read over old texts messages someone you love sent you that are encouraging or make you happy. You can talk to a listener on 7 cups. You can have loved write letters for you to save so that when you are lonely you can read them over which is similar to texts. Lastly, perhaps you can do self soothing which can help with self love and also show that you can make yourself feel better without other people helping..

If the people that you care about can't contact you it is because something urgent that made them leave to go take care of it or they are currently out of town and you can stop yourself from feeling so helplessly lonely by understanding they will get back to you very soon.