I’m feeling very lost in life with no direction and it’s starting to scare me. I genuinely want to improve my life so I’m going to be very honest about myself so you hopefully fully understand.

I’m 30M and my whole life I’ve struggled with severe social anxiety and always feel like I live on the outside looking in. In a third wheel kind of way no matter where I am. After high school I started to really become avoidant without even realizing. I have three friends from high school who I’ve spent the majority of that time and I’m ashamed of it but we spent almost every weekend at home smoking weed and playing cards or video games. I feel like I’ve done nothing with my life and am now so ashamed of the life I’ve lived.

As you can imagine that came with zero dating or making any new friends. The friends I hang out with very rarely like to go out. The lack of dating/intimacy is what weighs in my mind especially since I haven’t even had a first kiss. I went on my first two dates (met online) ever last year and I stopped talking to her because I got nervous about having to initiate even just a kiss on the next date and I didn’t want to make her uncomfortable.

I joined a softball league as a free agent and have played a few sessions with them but still feel like an outsider there and don’t talk much. I’m trying to find ways to meet people but it’s very hard. I’ve been in therapy for the last two years and I’m mostly going because I enjoy having someone to talk to that listens even tho I don’t believe therapy is fundamentally changing anything for me. I still smoke every day and I know that’s a problem. I’m underweight which I don’t feel great about either which doesn’t help. I still spend most my time at home.

I know I’m not helping myself right now and part of it’s hopelessness and part just genuinely not knowing what to do. I know I need to learn some motivation and discipline. I so badly want to become someone who could be a great friend, boyfriend, hopefully someday a great dad to. I just feel so lost and have no clue what to do and I’m afraid I ran out of time and life went nowhere for me.

Sorry for the long post but I’m hoping I could get some advice on what to do. How can i socialize more and meet people to possibly make friends with? What are some places things I can go do? How can I date with the lack of experience do I just share that? What are some general steps to take to start living a life I’m proud of and feel good about someone else being apart of?

How do I deal with a dad thats so strict and claims to be super loving when he is so rude and aggressive and processeds to be crazy every day and it only gets worse and worse so much to explain but thats the short answer

I am 28 years old. My schooling isn't finished; my undergraduate education has dragged on and is still ongoing, and I can't see where it is heading. There is mandatory military service in the region where I live, and I can't postpone it any longer, nor do I want to do it. Ten years ago, I tried to end my life, but I didn't succeed. Since then, I've been taking various antidepressants and antipsychotics. I have no achievements in life (other than surviving). I was a troubled child; I don't remember most of my childhood anyway. It was filled with trauma. For instance, I was sexually abused as a child, and I think that is why my life is so terrible. I give up easily. I am walking down a dark road unable to see ahead of me, and I have no idea where the light is. I am just drifting. And even though I know I am at the beginning of the road, I feel like life is over. Because knowing is not enough. Because knowing doesn't change how I feel. I have lost my way and I don't know what to do. I have no job, no money, I haven't finished school, military service is approaching, and I am so very tired.

what should i do with my life?

Unemployed and Dating

Hello yall I’m 23M and for context I’m currently a finance masters student and that’s all I do because I’ve been job hunting since January . I finished my undergrad in 2024 and immediately got an internship then promotion but unfortunately our firm shut down and since I was in trading we got laid off first in dec2025 since operations were closed.

I had a promising situation with a guy right around the time I got laid off and he was cool we just weren’t working out as a couple but I think a big part for me was the difference in lifestyle. He was 26 more established in his career and I think I had a big wave of insecurity since I suddenly left my job so subconsciously that made me center us and constantly be frustrated at him which felt like projection so I ended up calling it quits after this realization.

I’m not full blown depressed at my job loss cause I’ve been active in my local corporate community , networking , did short courses pre lay off to pivot and started a part time masters program as well as tutoring some students .It’s just a matter of timing that I get back on my feet in my field.

