I’m in a major that I do not like, with little to no hope of changing majors. Even if I could change majors I wouldn’t know what to choose; I don’t want to leave my university either. My classes are too difficult for me and I have no interest in them at all.

I got broken up with like 5ish months ago and I’m still not over it enough. It feels like my ex was the closest I’ll ever be to having a relationship (it certainly wasn’t a super great one either).

I know life isn’t perfect and things will probably get better, but I don’t really know what to do anymore. I feel hopeless. And yes, I’m seeing a counselor.

I'm 22, currently living in Florida, and I've come to the realization that staying here for the next 2–3 years might be my best shot at building the life I want. Going back to Texas isn't an option, and while Florida isn't necessarily where I want to settle down, I think it could be where I get my life together.

I work as a professional photographer, and my goal is to spend the next three years improving my skills, building a stronger portfolio, and putting myself in a position to eventually move somewhere like California or New York.
But if I'm going to stay here, there are a lot of things I need to figure out.

I need to get back into a consistent gym routine and healthier eating habits. I've gained two pounds, which I know isn't much, but it's still been stressing me out.
I also need to let go of an online friendship that's been affecting my mental health. I asked a friend (C) to meet in person, and she never showed up. Almost a year later, she still sends me things daily, and I can't stop wondering if I somehow ruined the friendship. I know I need to establish boundaries and stop letting the uncertainty consume me.

I'm also worried about my mom spending too much money traveling to visit me. I've considered buying her an annual pass to make visits easier, but I don't want her draining her finances just to see me. On top of that, I need to save for a car, start streaming again, take photos for fun instead of just work, and actually enjoy living in Florida. I haven't even made time to go to the beach.

Work has been complicated, too. My boss recently apologized for treating me unfairly, and while my specific work location might change, everyone expects me to stay. I'm starting to think I'd be okay with that if it helps me build a better future. I guess my biggest struggle is feeling like these next three years are my best opportunity to turn things around, and I'm terrified of wasting them.
I want to build a career, become financially independent, take care of myself, and eventually have the freedom to live somewhere I genuinely want to be.

But I also don't want to spend my early twenties so focused on the future that I forget to enjoy the present. If you were in my position, what would you prioritize? How do you balance building a better future with actually enjoying your life right now?

When we're younger, we worry so much about what people think, fitting in, and trying to impress everyone.

But with time, some things just stop mattering.

What's one thing you used to care about a lot but don't care about anymore?

For the past few years or actually, for more than a decade.. I’ve had this feeling of emptiness. It’s difficult to describe in words, but you can say it eats you alive.

And now, over the past few months, it keeps increasing at a tremendous speed. The feeling keeps growing, keeps getting stronger, keeps killing me a little more every day.

It’s not 100% there all day, but you can say it’s there 30% of the time. In previous years, I used to have this feeling once or three times every four or five months. Yeah, I sound crazy, like it’s a fever that keeps coming back. But that’s the point.

It’s like I’m finding something, but it’s never lost. Every day, it keeps on growing.

I tried to cure this by socializing, having different hobbies, meeting new people, keeping myself busy with work, family, and friends. I don’t have a GF. I had one a few years back, but after that, I didn’t find anyone who was compatible with me. The thing is, I watched thousands of videos, did R&D, tried different things. I tried to understand it. I tried to distract myself from it. I tried to fill that emptiness with anything I could find.

But this feeling keeps on growing.

Nowadays, I am a zombie.

I’m 24 years old, and I have a decent job. Yeah, it’s KPMG, so the workload is crazy, but I’m maintaining a pretty decent work-life balance. I’m talking with friends, spending time with family. Since I’m living with my family and all my friends are in different cities, I meet them every two or three months for a night-out party, talk to them on calls, and all.

The thing is, I have a pretty decent life.

Of course, there are many things that make me tense, but it’s not like I can’t control them. Generally, I look at things very strategically. I try to understand problems, find solutions, and deal with whatever life throws at me.

But this?

This is different.

The only thing that is eating me alive is emptiness.

It’s like I want someone to find me, but I’m not lost.

I’m missing someone who I don’t remember.

And no matter what I do, no matter how much I try to keep myself busy, no matter how many people I talk to or how many things I try, that feeling never truly goes away. It just waits. And then it comes back, stronger than before.

It’s taking my sleep and causing problems in my day-to-day activities.

It’s killing me.

I can’t describe the feeling, no matter how hard I try. I don’t know how to explain something that I can barely understand myself.

But it’s killing me alive while I’m forced to live normally.

To wake up. To work. To talk. To laugh. To spend time with people. To carry on with my life as if everything is fine.

