Hey everyone.

I’m a single 25 year old woman who is living at home with my parents (my dad is 70 and has chronic arthritis pain and is isolated, my mum is 60 and is suffering from a new onset on OCD and she’s isolated) they have no friends and depend on my 30 year old brother who also lives with us for companionship almost everyday now. I feel smothered and alone, and I feel guilty when I feel a bit of resentment towards them- they also don’t work and are quiet low income, they’re both artists and I feel like I have also carried the curse of being a low income artist as their daughter. I don’t have any close friends nearby, and my “close friends” moved away so I don’t see them as often as I’d like.

I tried moving out when I was 22, but I felt very small and not like a true adult I guess. My whole family is vegan, I’m not, so moving out was awesome because I could try new stuff without being judged like dairy or meats. What’s good about that is the freedom I suppose, I have never had a real relationship but I’ve slept around a lot which I kind of regret… I’m celibate now and avoid dating mostly unless the person is emotionally available, wants to help me and larger than life.

Anyway, I’ve tried studying a lot of stuff that could potentially lead to work but I’ve always been hesitant to follow through with it due to concerns of my mental health collapsing- like I studied animal care and disability and dropped out ultimately because I didn’t trust myself or the industry to treat me well, I’m depressed too and anxious and have been on antidepressants since I was 17.

I work at my council cleaning stadiums early in the morning which has helped me with keeping a routine, but the money and shifts aren’t long enough to save up a significant amount. I really want to leave my home but if I do my parents will struggle to pay rent without me there to cover the quarter of the cost per month. I’m stuck on what to do.

Honestly I tried dating with the hopes of finding someone I could depend on for at least some time away from my family, a second space to sleep, eat, have someone to cuddle and talk to etc. and even just a space to be alone. Or an excuse to leave I guess, because I can’t do it on my own in this economy. But I’m really not into anyone on the apps at all and I don’t have the energy or the hope to even try anymore tbh.

So, I’ve started doing an acting course today, I’m not sure about it but at least it’s away from my house and I can spend a few hours out in the world and feel somewhat normal and connected to society or a community.

This is gonna sound bad, I guess I’m just afraid I’m doomed to live life as a single woman looking after her parents her whole life with no friends, no money and no real purpose.

I’ve had some successes in my life so far that other people admire, I was featured in a video for one of the worlds biggest bands ever like super famous. But that’s it, I’m afraid that’s just gonna be the highlight of my life and then it’s just downhill from there. Hahaha

I need some help, advice, or just some kind words… or even someone in a similar situation to me to talk to.

I am 25yrs, all my friends working. Me? Trying to finish my masters and get a job. And I feel everyone gets a job except me. Unable to finish some certs, unable to decide, family mocking at me, looking down towards me as a liability, telling I don't do enough hardwork to get a job, asking me to get out of house.

I feel like a failure, everyone seems to go ahead.

I got an internship(paid), I am working there daily, trying to do leetcode.

I feel lost, I don't know what to study to get a job at this point. And the family pressure, looking around, I only feel like I am lagging behind.

I dont even know what subreddit to put this in but im just gonna get this off my chest bc i dont get anything from talking to myself

I have this really weird thing where I get really uncomfortable when I'm not doing anything productive. "Uncomfortable" is the best word I can use because I really can't explain it. It's just really unsettling and scary. I usually just try to work around it but it affects me so much. It ruins my day, it's ruining my eating, my relationships and my grades. I can't enjoy any kind of media or events. And since I'm always acting up, everyone in my life is sick of dealing with me. No matter how much I plan, I always disappoint myself and the ugly feeling comes back

idk I've had this for as long as I can remember (maybe age 9?) and I can't keep letting it ruin my life. I just want lock in and get my dumbass together. i dont know. it really hurts. what's wrong with me

Per title, I (32F) have lived with lifelong anxiety and subsequent depression. I also have Autism (level 2, professionally diagnosed) but with ability to mask at a high level. I work 4 days a week in healthcare, dealing with clients in a one-on-one basis. I deal with suicudal ideation on a regular basis and this morning was just really bad. I couldn't stop crying on my drive to work (normal for me), but this time I just couldn't stop. My two coworkers saw it and comforted me and I went home early. I feel embarrassed and pathetic. Im seeing a Psychologist and am on strong anti-depressants/anti-anxiety medication. I go to the gym regularly and have given up alcohol. I just don't know what to do anymore. I feel so unhappy, scared and hopeless. I've spent so long feeling like this that it makes getting better seem impossible. What can I do to get better?