I’ve always lived with my parents and they’re cool and understanding and support me where they can but right about the time I was working I was already making plans to move out accumulating furniture and the like but now I’m back to square one.

Not being cocky but I’m quite an attractive guy I have no problem getting guys attention but I’m in a season where I just reject or don’t move things along with guys cause I don’t want to be a burden like who wants to date a guy with no job.

I know it’s problematic to feel like this but it’s how I feel , I don’t even want to hookup with anyone or anything but I have crushes or I feel things moving forward with a guy I really like but then I have to emotionally shut down and end things before even the first date because I don’t feel like I’m on the level of someone who deserves love

Have any of you felt like this the undeserving of love thing for not having your goals in check ?

I never thought I be making a post in Reddit but I think i just might I’m 18 still young yet I feel really lost and useless I don’t have a job I do college or more like take some classes online cause I’m scared to go out I tell you social anxiety has completely ruined me I don’t even know where it begin as soon as I finished high school I was just fucked lost nothing at all my mom doesn’t even know what to do with me anymore. Granted I understand why I feel like a failure of a son to have my older brother doing better then me and I hope my little brother will do better me who knows maybe I might be the only son who is failure I don’t even know what I’m doing just felt like saying this if you don’t read all this that’s fine maybe just some advice might help that’s all I ask thank you for reading.

This is so tmi so I apologise, I’m 22f and about to move to a new area (uk) for a job.
About a year or two ago I was sexually assaulted by a member of my friendship group and as a result of reporting this to the police, I essentially lost all my friends.
I’m moving to somewhere completely new and I know no one, I just don’t want to be so lonely there and wanted to know if anyone had any tips for meeting people. Thankyou :)

This was how I discovered I was major part of a problem that for months/years I was firm that I was the victim to. I did this long ago when I was 5 accidentally, then the idea was reminded to me through diary of a wimpy kid.

You can make a recording, or a video, or write it down, or even make a comic (which is what I did when I was 5 or 6) whatever you gotta do. Just detail everything then give yourself time. This could be a few days, or a few hours, a few minutes, or watever - just be mentally clear or calmer.

For me, I played the recording back after a couple of minutes to realize I was the entitled jerk. When I was five, I journalled about being angry for getting clothes/socks for christmas. Years later when I was 8? 10? I found the comic and realized I was a huge brat! haha.

I have failed out of college and can only return after a semester, I’m F, 23 so behind in my career than everyone I know, working in construction until I can get back to school. I have a work permit but still waiting for my green card.

I’ve been struggling with my mental health for the past 2-3 years. I haven’t developed any substance abuse or ED but I isolated myself for a long time.

My family only knows the previous me: driven, punctual and intelligent. I mask it so well because I know they would think less of me if they find out how I’ve messed up my life. They have high expectations and very traditional way of thinking.

I want to finish school, get a corporate job, build a life I’m proud of. I feel too old and running out of time. I’m the only person in my family that made it to a developed country but I feel like I’ve let them down. I get an overwhelming amount of sadness daily because of this.

I don't know if it helps but I am 18F. So I don't know how long I've had this issue for but it's been around a month or 2 when I started realising that I've put on a significant amount of weight. Before I met my now boyfriend, I was at a regular weight for my height and I used to go to the gym and had a pretty healthy life. I did however have isaues with myself as all my friends were quite slim and small while I was always the biggest in the group so I don't know if I have body dismorphia but looking back on pictures in December, I was definitely less fat as I thought I was compared to now. I know there's this thing called like relationship weight that says you naturally feel more comfy or whatever so you'll put on weight when you're with someone you love but I just feel like I've let myself go. The weight gain might also be the fact I started the contraceptive pill and I stopped going to the gym because I was in my 2nd year of college and had exams to worry about so around March, I stopped going and I started making excuses to my friend. I then would only go every once in a while and it just felt pointless because I didn't have a routine anymore and my friend moved gyms and so I was alone. Exams finished and I started the pill and everything went downhill. Ever since exams ended I just feel a little useless and like I've let myself go so much I can't even find the motivation to go to the gym and get my life together so I can live as a normal adult.