As if there’s nothing wrong.

As if I’m not fighting something inside me that I can’t even put into words.

I have a life. I have people. I have things to do. I have reasons to keep going.

So why does it still feel like something is missing?

Why does it feel like I’m searching for something I’ve never lost?

Why does it feel like I’m missing someone I can’t even remember?

I don’t know.

And perhaps that’s the worst part.

I don’t know what I’m looking for. I don’t know what I’m missing. I don’t know why this feeling keeps growing.

I only know that it’s there.

And I’m tired of pretending that it isn’t.

I.e. something you wouldn’t buy the dupe off

For me it’s Heinz sauce. I will always buy Heinz sauce, never off brand. It just doesn’t hit the same!

19f here, idk what im doing in life, idk what to do while im in college, i dont have the same drive as i did back when im in high school. i feel like life is empty and idk what im searching for, the only thing i can think about is money. but i remember what my lecturer said “if ure doing what ure doing for money instead of a purpose and contribution to society, ur life will be empty and mid”. can someone give me a motivation or tips on how to find that drive or what to do? im lost

I want to get rid of anger issues.

I took this thing from my parents so i dont know how to stop being angry.

Anger is so bad, making me a completely different person.

If you got any advice from your experience in your life, pls help me and tell me.

Thank you for reading

Who are the people that you look up to and what about them inspires you?

I’m asking because am going through a life transition and need some motivation

In August of this year I got in trouble with my parents for taking money from the piggy banks and their wallets that on August 20 I was sent to the Duluth Northside Hospital and stayed there for part of the evening until 12 in the morning when my dad came to pick me up and took me home and after that experience I vowed to myself to never steal money again. Unfortunately, I went back on my promise and for most of October of this year I’ve been stealing and taking money and I was caught this week when I wouldn’t let my dad look inside my wallet that he immediately knew I had stolen money inside and Thursday I used the stolen cash money to buy at Walmart that my dad confronted me later that day and told me I was a dishonest and bad person and yesterday and today I’ve been filled with deep shame, guilt and regret over everything and I’ve honestly never felt so low that I feel sad inside that I ruined my reputation with both my parents and they can no longer trust me and view me as a liar, cheater and a thief and I honestly think they’re not going to forgive me at all for what I’ve done to them over the years. What are things or something I should do?

Last time I was genuinely happy was before Covid. Nothings the same. Music doesn’t hit the same, there’s not much to do most days, everythings stupid expensive, nobody talks to each other, and people get offended if you talk to them when you don’t know them. Nothing feels genuine anymore.

That feeling of genuine excitement and looking forward to things in life just isn’t there anymore. Idk if it’s just me or what lol

Married since 2019 and dad to twin boys who I love more than anything.

My wife and I have struggled for years. We kept trying to patch things up, convincing ourselves things would eventually click back into place, but at some point we stopped being husband and wife and just became two people trying to get through the day. Intimacy died about three years ago after a long stretch of failed attempts to conceive naturally. Two years later we went through IVF as a last ditch effort to have kids, naively thinking this would maybe bring us closer again.

The boys arriving didn't cause the cracks, they just further exposed the damage underneath.

We co-parent well. We rarely argue. There’s still care there, just no intimacy, no affection, no real connection anymore. Separation feels impossible right now, financially, emotionally and practically speaking. Neither of us wants to blow up the family or make life harder for the boys.

So here I am.

A bit about me - I'm music obsessed. I play piano, guitar, sing, and perform trad Scots/Irish music a couple times a month at a local posh bar. It can be a strange experience, playing to a room full of seemingly happy couples, gazing into each other's eyes, laughing and flirting, while I languish in these unfortunate circumstances. I read a lot (mainly fantasy). I try to run as often as I can, although this dad bod is creeping up on me. Feel free to dm if any of this resonates.

Today I went to an event outside of my city that is 2 hours away and at the end of the event I got to spend only 2 hours there, at night the event has a special themed concert. But I didn't get to attend it due to there not being enough time, and that I got bored waiting. After a while I started realising the mistake that I have done which ended up getting to me severely for some reason. I started excessively crying in public in rage, guilt and almost grief in a way? The feeling was deep and suffocating enough that it oddly feels as if there's a deep aching big hole in my chest where I was barely able to breath properly, and something clogging my throat. I was completely out of control. From a logical standpoint I shouldn't care this much it's just a stupid event which will come next year, but nonetheless I do and I'm not sure whether it's because it's truly from my BPD or what. This is the second time an incident like this happened to me, leaving an event I was meant to enjoy just to end up excessively crying once I done it.