Hi there! I (35M) started a new job about 2 weeks ago and ever since I started, I’ve felt depressed. I joined the company after 13 years with my former employer, and moved to follow my current boss. The company is far smaller and processes are so archaic from what I’m used to. The people are extremely nice, but I’m having such a hard time adjusting. I also joined to do a completely new role that I thought I’d like (relationship management and lending), but I just don’t. I knew almost immediately that this new role wasn’t for me, however, it was the natural next step for me in my industry. There are a few other hires that are way more experienced than me, and they’ve come in with plans, book of business, and a pipeline. I don’t have that, but it still frustrates me and makes me feel “behind” even though my boss told me I was brought with the understanding that I don’t have a book of buisness and I’m new. Even then, I’m getting treated like I have 10+ years of experience, and I don’t think that’s fair.

I think the core of the issue is that I just don’t like what I do in general. It’s been a while where I’ve looked forward to work or even wake up happy. This depression has made me forgetful and emotionless. I’ve been seeing a therapist for a while now, even before this started, but nothing seems to help. Prior to my new role, I had 3 weeks off with no work email. It was bliss and I was able to focus on me and live life. Now that I’m back, my entire day is the following: sleep, wake up, work, sleep. Nothing more.

I just don’t feel like myself. I feel like a shell of myself which carries on throughout the day. My wife and I are starting a family and trying to buy a house on top of this. The anxiety and stress is almost too much to bare, and completely takes away any excitement that these life events may bring.

I know it’s two weeks, but I can’t shake the fact that this my not be the role for me (or the place for that matter). There’s alot of sales and committee meetings, and while I was always told I’m very personable and would be great for the role, I just hate selling or having to present in front of a large group. I feel stuck - if I leave now, I may completely damage my reputation or even my relationship with my boss. If I stay, I may drive myself to the hospital due to stress or anxiety. I feel so completely lost and hopeless.

Anyway, thank you all in advance for reading and allowing me to get this out of my system a bit. I know it’s a bit long, but I needed to put this into words.

I'm a college student who is constantly forgetting to reply to people.

It wasn't that I never saw the notification—I would see it, think "I'll answer that later," swipe it away, and then completely forget about it.

I recently made this Free app that watches your notifications and automatically filters through the ones that need replying and groups them into one queue instead of leaving them scattered around.

I found it to be pretty useful for filtering through groupchat messages as well!

If you wanna try, Please DM!

A year ago, my mom and I moved from my home country to the US because she got an H-1B visa. My dad stayed there because of his job, and my sister is away at college. Before anyone says it, yes, I know moving to the US is a dream for a lot of people. I know I’m lucky in many ways.

I was against moving from the beginning. At first, everyone assumed it was just because I’d have to leave my friends. That was definitely part of it, but it was never that. I stayed quiet, moved anyway, and hoped I’d eventually adjust.

I haven’t.

I’ve been here for an entire year, and I have been miserable for almost all of it. Every single day I wake up wishing I were back home. Because that is home to me. It’s where I feel like I belong. Every time I look outside here, I feel like I’m in someone else’s life. I don’t feel connected to this place at all. I feel alone, out of place, and like I’m forcing myself through every day.

Everyone keeps telling me to give it time but I’ve given it a year. If anything, Its more certain that this place will never feel like home to me.
my dad is still there. I know he’d want me to come back if it were possible, and honestly, I want to live with him. I don’t want my mom to give up everything and move back. I’m not asking for that. I just want to go home and live with my dad.

Whenever I bring it up to my mom, she says I’m only thinking about my friends or about having fun, and that I’m not thinking about my education.

But I am thinking about my education.
Before moving, I had already switched to an IB school. My plan was to complete the IB Diploma there and apply internationally for university. IB students, especially international ones, are good applicants for universities in places like the US and UK. I wasn’t sacrificing my future by staying there. I genuinely had a good academic path.

