Alone or... lonely?

Nowadays, there is a confusion between the word "alone" and "lonely". It is terrible and at the same time terrific to see how people confuse it. And sometimes, I do too. Since I left my boyfriend, or maybe it is more precise to say my ex-boyfriend, I finally understood the difference, and meanings, of the two words. 

Before, I would always be alone, but know that I would always be able to relate to someone, even miles away. It was an LDR. It sounds like an illness, and in a certain way it is. Long Distance Relationships: a way to feel alone, without being lonely. Then it happened: I felt both at the same time, and I knew it was not my fault. I thought it would have been better immediately, I had been naive. Now, time passed, I tried to feel better, and somehow, sometimes, I succeed. I can finally be alone and not feel lonely. Sometimes I fail. Sometimes I catch the true feeling and freedom of being alone.