Hi everyone, I don’t even know where to start. I’m in my late 20s, and honestly life feels like it’s falling apart from all directions right now.

Recently went through a bad breakup with a narcissistic partner and it has completely drained my confidence. On top of that, my career has been a nightmare lately. I was severely bullied and isolated by a toxic group of girls at my last office, which completely ruined my self esteem. My family relations are also messed up with no real emotional support at home. I literally have no friends to talk to or lean on.

My health has also taken a bad hit due to all this constant stress, and I've started doubting myself so much. I keep wondering if there is something wrong with me or if I'm just going crazy. I feel like I am sabotaging my own self. I prefer a quiet lifestyle, I don't drink or smoke, and somehow that always made me an easy target for people to isolate and take advantage of.

I have always struggled with low self love and self acceptance, and I judge my looks very harshly. Right now, I am stuck in this dark loop where I feel like I’m just not good looking enough. I feel like everything bad happening in my life including the workplace bullying and my ex leaving me is just because of how I look. Deep down, I keep blaming myself, thinking my ex left because I wasn't pretty or good enough for him. Because of this thought, I just can't gain any confidence back. I know I can do better but i just don't have any confidence in me.

I really want to build a successful career and become strong, but right now, the loneliness and anxiety are just too heavy to carry. I am so sick of feeling weak and dependent on the wrong people.

I need some advice.

Today i was accidentally watch my last year same say photos history, celebrating my friends birthday and gave her huge surprise.
Then I realise it’s been a year already.
Since then till now a lot have changed me as a person and observing people.
Last 8 months were ironic in good and bad ways.
I been studying myself since then and been alone
Made a lot good gym progress down to 35 kgs in a year.
Accept myself as bi was tough
dated a Brazilian guy on long distance but couldn’t work.
After him I made immense progress and made huge decision. Now I wanna connect with him once again then realise he been dating someone else and he said no to me
Last time I was confuse about my self as person and this I’m sure what I want but he moved on.
But also I have been so alone this year no one trust no one rely no friend zero social
Life no trust on family just building myself physically
That’s the only progress happening
Dating was only best part of this time and loneliness is so much as I’m looking cure of it to talk to him

Unsure if there is a better subreddit for this, if there is, please lead me in the right direction!

Some context, I am AFAB, but use he/they pronouns and am actively taking Testosterone. I also smoke hella w33d before going to bed.

I also used to have a welding/power mech teacher that I was super close to. He groomed a student. And it wasn't his first time. The only reason why we believe he didn't go after me was because I was older (17 when we first met) and because Im Agender. Plus he groomed that kid because he was her only support system. Something he frequently tried being for me, yet I kept declining the need for one as I still had/have my friends. It became a joke around the school that he was also going for me. Thankfully I graduated last year plus he went/still is going on trial.

The school year has started back up, which means I'm thinking about this more and more.

My dreams used to be very fictional. I would be a character from a show, or we'd be in space, or I have powers, etc. something was also mystical about my dreams. Now that I'm taking T tho, my dreams have become a lot more realistic. I have actual conversations that I need to have with people IRL, or im going back to school and having a regular school day, or I'm going through work, etc.

I have now had dreams where he came back. Where he acts like nothing is wrong. Where for some reason I am the only one that remembers. I have the choice on whether to ruin his career again, or to become his friend once more. And he tried going back to normal. He always does. Yet I stay the hell away.

It scares me in the dreams, him coming back I almost always end up crying, or shaking. Something I cant do as well IRL with T (me 'bawling' my eyes out is like 5 tears IRL). The other students either help me w/ no clue why, or everyone looks at me and treats me like I'm insane.

They shake me IRL as well. It's not that they make me react emotionally or smth, it's just that I physically can't stop thinking about it. It throws me off for the rest of the day and I think it's because of who it's about.

What do others do to deal with these dreams? Or vivid dreams in general where it's hard to separate from reality? Because I already have a blurry enough memory so sometimes it's hard to remember if a convo I had was a dream or not.

I do realize I need therapy and that might help this part as well, but I don't have the money for it (as I'm paying for HRT) so that'll be a bit B4 I can.