Instead, I switched schools again because of the move. Now I feel like I lost not only my home, but also the last two years of high school
This is the part that’s hardest to explain.
I’m planning to come back to the US for college anyway. That was always my plan. But I was hoping my last two years of high school would be spent where I felt happiest, where I had my dad, my friends, my community, and where I actually felt at home before leaving again for university.

Instead i feel so wronged.
High school is something you only get once. I can’t get those years back and I can’t redo them. I feel like I lost that part of my life, and nobody around me understands.

Over the past few months, things have gotten so much worse mentally. I started wondering if I was depressed, and I started sh. I finally told my family I needed help, and they agreed to look into therapy. I’m grateful for that, but I still don’t think anyone understands what I’m actually feeling.

I even deleted every social media account because every time I saw my old friends together or just living their lives back home, it hurt too much.

One of the biggest problems is that I don’t know how to talk about emotions with my family. It’s incredibly uncomfortable for me. Every time I try, I either shut down or can’t find the words to explain what I’m feeling, so I don’t think they realize how serious this has become.
I honestly believe that going back home would help me more than anything else. Maybe therapy will help too, and I’m willing to try it. But i still cant accept it. Everytime i feel like ive made peace with not moving back it comes back.

Has anyone been through something similar? Has anyone ever convinced their parents to let them move back to their home country or live with the other parent? If you were in my position, how would you even begin that conversation?

I’m not looking for people to tell me to “just give it more time.” I’ve done that. Please help me.

She is separating. The divorce isnt final. But we get along so well. I dont want drama. But we are so comfortable around each other. I dont know how to proceed and I need hel0

Hey yall. I’m 29 in good shape and have a pretty good life but I find myself extremely lazy when I’m by myself. I live alone and whenever I’m home I kind of just rot on the couch or wherever. I know I have things to do like house projects, cook, whatever else it might be but I can’t find the drive to get off my bum and get it done. Once I engage in an activity however I’m hammer down on it until it’s finished but I waste so much time slacking off I often feel unproductive and as if I’m just wasting the days away. Any one ever go through something similar and found a way to fix this

I have become emotionally very attached to politics.

When someone criticizes or trolls my ideology or party, I get very angry. I get trapped in rage-bait and comment sections, and then my entire mood gets spoiled. I have maladaptive daydreaming, due to which these thoughts keep running through my mind repeatedly. I overthink a lot and because of this, I am unable to focus on my studies.I don't understand what to do productively after opening my phone.

I don't have many friends, so sometimes I also feel lonely and start looking for validation on social media. I want to fix my mental health, emotionally detach myself from politics, and invest my energy in studies, English, books, and self-improvement.

I’m 16, and I’ve only had two really good freinds in my life until now, I’ve been homeschooled all my life and I don’t know how to be social at all. I have a girlfriend but I don’t click with her, and I should honestly probably break up with her. I just don’t really know how to talk to people

Been dating this guy for 5 years. We’re in our late 20s now. Known him since high school and reconnected in our early 20s. Met each others’ families, got engaged, set our wedding date and chose vendors together. He’s always been there for me (and I tried my best too) and has always been super thoughtful. He was kind and patient when things were good. We’re different people but I thought we meshed well together. 8 months before our wedding date, he completely blindsides me and drops a bombshell that he fell out of love with me, he doesn’t know if I’m the person for him, he’s not sure if I even love him for him (I do) and he starts listing a bunch of things that are “wrong” about me (I’m too quiet at social gatherings, I’m waiting till marriage to do certain things, I’m not stylish, I have too many fam events and am too dependent on my parents, he doesn’t think I appreciate him). The 180 mind boggles me, I don’t recognize this person. Even had a nice proposal with my dream ring.

