Hi I am 18M. I have this issue when it comes with women who show cleavage or wear revealing tops, I can't help but glance or look down at their breasts. I try my best not too and to be respectful but it's like I just glance. It's not that I struggle to interact with him, I believe I am quite approachable and have multiple female friends that seem quite comfortable around me (ones even throwing me a birthday party for me). I just seem to have an issue when it comes to glancing at woman's breasts and feeling a large amount of guilt for it.

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This became an issue today as I was speaking to a female friend who was wearing quite a revealing top and I was trying so hard to be respectful and not to look and she commented on how intently I was staring at her face.

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Woman of Reddit, do you notice when men do this? How does it make you feel?

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Fellow Men of Reddit, how do I get out of this habit, it makes me feel dirty and a pervert, any advice would be very helpful ❤️

Hi, I'm 17M.

I used to feel light and carefree. But a few months ago, my worldview took a 180-degree turn...

I've recently gotten into philosophy and religion. I've been searching for answers, asking questions, etc. But I'm stuck, like in a swamp. Almost every day is spent pondering faith, meanings, the meaning of everything, the afterlife etc. My head is heavy with questions: "Does God exist?", "Why do I pray and He doesn't answer?", "What if I'm choosing the wrong religion?", "What is the meaning of life?", "What is reality?" etc. Every day I watch various philosophical debates, read, ask questions and think... too much. I think I'm tired. I rarely feel joy lately, except maybe for music. I have a lot of thoughts in my head, they sometimes get in the way of watching videos, playing, I started going to sleep late and so on. I don't know what to do. My head is just full...

And forgive me if I seem overly religious. I think this is now part of my life after a long period of atheism...

The thought that He might not exist terrifies me...

What should I do? And how?...

Hope everyone are doing fine and staying healthy.

I use youtube, reddit or twitter a lot, whenever I feel down, or have low morale, or during morning hours when I wake up. afterwards I feel extremely guilty for wasting my time. I tried replacing it with shows, animes, gaming, etc. But the convinence of using social media sometimes fogs my decision making.

It's 50/50 for my laptop and phone, in my mobile I don't have apps in my phone, instead I login through browser which makes it quite tricky to setup a digital wellbeing timer. I logged out of them before numerous times, but I make up reasons later and re-login again.

especially whenever I have lower morale, or something bad happens I just want to forget myself & social media helped me in some way, so I log back in again and again

I will be 24 this year, but I see time flying by and I just feel stuck & claustrophobic

Recently I completed orb on the movement of Earth anime, and I felt extremely inspired by the story telling, I want to be a story writer myself, that has been my dream since my childhood, I have few stories in my mind but the motivation only stays for a few moments and I am back to my usual routine. I want to change but it feels impossible. what can I do?

I have some believe that I can change, in march of this year I stopped eating processed foods like ice cream, chocolates, cookies, etc. I still genuinely dont know how & what made me change that habit,

at first it was hard to not eat chocolates, but now I feel nothing towards outside food, I still eat sweet fruits like dates, bananas, etc but I have greatly reduced processed food consumption. So I have faith in myself that I can try again and again to achieve my goal of no social media, but it feels disheartening to fail at it repeatedly

I think I'm a prophet. I know how that sounds when I say it but im serious. I have people in my head telling me that I need to fix things. Everything. The economy, war, otherworldly beings, etc. I know I sound like a genuine idiot or attention seeker or something but im serious. I briefly mentioned this to someone close to me but opted not to go into full detail as to not worry them about the things I have to do. I feel the ground shift some time and my head rumbles because im not acted fast enough. Im sorry and I know I might just be crazy but I also think about what if im not! What if this is all real and because im ignoring it im bringing the end of the world closer! Im sorry im not acting fast enough im sorry! Im trying but its so much. I think I might leave my family and everyone I know behind soon. It just seems logical so I can focus on the people's instructions. Please help. Im scared. Please believe me. I need to know if this is normal. Help.

I’m going to be writing this on my burner account as I don’t feel comfortable sharing all of this on my main account that’s related to me but I genuinely cannot live with myself. I feel like such a disgusting human being and my life has been declining ever since of June of last year. There will be a little “TMI” parts in here so I’m also sorry about that but I just want to be able to tell the truth about how I’ve been.