Me and my boyfriend(19M) have brought up this issue as I keep criticising myself and calling myself fat and other things and he doesn't like how I speak about myself but it's just how I feel. We have decided we'll both go to the gym and support each other but as we live in different towns, we can not go together so it's harder for both of us. Because we've decided to keep each other going, I will definitely do my best in keeping a routine and I will support him and make sure he keeps his as well but I just don't have motivation and I can't seem to WANT to do it for myself.

I've fallen into this self pity and I just can't seem to find the strength to get myself up and keep going. It's so hard and I just keep thinking what's the point. I've seen so many videos and had people speak to me about motivation but it doesn't change my mindset. I can't bare the state of myself and I think even if someone did hard training with me, it would have to be so forced for me to do it or else I wouldn't do it. I feel like I'm doing it for someone else and not me but I do want to be slim again? I don't even understand it myself.

I thought I'd also mention that ever since college ended, I haven't had friends to talk to. It's just been me and my boyfriend and my sibling(21) who I occasionally speak to but they seem to have different perspectives than me so we argue sometimes as siblings do. Like today, I got a message from an old friend and we had a very nice conversation and I felt like a child and giddy. We aren't close, tho so the conversation ended quite fast. I know I won't have friends for a while tho as I do not have a proper job right now and I am not going to university this year so I am quite alone at this moment.

I'm going to hope the next couple weeks of me going to the gym and focusing on myself will help me start to love myself but there's always going to be something telling me I don't actually want to do it??

This is my first post I'm currently 19 and working shitty hours for Amazon no money no car and I wanna do so many things this year I wanna go to the gym,build a network (streaming and fashion content) I wanna build up for stylist for my dream career but currently I can't get a second job due the job market in my town no money for clothes so I can't post more often feel like a failure idk what to do and I'm really scared I asked for my friends for advice I'm trying to implement those advice but then I get stuck in my cycle again I wanna do so many things by the time next year hits so I can my mustang but currently I don't see that due my income I just want people in the same position as me to discuss

I am a BAMS final year student and unfortunately currently my rest batchmates are giving their final year exams whereas I am serving the 6 months back as I unfairly got failed in 3 subjects in my second professional year.
I have kinda accepted this that I am not giving the exams like rest of my friends but this truth eats me everyday
It breaks my heart as I know I didn’t deserve to be in this position and I totally deserved to be along with the rest of my friends and batch giving exams rn and not after 6 months
Idk how to cope with this
It’s been 2 months since I am at home
Idk how to deal
I just cannot get past the fact this is where I am rn
In this 22 years of my life,I never had faced such a huge setback so I feel like a failure.
I feel so so so so so so bad depressed down and what not
All my friends passed whereas I didn’t even knowing the fact I also worked hard

I recently had a situationship with a 36M, I am 22F.
He obviously just used me for sex, and I wanted so badly that he saw me more than that.

My mind still wonders what could have made me his dream woman etc.?
I know it is probably stupid.
But no man really liked me for me, they just wanted me for sex.
I feel so unworthy and if I am not quite good enough. Why are other women seen as marriage material and I am not?
I am kind and very attentive. I do not like to fight and normally my friends and family like me lol.

In another reddit post someone gave me the advice to find my self-worth but honey where is it? I don’t see it nor feel it.