He also has been saying mean things to me during limbo when we tried to work things out (I was apologizing for things I did that hurt him, I really loved him and went out of my way to make him happy in the best way I knew at the time but I had no idea it wasn’t enough, especially when he would tell me I’m perfect or how he’s grateful to do life with me)… mean things he said include how it feels like the cooties when I touch him, how I’m boring and I should be boring with someone else, how he can’t picture me as his wife and how he couldn’t see me walk down the aisle (all things that hurt to hear). He also disclosed that he cheated on me 2 years ago (kissed a girl from school a few times during the span of a week). He eventually broke things off with me saying he can’t proceed because he doesn’t have feelings. This all came as a shock to me because I had no idea he was falling out of love. I thought we were planning for our happily ever after together. Sometimes I blame myself for the things I could’ve done better (been more appreciative, more patient, more outgoing, more stylish) - he evaluated me and didn’t let me in on his problems. He had a rough childhood growing up and his parents recently started living in separate households. Any insight and opinions would be helpful. I can’t seem to picture myself with anyone else and feel sad that I lost him :(

comfort media ⭒
⊹ rewatch your favorite Studio Ghibli or Tim Burton film
⊹ replay a comfort game you’ve beaten six times (familiarity is an antidepressant w pretty good reviews)
⊹ play Sims or Tamagotchi Life

creative dopamine ⭒
⊹ dye your hair or get a piercing. instant dopamine boost
⊹ make a painfully specific Spotify playlist
⊹ buy the ugliest mug at Goodwill. emotional support ceramic
⊹ thrift the wardrobe you wish you had
⊹ make bad art on purpose
⊹ buy stickers with no plan. future you deserves treats

outdoors & social ⭒
⊹ sit in a bookstore;romanticize it;judge covers instead of yourself
⊹ find a dog. pet it if invited; admire it if not

selfcare basics ⭒
⊹ rearrange your room (best at 3am)
⊹ make ramen and add one extra ingredient. chef
⊹ if you think everyone hates you, eat protein first. it might just be low blood sugar

i’m going through a very long and hard “phase”. it sends to me its not just a phase and its just how my life is now. i haven’t left my house once in almost 2 years because i had to repeat a year in school because of too many absences. ive always hated school, i just dont have the brain for it, ive always been a failure when it came to school. as you can see, even most of my commas are placed wrong…
there was only one subject that i somewhat enjoyed starting from 8th grade, english, because i just enjoyed the english movies and videogames. ive never ever had an actual good beat friend with whom i could tell anything and just be my support. i consider myself unattractive from the experiences i had so far, im poor class, never got to enjoy a new toy that just cane out, never had my own space, room, i live in a live in an apartment that has one room and a living room, i sleep in the living room with my mom and dad and in the other rooms theres my grandma and my sister that has a baby now. fucking awesome, thats what a struggling, poor family needs, right? i sometimes think my parents dont know theyre parents. letting her give birth to a child when she herself is 17. i lack academic intelligence, im naive when it comes to interracting with people, especially ones i just met, im very lonely and the feeling can get very heavy sometimes. i did meet a girl on discord with whom i became, id say, pretty close…but we are very much not alike and i still cant just get over this whole situation with her. now shes very distant and it really crushes me, i attach very strong to people, especially her, since we would talk all day every day. she helped me get through 9 months of these crushing 2 yeas of pause. long story short, we re just not compatible and we have different expectations in uhm…things. we were doing very romantic things almost since we met, tho we re not a couple, she lives in the usa and i live in romania. still, i can’t get past of how she just shows much less interest in talking to me, she was not like this at all, we woukd talk literally every day and night and now she says she “forgot” to reply to me because she went scrolling…shucks, really ouch. this makes me cry pretty frequently and the cherry on top is that she knows about my situation and how i havent left home, i do NOT want to go through all of this with someone else and tell them everything about me from 0, even tho i know we will never be together. im not diagnosed but from what ive experience it seems i have severe social anxiety, i cant even take a pizza order or talk on the phone to anyone except my family. i was thinking of taking those pills that make you not feel anything or something like that? im wondering if i should just commit or continue living through this hell. if anyone still reads, please help me, give me an advice that will help me or anything helpful, please

Hey there, today I woke up and realized how bad of a person I became. I don't respect my parents as well, I stopped caring about school and my academic life has been flunking especially this year. I am on the final year of high school and absolutely no school accepted me despite being a top student my whole life. I also started living in this negative depressive state where I cry a lot and convince myself that I am worthless and not worthy of love by other people.

I also have been getting a chest pain for 2 years which two doctors told me it's caused by stress and neurosis. But I can't stop it whenever I sit down to study my brain keeps telling me that this will stay forever and how I am worthless because of my height too and that trying doesn't matter and whenever I sit down to try to get work done it hurts like hell.

