Why is making friends so difficult?

Everyone always says "Be yourself," but being myself has only ever made me more lonely. I try to mask who I am, and I make friends for a short period of time, but eventually I can't do it anymore and they see the real me and don't want to be my friend anymore.


Other times, people think they can change me and try to be my friend, but when they realise I can't be fixed, they leave. It's a stupid cycle and I hate it. It makes me never want to try to make friends again, because no matter what I do, they leave.