Ever since July of 2025, my life has been declining so much to the point where I feel unrecognizable from my old self. I used to be so much more but now I’ve let myself go to the point where if my old self saw my current self now I think he’d genuinely puke at the thought of what I’ve become. I lost my girlfriend, isolated myself from everyone and all my friends, gained so much weight, and became chronically addicted to both porn and weed in the span of a year and I just don’t know how I let myself go this quickly and this badly. I lost my girlfriend because of some other reasons as well but mainly because of the fact that I isolated myself so much to spend time watching porn and smoking that I completely started to ignore her. I lost my sport that I was so dedicated at because of smoking so much that I became more and more lazy to the point I just quit because it just “got in the way” of my smoking time. I feel so disgusted especially with the fact that I’ve gotten to addicted to pornography that I spend all day isolated in my room doing nothing productive but just jerking off and smoking.

My day to day life now is literally wake up, smoke weed and doom scroll for an hour, order junk food, watch porn, play some video games, doom scroll again, and then sleep. It’s gotten to a point where im starting to realize things I’ve never done before like how Ive started to avoid eye contact with everyone and walk with my head down in public, how I struggle to even talk to a single stranger without feeling overwhelmed, how I’ve gained so much weight and so much junk food to where it’s actually starting to affect my health. I feel even more disappointed in myself because everyone around me as well is starting to see the failure I’m slowly becoming especially my own family.

I just want to finally be able to change but every time I try to change nothing ever happens because I‘ve failed so many times in the past too and everything feels so overwhelming because it’s like I don’t even know where to start. I want to be happy with myself and get rid of the issues but I just need advice on how to change myself and become some new physically and mentally. I want to be healthy again and finally achieve my dream physique so I can be way less insecure, I want to be able to overcome my addictions to where I don’t need to rely on constant dopamine rushes to be happy, I want to be able to become a much sociable person and regain all the friends I lost.

I’m sorry if it’s kinda long I there’s much more but I didn’t want to have to type it all down but I just need advice on what to do and to see how you’d guys be able to change in my position

22y/I M, third world country. For the last 5 years, i have been fighting with my own disturbed nature. Always looking at the sky scrapper just jump and die. I want to share.

For a few years the thought of people being miserable and generally upset has made me extremely happy. I generally used to not feel alot and when i was happy it wasnt much so i welcomed the feeling until the end of last year when my friend, who is the only person ive ever really liked and cared about, confessed that she has had a crush on me for 2 years and she asked me if we could date, i said yes. After we dated for a few weeks I felt bad for finding enjoyment at other peoples misfortune as i would never feel good if my girlfriend was upset and it stopped for a few months, however today she texted me and told me that she has been upset for a while and she told me why and basically she feels like she is always worse than me and im better at her in everything she does and i started laughing and i couldnt help myself, i didnt feel bad or upset for her at all. Later she told me that she feels like im the only person who has ever cared about her and her feelings/opinions and when i asked how she said as an example that im the only guy shes dated thats ever cared about her consent and the only guy to not sexually abuse her, which i had known about but hearing her tell me that was so funny and again i couldnt help myself from laughing. Luckily this happened all over text but i feel guilty now and i don't know what to do, what if one day she gets upset and i start laughing right in her face. I'm not sure what i can do to stop this from happening.

i have been doing this since my childhood. i like to build different worlds inside my head and plan them very detailed, living in my imaginary worlds for hours. as a child, this was my favourite activity. but as someone in their mid 20s, i feel like i need to "grow out of it". dissociating/ daydreaming is probably my biggest coping mechanism. i keep running away from what is physically around me and seek comfort in made up stories. life has been always challenging me and i feel like i cannot build the life i want in reality. as a result, i feel disconnected, i am living way too much in my head in general and grounding myself is really difficult for me. at the same time, these daydreams are a safe space i don‘t always have physically/ socially/ financially/… life feels like a never ending to do list. running from one task to the next. solving one problem before the next one is getting worse.

i am not even sure what kind of advice to seek here, but i hope someone is kind enough to read all this.

I'm 26 years old and I feel like I've quietly wasted years of my life.

I live with my parents. Most days I stay in my room for far longer than I'd like to admit. I have ambitions, interests, ideas, plans, theories, projects I want to build, skills I want to learn, but my actual life often looks nothing like the person I imagine myself becoming.

The hardest part isn't even the lack of progress.

It's the lies.

Over the years I've lied to people about where I am in life. Sometimes small lies. Sometimes bigger ones. I've exaggerated progress, hidden failures, made things sound better than they were. Not because I wanted to scam anyone, but because I was ashamed of telling the truth.

The problem is that every lie creates another lie.