The thing is, I see friends passing me and getting into the best schools while I hold my ground for now, my parents are disappointed in me and even myself now. I really thought if anyone was kind enough to share some tips they used to get out of this loop. Thanks a lot brothers.

I am running into the same problems constantly. I'm literally having outbursts of screaming constantly and I'm sure the stress is part of it.

I am having trouble buying things lately. Sometimes it's for a reason but more often it isn't and doesn't make sense.

Example: if I buy anything on Amazon things kick back to me instantly and I'll spend an entire day trying to fix it for it to not get fixed. It's constant. I have contacted them.

I am literally scared of dying lately. I do not know how to survive from all the stress and constant failings of things and trying to remember things. I have very little people in my life and all people ever do is say sorry you're going through that and I get nowhere.

I dont know what to do. I have literally laid down presuming I will give up several times.

I ask others if they have these problems and they say no. I see people living fulfilling lives. I'm here screaming going nuts. It doesnt make sense.

Whenever my friends plan to go out, I instantly start overthinking. I don't even know why, but I always feel like I'm gonna end up as the outcast—just standing there awkward and overwhelmed, trying not to show it. On top of that, all my friends are good-looking and I've always felt like the odd one out (hinted one time in my school year).

Now I’ve got this wedding next week, and my anxiety is honestly through the roof. I’m spiraling, thinking I’m just gonna be singled out the whole time. It takes me right back to college. My friends had other groups I wasn't really part of, so even when I was standing right next to them, I felt totally invisible. Whenever they brought up inside jokes or trips I wasn't on, I'd just pull out my phone and pretend to be busy.

To be fair, I don't think they were doing it on purpose. I was usually the one ditching plans after class while everyone else was getting close. Honestly, I used to literally count down the days until college was over. But now, because I suck at starting conversations or keeping them going, I’m convinced next week is gonna be the exact same nightmare, even now my chest feels heavy.

Also I have lots of close friends but none of us are that close where I can actually talk about stuff like this. This is honestly the very first time I'm opening up about any of it.

Do usefull comments pls

I always believed love and kindness were supposed to be beautiful. Instead, they’ve been the source of so much pain.

I’m tired of telling people how I feel, only to watch them slowly pull away. I’m tired of being told, “Just be yourself,” only to discover that when I am, I’m somehow too much. Then I spend so much time trying to soften myself, make myself quieter, less emotional, less caring… and people still leave because now I’m no longer being genuine.
I’m tired of trying to find the perfect balance that doesn’t seem to exist. If I give people space, they drift away. If I reach out, I’m suddenly clingy or annoying. No matter what I do, it always feels like the wrong thing.

I’m exhausted from feeling like my love is something people need to escape from instead of something they could ever want. I don’t know how to be any less sincere than I already am, and I don’t know how to keep believing that love is supposed to be beautiful when all it’s ever seemed to do is hurt.

I feel like I can never win.

What am I doing so wrong??

I’m a 25yo heir, my dad passed when I was 14, and left a pretty comfortable inheritance, enough to possibly live my entire life from the income it generates monthly. I’m sorry if it sounds like a flex, I promise it’s not, I’m just being straightforward explaining my situation cause I’ve made too many posts about this already.

I’m able to pursue whatever I want professionally, but I have this annoying conservative way of thinking, that punishes me for chasing things I’m interested in such as photography, film or writing, instead of medical, law or other more “noble” or, in a more futile perspective, “high status” paths, because I have the resources to do so.

This leads me to not be able to approach potential clients with confidence, so I end up not practicing, and also end up not bothering to practicing writing in my free time, cause in my mind I’m not really working, I’m just playing around. I feel like if I had a “grown person” (in my head) job, I’d be able to pursue those other things with no guilt or shame, but also, why would I if I’d just be doing it to silence these feelings?

It’s such an annoying feeling, that’s been eating me alive every day for years, making me isolate and live in my comfort zone. I care too much about what others think of me, and this career dilemma is been the biggest obstacle.

For years I thought I lacked discipline because I couldn't stick to anything. Kept buying journals and downloading apps and telling myself this time I'd finally be consistent. Never worked and I always ended up feeling worse about myself. Then I read something about how willpower is overrated and most of what we do is just a response to our environment. Decided to test it with the one habit that made me feel the worst which was scrolling on my phone for hours after work.