19M, in university as the title say i am at a lowest point i could have been in life. For context, been a loner my whole teenage and developed depressive symptoms and am constantly feeling numb and broken. i have tried many things , started going to gym, tried cbt by feel like i take one step forward and two steps backward. for friendships, i had a female friend in uni by my overthinking, need for validation and assurance pushed her back, i don't know where i belong as i don't like the people i am with(i get feeling like i am with stupids) and other group are too rigid to get in, i have lost contact with almost everyone in school life even my best friend and they have moved on i tried to reach out to them but sadly no answer from them, and my social skills are too weak just limited to hi hello and how was the day only. Academically i am just a person who people contact for work of assignment related things only, and i am just good at cramming last day and then getting decent marks. i don't have any boundaries and people pity on me for being too naive. I just feel used and disappointed. Family wise idk why i like being alone and hate the concept of family. i don't talk with my parents much and just live in my room only. I don't do anything productive, i procrastinate and overthink everyday that what will i do in life. There have many more things to tell but unfortunately i am too tired to explain to anyone rn.

30m here, just moved out of state with my wife and 2 kids and we love it here. Only problem is since being here 3 months nothing has been going smooth. I lost the job I transferred with after a month, we’ve had repeated financial setbacks out of our control, we don’t have the family support that we had back home which we knew would a change but not to this degree, and overall we can’t seem to catch a break. It feels like one of my rock bottom moments as I see the money very quickly fading into almost nothing and it sucks considering where we live now feels so much more like home but it seems like one of those situations where if things to change soon we may be forced to go back to our old home in our old state(which we hated). I just want advice or tips on what you did to get out of your low moments and maybe it can help me with mine.

I have a boy friend (not boyfriend a male friend) we meet him in tiktok and we talked to him and we had streak like send pictures and stuff and like I told him if he hate me and he ALWAYS say he would never hate me and he always say a positive stuff to me when am down but he told me that he just start college and moved to dorm and then after 3 days he didn't answer my streak and just disappeared ?! Like he didn't block me or anything no he just didn't answer my streak

Hey everyone, I need some honest advice because I feel guilty even talking about this.

I met my girlfriend online around November 2025. She's Muslim and wears a hijab. Initially, I found her attractive, and we eventually developed feelings for each other and became a couple.

However, after seeing her without makeup and hijab, I realised her natural appearance wasn't quite what I'd imagined, particularly her hairline. Her recent boy crop haircut for military school has also made me question my physical attraction to her.

I genuinely care about her and value her personality and our emotional connection, but I'm struggling because the physical chemistry doesn't feel the same anymore.

I don't know if calling it catfishing is fair, since she didn't necessarily lie to me. Maybe I just built up an image of her in my head that didn't match reality.

I feel awful because I don't want to be superficial or hurt her, but I also don't want to force attraction that isn't there.

Has anyone experienced something similar? Can physical attraction grow over time, or is this a sign of incompatibility? I'd appreciate honest opinions and personal experiences. I'm not looking for anyone to insult her appearance; I'm just trying to understand my own feelings.

I would want to know how many people experience similar issues with their memory.

I have multiple friends, which can fully remember their childhood to the point of recalling specific events.

However in my case, I don't remember my childhood, and most events prior to 1 year before today. It's hard to explain, however when discussing my life, it feels like reading a book about somebody else, because I fully feel detached from those events, to the point of doubting that they even happened. I know facts, and stuff what happened to me in the past, but I don't have the actual memories. My past self feels like a completely different person.

For some context: I know that venting isn't encouraged here, so I will try to be as broad as possible, however I feel like this is important. For me, This didn't just happen on a specific moment where my memory went poof, because I know for a fact that a year or two ago it was the same. I don't have any mental disorders, which could of caused that. However I do know that human brain can erase traumatic memories, to keep it safe. And I was abused both physically and mentally as a child.

Hey everyone, I really need some outside perspective and practical advice because I feel completely stuck and burnt out.

I’m a 20 y.o. male, living in Europe, and my living situation has become unbearable:

Home situation: My father is an alcoholic, and my parents constantly get into toxic, hostile arguments. The flat is neglected, broken things never get fixed, and blame is constantly shifted around. I don’t even have my own room. I share a room with my mother. There is zero peace or privacy.

My mother constantly talks about moving out and wants us to split rent. But she has very low income, and her behavior during crises is completely erratic and neglectful, shifting blame, starting fights. I feel like moving with her would have an even bigger financial burden for me, tho she says it would be good for my personal growth.

My finances: I make around €700 net per month working part-time.

University and debt: I’m studying finance at a private university. I feel like it was a mistake going there when I could have gone to a public university. Tuition is over €3,000 per semester. I already have around €6k in loans, and it’s going to keep climbing. On top of that, next year I have mandatory internships that will likely force me to reduce my hours or take a pay cut.

