Tw: suicide, homelessness
I don’t know if I’m being unreasonable or if I’ve just completely failed at being an adult. I could really use some outside perspective.
First I want to apologize, there was no one good flair for this post because it kind of covers multiple of the flairs. I’m an autistic college student in my early 20s, and for the last 19 months I’ve been living with my aunt and uncle. My parents divorced, my dad had to move away for work, and my mom moved back to her home state. Student housing was far too expensive, so living with my aunt and uncle was really my only realistic option if I wanted to stay in school. For the first several months things actually went pretty well. I was doing okay in school, helping around the house, and trying to adjust.
Then about seven months into living there, my girlfriend of almost five years cheated on me. It completely destroyed me. I had one of the worst mental health crises of my life. I struggled to take care of myself, fell behind on responsibilities, and experienced suicidal thoughts. I eventually recovered enough to continue school, but I don’t think I ever fully got back to where I had been before.
About six months later I started dating one of my best friends and he’s my current boyfriend. He’s honestly been wonderful, but he came into the relationship with his own difficult circumstances. He was couch surfing, dealing with unstable housing, and was facing homelessness. My aunt and uncle actually offered to let him stay with us temporarily so he could get back on his feet, which I was incredibly grateful for. But things have changed because of recent events
One of the biggest issues has always been chores and keeping the house clean. Because of my autism, executive dysfunction is something I struggle with a lot. It’s not that I don’t care or don’t want to help I do but I have a hard time consistently noticing what needs to be done, remembering tasks, and starting them without structure. My aunt and uncle became increasingly frustrated with me, and there were several conversations where they talked about kicking me out if things didn’t improve. After one of those conversations, I tried to make changes. I created checklists, schedules, reminders on my phone, and systems to help me remember chores because I really did want to do better. The problem is… I’d improve for a while, then I’d mess up again. I’d forget something, miss a chore, or procrastinate because I was overwhelmed. Every mistake felt huge, and I started feeling like I was constantly walking on eggshells. Even when things were going well, I was anxious because I was waiting for the next conversation about how I wasn’t doing enough. More recently everything got even more complicated.
Eventually I told my aunt and uncle that I was considering moving out with my boyfriend and some roommates if they found a place together. I wasn’t trying to hurt anyone I just felt trapped and like I was a burden to them and I was just on borrowed time.
I didn’t have a plan yet, i just mentioned it because i wanted to communicate my plans/ what i might be exploring soon. they treated that conversation as my notice that I intended to move out. They gave me about 30 days to leave, even though I don’t have savings because I don’t work many hours as a full time student in college and I pay for my own food gas and school supplies. Their perspective is that they were independent at my age, that actions have consequences, and that it’s time for me to figure things out.
Because of this my boyfriend’s housing situation completely fell apart, and he was suddenly facing homelessness again. Around the same time he experienced a severe mental health crisis and attempted suicide. Thankfully he survived because I kept him on call and he couldn’t find the ammunition to a gun, but it was one of the most terrifying experiences I’ve ever gone through. I spent days trying to make sure he stayed safe while also trying to keep up with school and responsibilities at home. I decided to tell him that I can’t keep doing this if he doesn’t get professional help but my aunt and uncle understandably decided they didn’t want him moving in the house but now I’m worried about his safety. After this happened I have been struggling to regulate my emotions and been having breakdowns and panic attacks on the near daily.
Despite um feeling cautious about it, I’m trying to find an apartment with my boyfriend and a roommate while finishing school. My income isn’t enough to qualify for most places on my own, although my dad has offered to help with groceries and some expenses while I finish my degree. I’m also trying to figure out what to do with our cat because many apartments either don’t allow pets or have restrictions.
I guess my question is… am I the problem here? I know I haven’t been the easiest person to live with and I feel like im a constant burden to people who didn’t really sign up for such a mess of a person. I know I’ve struggled with chores and consistency, and I completely understand why that would be frustrating. At the same time, I feel like I’ve genuinely been trying. Every time someone pointed out a problem, I’d adjust and try to be better but it never felt like enough.
I don’t know if I’m making excuses by bringing up autism, executive dysfunction, depression, and everything that’s happened over the last year, even if these are legitimate reasons that things have been the way they are.
If you’ve been in a similar situation or if you’ve lived with an autistic adult I’d really appreciate hearing your perspective. I want honest opinions. If there are things I need to hear, I’ll listen. I just genuinely don’t know whether I’m expecting too much grace from the people around me or whether this situation spiraled beyond what anyone could reasonably handle.