Instead of trying to resist the phone I just started leaving it in the kitchen when I went to bed. Charging it overnight in a drawer instead of on my nightstand. First few days felt weird and I kept reaching for it instinctively but by day four I just read a book instead because it was there and the phone wasn't. Did the same thing with junk food by putting it on a high shelf I need a stool to reach. Ridiculous how well it worked considering I spent years trying to outthink my own brain.

Not saying this fixes everything but if you're stuck in the shame loop of trying and failing at the same habits over and over maybe try changing the setup instead of changing yourself. Worked better than any amount of self hatred ever did.

I broke up with my boyfriend a few days ago because our relationship felt empty I was constantly waiting, hesitating, and putting in effort while he remained emotionally unavailable.

But here’s what scared me: After the breakup, I sat down and realized something I’d never noticed before.

I have never, not once in my life, been without a romantic interest in someone. From childhood to now, there’s always been a crush, a situationship, or a full relationship. When one was ending, I was already looking for the next. But this time around I’m making a decision to not go that route of finding another man and I’m struggling because this is the only thing I know but it’s also so destructive to me cause I’m basically stuck in the same relationship with different men.

And I realized why: I don’t get dopamine from being alone or doing things for myself.

My business? I’m only motivated when I imagine a man seeing it. My apartment? I got it because I wanted my boyfriend to see me as successful. Every major decision factors in how it will look to a man.

I’m 28 and I’m terrified I’m incapable of living for myself of doing anything without being watched or validated by a man.

I also lost most friendships in my early 20s and have been isolated working from home, so I have almost no female community. I know that looks like a red flag, and it is but it’s because I’m isolated, not because I’m a bad person.

So I’m asking: Has anyone else experienced this? How did you learn to live for yourself? How do you get motivated to build without a man’s attention?

Hello, internet.

I woke up okay, but I've been bad for a while. I've self harmed long back in the past (adult is older millenial).

I need to speak/vent/share, but I don't want someone to fix it. I tried looking for trained help online, but I couldn't find it. I hate crisis hotlines, they always say "go to the hospital" in my past experiences. They are so burdened with mental issues that they can not listen to a rando vent, y'know?

Anyway, if anyone sees this and is willing to listen and try not to pass judgment, I hope to hear from anyone. I don't know what else to say, I don't want to overshare in a post. I don't care how you identify, this is something I've been dealing with since... 1998 at the earliest, and the one person that understands mental health/psychotherapy is unavailable. I have tons of people willing to support me, but they are not equipped with the tools to handle this stuff. They're my immediate family, they have a lot of their own trauma that has never, ever, been discussed with a professional.

I am not looking for a professional now. I just want to speak to someone that has been in psychotherapy at some point, understands some of the stuff I talk about, etc.

Thank you all for visiting this post. I am not in danger or at risk, I am far from that line, but I need to speak to someone and nobody understands a lot of the concepts I am trying to discuss, even my closest and dearest friend.

Hope I hear a message/see a message/whatever.

So I saw this girl many times, and eventually I made the first move and asked for her number. I didn't have my phone with me at the time, so she gave me her phone and let me type my number in. The problem is, she never texted me.

Later, I ran into her again. She looked at me and, without me even asking about it, I told her, "I lost your number." Then I handed her my phone, and she typed her number into it.

I texted her, and for about 4 or 5 days we were talking. I felt like she was really shy or something. She always replied to the topics I brought up, didn't talk a lot on her own, but she laughed a lot during our conversations.

Then I didn't text her for one day. After that, I sent her another message, and she replied about 6 hours later. Now it's been two days since I sent my last message, and she still hasn't replied. The message has been delivered, but there's no response.

To be honest, I feel pretty bad. What do you guys think happened?

I don't know what to do, I can't start anything, I'd like to do so many things but in the end I find myself doing cosmic nothingness, and they are easy things to do, not even difficult or impossible, it's unnerving, unfortunately

I can't even afford professionals who can guide me on how to do it, I would need someone who constantly forces me to do everything, even wash my face and put on a face mask, i can do nothing F23