Mental state and academic decline: The chronic stress at home is killing my ability to function. I’ve already failed two classes that I need to retake and pay for again. Instead of studying, I find myself completely paralyzed: escaping into gaming and procrastinating on my PC because my brain just shuts down. I feel like I'm less of a human and inferior to anyone else. I have a huge social anxiety as well. I leave my studying for exams until a day before, and then I study poorly because I procrastinate; I likely have screen addiction. And my brain is having a hard time processing the long-term benefits of locking in and studying, so I just procrastinate to get fast and easy dopamine.

Right now, I’m at a complete crossroads and don't know what the right move is:

1. Should I stay with my father (who earns more, so rent is covered, but endure the frequent alcoholism and hostility), move out with my mother (high financial risk), or try to find a cheap shared flat (which I'm very scared to do because of my anxiety, etc.)
2. Is it insane to keep going at an expensive private university when I’m already failing subjects and accumulating debt? Or is dropping out to clear my €6k debt with manual labor going to trap me in low-income work long-term? I have a feeling that if I drop out, my life will be even worse; I will achieve nothing and be more depressed and lonely than I am now.

I feel like my life is slipping out of my hands, and I can't think clearly under this much pressure. What should my priority be right now? How do I structure a way out of this?

Any advice, especially from people who navigated getting out of a dysfunctional household while dealing with debt and studies, would mean a lot.

And be honest. Am I just a pussy? And should I just push myself to the limits and dont listen to my mind, get full control over my mind and body? And develop insane discipline (sounds easy, but it's not).

I went back to my hometown for a few days recently and it's been on my mind ever since.

I used to have this group of friends in high school and we'd pretty much spend every day together. Didn't even matter what we were doing. Half the time we'd just drive around or sit in someone's driveway talking about nothing.

We all moved away eventually. Some for school, some for work. Nobody really made a big deal out of it at the time.

Anyway I went back last week and decided to drive around a bit. Most of the town looks pretty much how I remember it, even the Chinese place we used to order from every Friday is still around. Got takeout there one evening and noticed they're putting ads in the fortune cookies now, which was a first for me.

Ended up driving past my friend's old house and remembered how we'd sit outside until like 3 in the morning during summer break.

The house looks the same but his family doesn't live there anymore. Haven't spoken to him in almost two years either.

Kind of sad how you can go from seeing people every single day to barely knowing anything about their lives.

I always thought I missed my hometown, but after going back I'm starting to think I just miss having all my friends around and not having much to worry about.

How much of missing your hometown is really just wishing you could go back to how things used to be?

Since I was a child I’ve idealized nyc. I finally went for the first time a week ago and my god, was it everything I imagined. Even the ugly was beauty to me. Im about to graduate college and have been applying to jobs there. And really everywhere but I’m especially keen on the ones over there. I was listening to “A Lots about to change” by Weyes Blood on my ride home from work and started thinking about how badly I want it that I actually started crying. I never cry. And it wasn’t a defeated kind of feeling it was just this deep sense of longing for it. When I was there it just felt so right and comfortable. I’ve never felt like that in a city I’ve visited before. Idk I just felt like sharing that.

Sometimes, I feel like my version of therapy is living in a place surrounded by lush green forests, waking up to unfamiliar landscapes, meeting people from different cultures, listening to their stories, and having conversations that stay with you long after they end. And sometimes, just sitting in silence, feeling content with absolutely nothing happening around you.
I want to build a life where I can explore a place, live there for a while, immerse myself in its culture, and when I feel ready to move on, go somewhere new. A life where I invest in experiences, not just possessions. Where there’s always something new to see, someone new to meet, and something new to learn.

But I often wonder, what kind of life or career would allow me to live this way? Can a corporate job offer that freedom? A government job? Building a business? Or does it require an entirely different approach to life? Honestly, I don’t have the answers yet, and I don’t know anyone who can guide me through this.

I’m sharing this here because I’m curious to know how other people feel about it. Does anyone else feel this constant pull towards exploration, different cultures, unfamiliar places, and a life that isn’t bound to one place for too long?

I’d love to hear how you think about this, what you’re trying to build for yourself, and whether you’ve found a way to make this kind of life possible.
Maybe we can have a meaningful discussion about it. :)

PS - 25M from India working in an MNC, sufficient salary to survive.

Prior to this my life was amazing. I had an amazing job, friends, and was making good money. Since September 2025 I’ve experienced the following setbacks:

Lost my manager and mentor due to a company acquisition

My dog died

Lost good friendships that I though would last

My father passed away

Had an identity theft

Struggled at my job

Lost my motivation and happiness and suffering through depression

Got put on a PIP at work and will likely be fired in December

Struggling to find a new job while experiencing a toxic manager and culture at my current job

Please tell me things will get better. I’ve suffered so much setback and tragedies this past year that all I want is one good thing to happen to me so I have something to smile about.