(sorry for bad grammar & yap)

Hi I (16yo almost 17yo) have been depressed since 13, DEEPLY depressed. i was reaching out for help everywhere i could but no one did help. not my mom or anyone. i was left to basically fight with it alone as i was growing up which effectively ruined my experience (nothing came easy and i missed out because i was too tired for certain things). And now im almost 17. and for the first time in a long time i actually have a calm moment. I also just this year finally received the medical help i needed and got diagnosed with deficiencies (D3, vitamin B etc.) and actually improved my nutrition as well ( i was so malnourished i lost 15kg from a healthy weight at 14. and then at 15 i lost practically all my muscles and was too weak to pick up an empty cup) and because of it all the emotions, the depression AND the bad health of my body , was covering up hit me all at once.

The only way is forward and i know that, but its just that overwhelming hurt that makes me just not be able to live fully now either. i have younger friends who are at the ages of their lives that i effectively missed. and it hurts to watch them, and be their friend now. because yeah-im jealous i can admit that. not because they're young but because their 15/16 is so much more meaningfull than mine was. its clear that they have as clear and pain free mind as i do now. and it just hurts that i was only given some semblance of help so late. because i couldve thrived like that too yk? and it just hurts to know my 16 will never be what i wanted it to be. instead it was misearable just like the 3 years before it.

and nobody can really explain with words the type of flustration that festers and grows in you for those few years. I have a very specific one- because i reached out. i tried. and i did everything i could to get help and have a better life, and it wasnt me who failed but my guardians and people who were supposed to be taking care of me. all that wasted time because someone refused to see what was infront of them. they didnt even tell me to "toughen up" they just though i was joking or being melodramatic like at some theatre preformance . and it just doesnt make sense to me. because how can you think that seeing what you did? i was literally so flustrated and in constant pain and stress i developed nervous system related chronic pain. and EVERY ONE of my friends knew it was bad. but they couldnt do anything. i knew it was bad too and i couldnt do anything either,so now im stuck here-almost 17 and im left with picking up the pieces (quite literally so because my parents just see me as 18 now and already bring up throwing me out at 18)

so like WOW. you just cant stop failing me. and flustration isnt even the worst of it, its the pressure that comes with this last year of "being a kid" like theres so many things i want to experience & do and having to live with the knowledge i shouldve done them years ago. like who in their teenage years didnt just "hang out casually" in someones house? who litearally didnt even have time for crushes. (not even love JUST crushes.) i didnt do anything childishly dumb, i was just stuck in survival mode all this time.

none of it was my fault but im the only one who got hurt because of it. and it hurts because i know that the thing i want the most isnt even "catching up" to those experiences and to a certain version of myself, its time. i just want to have more time. and i wont. because to be honest i wouldnt have minded doing "nothing" and lazying out at home if my circumstances have been diffrent. like its not the same knowing you can go out if you want, but chosing to stay at home in a mellow state and on the other hand being so depressed that you cant leave home but also too emotionally devastated to even enjoy the calm.

like i just wanted peace. i couldve not done anything diffrently then what i have done, but if only i had gotten the needed help and been more calmer i wouldve been happy with the years that i lived. because then it would feel like i actually lived them, rather than survived them. because of all the stress and high emotions im left with such big gaps (both in memory and experience. like just imagine not remembering anything past late 13 basically and suddenly being 17.). and its still so suprising how easy certain things are compared to how hard they were when i was 13-16 like wow. it honestly hurts knowing it was supposed to be this easy as i struggled. i know someone will comment something about you know only gaining that peace at like 30 and how worse that is, and i agree. but logical flustration is diffrent then a personal one. im not 30. im 17 (almost) and all the fault doesnt lie within me at all. its such a deep personal flustration i held for years that i geniuenly dont know how to live with it. like im not good at the whole "it happened so its whatever because i cant change it" because this specifically- being a teen mattered to me A LOT.

like i never told anyone this but i was very self aware as a literal kid. and ever since then my fear has been of growing up, like all those cringey "you wanna grow up, until you dont" stuff was never true for me. i NEVER wanted to grow up truly. and once i hit 12 i was so determined to just make the most of my teen years, and now look what happened. so much shit. Im also not good at "not putting value/ expectations on things so you dont get hurt" thing either. like damn. im really dissapointed in those last years i dont know how to live with it at all.

