It is definitely a huge factor for me wanting to ctb, but not the sole reason.
I know that being in a relationship isn't going to solve my problems, but I think it might give me a reason to live. I really just need to take care of someone. It's hard to say if I would still ctb.
As for friends, I have a few. They are all long distance and that's good enough for me. It would be nice to have a few more, locally, to do things with but not a necessity.
Just a lot of factors at play here…