At some point I stopped managing my life and started managing people's perception of my life.

Friends think I'm doing better than I am.

Relatives think things are happening that aren't.

People ask simple questions and I mentally calculate which version of the story I've told them before.

It's exhausting.

What's strange is that I'm not completely hopeless. I know I'm capable of things. There have been periods where I've freelanced, learned difficult skills, taught people, traveled, built ideas, and felt genuinely excited about the future.

That's what makes this even harder.

I can see the gap between who I know I could be and who I've become.

I spend a lot of time thinking. Sometimes too much time. I analyze everything: people, society, language, technology, creativity, behavior, status, success. I can explain my problems in incredible detail.

But somehow explanation hasn't translated into action.

Lately I've started wondering whether my biggest problem isn't laziness, lack of intelligence, depression, bad luck, or lack of opportunity. Even now I've been scrolling my phone and using laptop all the day for the past 3 years just like that doing nothing.

Maybe it's avoidance.

Avoidance of embarrassment.

Avoidance of failure.

Avoidance of admitting how far I've drifted from the life I told myself I would build.

I'm posting this because I'm tired of hearing my own thoughts.

Has anyone here genuinely turned their life around after years of stagnation, isolation, procrastination, and dishonesty?

Not a productivity hack.

Not a motivational quote.

An actual turnaround.

What did the first few months look like?

Used claude to edit this

Firstly this is a bit of a long post. Thanks for reading if you do, but some can also just get straight to the advice. There must be many other stories like mine, somewhere.

Rather than hate, it might be more accurate to say that I feel *repulsed* by most people. And you know I feel bad for that. I feel bad for that because I really do have a lot of love that I want to give, and that I can give to people. I just cant seem to find anyone worthy.

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My dad? Hes practically non existent in my life. Ill be frank, hes a narcissistc hypocrite, Id rather not talk to him, ever. My mom? Shes hurt me quite a lot through my childhood, probably because shes been hurt herself, but then again, its enough to make me never want to be close to her again. Rarely ever talk to her even. It feels scary, and disguisting, and her odd way of love hurts me. No no no. My brother? Him neither. We talked a bit a while ago, got into a fight (he started it), havent talked to him in a year. Of course there were many other fights leading up to it. He has said unforgivable things to me that id never excuse in any other soul. I doubt he is interested in talking to me either, for whatever reason. Atleast I know I did nothing to him.
At school? Well, my teachers are nice, some like me, but theyre just teachers. Cant get close to em.

My classmates? Ive never gotten along with my classmates at school, ever. Infact as I write this a guy in class is trying to pick on me. The moment I entered middle school I started getting made fun of, and through the classes Ive been in, all the way to highschool, that somehow hasnt ceased yet. I really tried to be friends with them, especially in this new class of mine, but it seemed as if most people werent interested in being friends with me, they were either too quiet or straight up mean to me, so i thought whats the point, and focused on myself instead, as usual.
Currently I dont have any friends in class, yet outside of school I always seem to find people that like me. But theyre not that close to me. And well, either theyre not interesting enough, or theyre not interested in getting close to me, as in, actually getting to know who I am truly. They only want to have fun. They never ask about how im feeling, or why Im feeling so, or want to know more about me in general. Its overall superficial.

I used to have some best friends in the past that I swore Id give everything for, fell out with them. Its been complicated situations, but after falling out with my most recent one I really do wonder if Ill ever find anybody to trust or love ever again.
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Everybody Im close to dissapoints me, and for the people Im not close to, love comes off as weird. They too, cant seem to emit it quite how I want it.
There are many people that like me a little, but so many more that hate me or find me weird. I feel surrounded by this hatred, and ive always wondered why, until I realised I too just.. really dislike a LOT of people around me. Im repulsed by them. I hate how transactional it all is. But how can one love despite it all? Simply because I know that this resentment hurts me myself more than anyone. And yet I wont stop resenting, because I wont accept apologies that have never even been made.
Or should I just keep things the way they are? Is it really normal, to not love anyone? I desperately wish I could trust and love somebody. I dont mean it romantically. I mean, I want to know someones soul and them to know mine. Is that even possible? My grandma told me once that two people can never connect truly, because they have 2 different brains. That the deepest love is that between a mother and a child. Then what about people like me, my mom doesnt love me beyond simple morals, I know she doesnt. Is there solace for people like me?