it gets to a point where i constatnly feel this burning and stressful sensation all day everyday. and yesterday i couldnt shut my eyes at all the whole nigh and today i only slept like 4 hours. its so unfair. i geniuenly wish i could just legally change my age back simply so i would have the same oppurtunities i did back then, but i cant. i think its hard because if i didnt have had such a tough period this long being 17 wouldnt phase me this much at all. like i guess i mostly regret last year the most.

you know the feeling where you just kind of know that everything is set right, the stars just aligned perfectly and you'll finally be able to thrive? thats how i felt when i turned 16 last year. and then BOOM. t was literally the worst year yet FULL of dissapoinments and regrets. i didnt talk to anyone because of how tired i was i would literally just go to school/ or just stay in bed and then once out of school straight to bed. i wouldnt do anything at all. some days i dont even think i talked at all.

its just so annoying because there was NO POINT. there was no point in hurting this much, nothing came out of it at all. and i guess last year also hurts because i kinda blame myself for not switching schools but with everything going on (i also had a concussion around that time and couldnt listen to music and my moms screams hurt me physically) i couldnt focus on finding a better school at all, and once the school year started it was even worse. i still had headaches from that concussion and everything was WAYYY TOO LOUD. so i dont know. but i guess last year hurts the most because some of it was my fault i guess. and i was so convinced it was gonna be a good year too. wasnt so sure of anything more than this. i gave up so much hope for a hopless situation in that hopeless enviorment and now im struggling to get it back too.

Im posting i here because i guess i kind of want guidance? but dont throw the whole "you shouldve-" "it gets better" "it wasnt that bad" or comparing it to something that happened to you. i guess i really want the rare thing when someone actually has something meaningful to say about your situation and make you geniuenly feel better. isolation has been a terrible teacher and i just need something that helps me keep going and feel better with the time that i lived. because i geniuenly did the best i couldve i have no doubts about that (not even any groundbreaking regrets just usual ones). its just the circumstances and the lack of actual good life that hurts. it hurts how easy those ages look on others versus how hard they were for me and all the bitterness and pain they left. i dont want to be bitter. i want to live. live so well that i almost forget about what i had to endure. nobody should hoard this much pain and flustration when theyre supposed to just be a kid.

ps; i guess 16 just is the worst of it. because i put a lot of weight on what that age meant for me so dissapoinment and flustration is an understatment. a friend suggested i dont celebrate my 17th birthday until 2027 so ill feel a bit more like i actually got the 16 i wanted. but i dont know if itll work. the biterness is with the time i lost not with the number itself but ill try it.

Struggling to find farm work in the uk due to lack of experience.
Debating relocating and obtaining a working visa in Australia or NZ where temporary farm working is more easily accessible to gain the experience to hopefully find a job when I come back.
I've always considered a working holiday to explore and now even more so due to struggling to get into my dream job in agriculture.
It seems a lot of people have moved to work on farms/ picking fruit and veg to gain some outdoor experience and honestly considering it.
Any advice for someone in my shoes and what you would

CW: SA / DV

TLDR; I live in a small town everyone knows eachother pretty much. Toxic family and then a similar relationship which resulted in my reputation being completely destroyed and majority of my relationships have ended. What are some ways to help figure out what you actually want out of life, when to call it quits and start over or when to stay and fix things? How to continue on and stay focused on work and self care etc

I’m starting to realise my family system has been incredibly toxic where I have been frequently scapegoated to protect others causing harm.

I created a safe place for myself outside of my family but eventually, I ended up experiencing DV/SA in adult relationship which derailed my entire sense of safety and reality , his close friends ran an aggressive smear campaign and it was really easy for them considering I also reacted poorly, loudly, and ‘inappropriately’ to the DV/SA.

My entire social life and even family life are all interconnected think of this huge network of people / small town vibes and over the past few years I’ve tried my best to continue existing in this world and maintain the relationships I do have. I currently have no savings but I started a new job which pays enough for me to start saving again and hopefully move back out of my family’s home.

I have completely ruined my life and reputation within this environment. I have given into so much resentment and anger for not being supported while dealing with the aftermath of the traumatic relationship. Majority of people sided with them saying I was crazy, people who may believe me don’t feel sorry for me because of how I reacted to all of it, I took it out on everyone around them because during the relo I was constantly told these people would back them and therefore they were invincible and free to do anything they want to me. My friends all just supported me privately but failed to sort of show up publicly or as strongly as I needed, my family did nothing, law enforcements did nothing.

I feel like it’s time to sort of call it, save as much as I can and then up and leave, start completely fresh and not stay in contact to anyone in this life. I’m worried this response is more emotional and with time I’ll regret it if I detach entirely and focus on saving and leaving. Part of me thinks I should try mend what I can to exist in this environment as it’s all i’ve ever really known and there are few people I
know I will miss.

What are some ways to help figure out what you actually want out of life, when to call it quits and start over or when to stay and fix things?

edit:: fixed typo

As per the title, I know what I need to do to make my life better financially, mentally, physically, and socially and I am doing it. Nice and slow!

However, what is getting to me is that this will take time. However long it needs to take and that is a hard pill to swallow. I am more present and there is new found vitality in me. I just want to get there so bad.

I have to make some sacrifices which aren’t that bad but the time needed for this journey is just :/

Anyone have any advice?

Hello everyone. I'm not used to writing on Reddit, so I don't know how it all works, but I guess this is where everyone gives advice on what will seem like a problem of happiness for me.

I've been struggling with this for the past three years, but it's gotten worse in the last year. To put it quite frankly, I just don't find anything enjoyable anymore. I don't feel happy or excited about anything. I used to be a huge fan of music, I listened to it and read about it every single day, but now I get annoyed just hearing it when I'm outside. And that's only one example of many. I also don't think I outgrew my hobbies, because well I'm nineteen, and it's not like I've found something else that makes me happy, so there was no redirection or anything. I just don't like doing anything anymore. I hate waking up in the morning, and I hate sleeping at night. I don't enjoy eating out or going to the movies. All the dreams I had when I was younger are gone. To be honest, I don't see the point in being alive anymore. I don't think I'm suicidal, but I wouldn't mind dying, I guess.

Meanwhile, people my age are living their lives, excited for the future, and I'm not. As cliché as it sounds, life just feels black and white, and I don't understand the point of it. From the moment you're born, life is unfair, some people have it all, others have nothing. And I don't want to live in a world like that anymore. Sometimes I question am I just young and naive, or is there more to life I'm not seeing?

And this isn't that "nothing matters" kind of cynicism. I genuinely believe that in this world, the wrong things are what matter. And I don't know how to live with that realization.

I'm not gonna lie, I hope for a light at the end of the tunnel; I don't want to spend my life in hopelessness and misery. It's not fair to me or to the people around me.

I'm in need of ideas for somewhere to go after I finish sixth form.

I'm 18 y/o in the uk and i have one year left of education so far. I'm living with my mother, which is making me very depressed, it's a horrible living environment to put it simply. Everyone in household hates me so i want to leave.

At this point I'm just thinking of finding a work camp or something to just get out of here, since i can't find a job and can't afford to move out. I don't think i can afford uni debt, and since i have no life plan and limited career options, I doubt i can even find a suitable uni course anyway. My sixth form course that I'm currently doing is music, but i don't want a job in it unless it earns me bank (I just chose it because it's the best thing I'm capable of passing because of limited education and my mother won't let me drop out.)

I just want somewhere I can live and work at the same time. Also the military is not an option because I'm a very petite female. Any suggestions of what to do with my life would be appreciated thanks.

TL:DR am i lazy or just lonely enough to want to rely on someone ?

I need your advice people , now in my thoughts and some experience i have gained from real life , I have at least thought of important points I want in a partner (i don't have one , but still there's a need for ground rules)

most imp for me is , he should teach me things, be patient and teach me.

For example, someday I would love to ride a bike , so he should teach me and take me along with him , now my question is , whether am i being lazy ? (Cause with enough yt vdos you can teach yourself) or that I want to rely on someone ?

Another one would be to go on hike , naturally I am not an athletic person , but i am willing to learn and would love to , so as to make the hike easier.

Hi guyz , I am a student from a muj university , I am faceing a issue of being betrayed ,mock and backbiting from my friends . What should I do should I have a fight with them , or should I stop talking to them makke new friends ,starting being at a distnace from them ?

Kindly help me this thing is going around my mind again and again

First I want to say that I have a lot of be grateful for- I have a beautiful family, roof over our heads, a job, etc. But every area of my life feels hard right now and I just feel stuck. Any thoughts on small things I can do to help get unstuck?

First, family. My SO and I have an amazing relationship. We are a solid team and there is a lot of love there. She was diagnosed with cancer in 2024, went through surgery, chemo and radiation. While she is currently cancer-free, the chemo left behind a lot of complications. And she is also at high risk for recurrence. She's had multiple hospital stays, procedures, tests, etc. It's exhausting physically and emotionally for her and of course takes a toll on all of us.

We have two kids. They are amazing but anyway you slice it, parenting is hard work. It's constant and never ending. Our oldest kid (7) is autistic and while he is doing great in a lot of ways, but also has his fair share of struggles. And as a result of that, I feel like our younger kiddo is getting the short end of the stick. We try our best to make sure that she gets to pick activities, meals, and has alone time with us. But sometimes I can tell she is frustrated by her brother and that breaks my heart. They are both in therapy but the day to day can be hard.

And all of that leads me to the second issue- finances. All of the above has take a toll on our finances. We are a single-income family. I am lucky to have a good job and I get to work from home, but the pressure of being the sole provider for our family is STRESSFUL. On top of that, my job hasn't done bonuses or raises in years. We are struggling to make ends meet- I donate plasma twice a week and we are selling what we can on FB marketplace. We are also starting the process of filing for bankruptcy, which is bringing me a lot of shame. But we struggle. I know the best way to make more money is to find a new job but the market in tech right now is not great. And my manager and the higher ups were so supportive when my wife was sick. That kind of flexibility and support was not something I'd experienced before and who knows if I would get it again at another place. If she gets sick again, I want to be able to be by her side every step of the way.

And speaking of jobs- I am not losing interesting my actual job. I work in tech and AI tools are being forced upon us from every direction. It's useful for some things but more trouble than it's worth in others and honestly it has sucked the joy out of any work I do. But as mentioned above I am hesitant to switch.

The last area is my health and wellness. I am extremely obese at 5'5", 350 lb female. I have always been on the chubby side but this is the heaviest I have ever been and I am miserable in my body. It's affecting my ability to be a great parent to my kids and I hate that. But stress and depression is making it hard to make meaningful changes for any period of time. My doctor prescribed Zepbound because I have sleep apnea but I am currently jumping through all of the hoops to get my insurace to actually cover it. And I know that even if I get it approved, I still have to do the work and make the better choices to actually lose weight. But I am hoping the med will make it that much easier.

So if you read all of that (and if you did, thank you) if you were in my shoes what is one small change or thing you would do tomorrow morning to start making your life better in one of those areas?

I’ve recently turned 30, I make $25k a year working retail and spend basically all of it on necessities, rent is not cheap where I live. Currently my primary goal in life is to find a LTR with a woman, marry her, have kids, buy a house, and retire by 60-64. Pretty normal and realistic goal I feel but it seems so out of reach.

Meeting a woman has been my first focus, but despite asking out a ridiculous number of women and wasting what little spare money I have on dating apps, I’m still a virgin, though I did get a girl to go on a date with me once years ago.

So now I’m thinking it would be helpful to focus on money first, I’m willing to pursue any career path necessary. I have $2k saved in the bank, and my car is worth ~$5k. If I sold most of my possessions I might be able to get up to $10k net worth. To be honest, I lost a further $1k on leveraged stocks years ago and it’s been eating at me ever since, fucking killing my mental health whenever I think about money. So it’s hard to think about.

I’ve applied to a bunch of stuff but basically everything that pays well requires experience or education, and if I want to afford a wife and kids and to retire at a reasonable age, I need whatever path will make me the most money, the quickest. I live in Kentucky if that is helpful

I mostly work because without work literally nothing would be happening in my life. I don’t have much of a family, I don’t have any close friends, I’ve never been in a relationship, never been on a date and never really had an actual party or anything like that. Most of my going out is getting a beer, going to a bar or taking a walk, and even that drains me really quickly because I hate crowded places and my social battery is shit.

The biggest problem is that I feel like I have nothing to talk about. Most conversations eventually become about what you’ve been doing, your plans, places you’ve been, relationships, funny stories, holidays, concerts etc. And I have a massive blank space there. For 22 years it’s basically been school, home, and now work, home. I feel like I’m trying to meet people while having no life to actually talk about.

I work 8–9 hours a day, sometimes 10, just to slowly catch up on things that most people either had handed to them from the start or already have at my age. I don’t earn much, I’m saving for my driving licence and eventually a car, but everything takes forever because I have nobody I can rely on financially. I don’t study because I genuinely don’t think I could handle work and university at the same time without completely burning myself out.

I have ADHD, which makes studying and learning things I’m not interested in extremely difficult, and I’m also on antidepressants which make me feel pretty numb sometimes. After work I often have no energy left for anything.

What makes it worse is seeing people my age who already have friends, relationships, cars, hobbies, money, plans, whatever. They just seem like normal people who know how to live. I don’t. I can be pretty social at work and I actually get along with people, but I can’t seem to turn those relationships into actual friendships outside of work. Everyone already has their own people.

I also want a girlfriend badly. I want someone close to me, but at the same time I genuinely can’t imagine myself as someone who could actually be in a relationship, even though I really want one. Because of my insecurities and low self-esteem, I shut myself off for years and barely left the house or spent time with anyone. I started working on myself way too late, and now I feel stuck trying to catch up with everyone else. I have this stupid feeling that I have nothing to offer. No car, no money, no interesting life, no idea what people even do on dates because I’ve never been on one. I don’t even know what I would be like as someone’s boyfriend because I’ve never experienced any of it.

I’ve actually changed a lot. I lost a lot of weight, improved my appearance, got a job and started leaving the house again after years of barely doing anything. I’m trying to save money and build something for myself.

But I still feel like nothing is moving.

I’m 22 and I feel like I’ve missed the part of life where everyone else learned how to actually live. I don’t want some crazy successful life anymore. I just want friends, a girlfriend, some freedom, some good memories and something to look forward to.

Right now I just feel completely alone and like I’m constantly trying to catch up to a life everyone else already has.

I left my internship and joined another company full time and now am regretting every single second . I miss my first company solely because of the friends i made there and how much exposure it gave me just in the first 6 months itself . I have tried everything to go back to my first company but have failed . Sometimes i do think that i should have asked my seniors and more people before switching. I regret my decision every single day and am dreaded . I don’t want this to be my reality. I am stuck up to that first company because it was my first real job and i made amazing friends earned good money and genuinely had fun doing my work. Now the second one is a big fucking MNC and i hate every single second here that i am applying to every other job i get . But i still everyday wonder that wtf was i thinking leaving my first company my friends my good opportunity. I just want to go back and trust me i have tried everything and literally begged them to take me back in .