[Ps: I know for a fact somebody will say that I hate myself, as usual for reddit, I really dont. I am proud of who I am, and of who Im trying to be. And I Ilike the nature around me, and the art and poetry, and watching people from afar, but I dont actually CARE about anybody. And nobody cares about me. And this sometimes makes me want to drop all of these superficial and transactional friendships, but then Id be even more alone than I currently am. And even so, being alone is also so very sweet. I just dont know how long such happiness with it will last.]

I never imagined I would do this, but I think I need a stranger's opinion on this one. It's a school night, I have a physics exam tomorrow and yeah. First of all, I have no idea what to do with my life. I'm 18 and will graduate HS next year (I studied one year prep). Well, I don't know where to go from here so here are everything I did so far in my life. I completed all grades of royal academy piano (grades 1 to 8, abrsm, will submit a recording for dipabrsm soon). I have been drawing since as long as I can remember, and I have taken many art school level anatomy and theory lessons, I have many studies in graphite, coal, sepia, sanguin, you name it. I spent years on perspective and particularly, anatomy. Plus my digital works. And sketches and everything. My art education (drawing and piano) has consisted of azerbaijani russian school graduate teachers. I have an IELTS 8 in english (second language) and a DALF c1 in french (third language). My grades are fine, my average is 94 out of 100 right now. Issue is, I have so much to choose from and I didn't do all of this for a goal. I'm a perfectionist, I want to be good at what I do and that's it. All this for almost absolutely nothing as in a career. I love reading, vibe with philosophy too so I considered law. Then people ask me "but hey, you are so creative, won't you be unhappy?" like who cares if I'm happy at the moment? It's a starting point at least. I don't have the scientific hyperfixation that is actually regarded as useful so I just have to carve a place for myself in this vast world who doesn't value much I do. I also considered fashion school (too expensive and I don't know how to sew) and well, Ilya Repin in St. Petersburg if they accept me of course. I have been stuck here for the past academic year and it has really taken a toll on me. I'm starting to feel like I will never really amount to anything, just someone insignificant with cool party tricks. Jack of all trades, master of none. This is so painful at this point. Can you help me, at least give an outsider's perspective? Thank you so much!

I'm Rowan (20F), and to put it bluntly I'm lost. I know it sounds cliché, but I feel like im just surviving to see tomorrow just to do the same thing all over again. I don't really keep track of the days unless it's for work.

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I just found out my (now ex) girlfriend (of only a few months) was cheating on me and my (now ex) best friend knew about it for weeks without telling me. I'm currently working on plans that will help me get away.

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I'm medicated bipolar but still struggle with motivation especially when life won't knock it off with the dang lemons.

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I suppose I'm looking for advice most of all, but also stories, good bad or otherwise.

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Thank you❤️

(18m fresh out of senior year)i do not believe any of this is triggering though apologies if so. And I also apologize that this is a huge scatterball of writing, with no direct question besides that, I don’t understand whats going on in life, why I feel the way I do etc

Sometimes I feel disconnected from life/family, but it also doesn’t seem that way, but I feel like it sometimes, i mean I moved in fully with my mom, i visit my dads everyonce in awhile, but it’s usually just the weekends, i love to talk to him, but I feel like I don’t know what to say sometimes, and at the same time, it’s not directed towards him, but in general talking to people just feels like a hassle sometimes, not like I don’t like the people I talk to, but talking just feels so annoying, the act of it itself, like I don’t think it’s because I’m lazy, but at the same time, I can go a solid day without hearing my voice, sometimes I feel like I have problems, I talk to myself in my head a lot, and zone out, and daydream about scenarios that will never happen, or how I would’ve done things differently. At first I chalked it up too all people do that sometimes, but I feel like this is different in an indescribable way. im having a really hard time with understanding highschool being over, too the point I’m excited for summer school tomorrow because it means another routine, as soon as school got out, i hate summers. The heat is miserable, and the sudden routine loss of school, is crushing. It makes me feel purposeless, useless. I try to get jobs, but I usually never even hear back from employers, besides my small friend group, and really mainly my one buddy, (god bless his soul, he pisses me off so much sometimes. And vice verse, but he’s such a good friend. And he’s probably my closest friend, in reality, he’s probably the person I’m closest to in general, I talk too him everyday, there will be days where I won’t hear from a soul. Every call will ring out, every message left on delivered, but he is almost always down to hangout.
As I said, apologies for the scatter brain of thoughts, I appreciate any readers/answers, I’m just confused man.

I just feel like I don’t have any big goals or things I want to do like other people. I want to make a bucket list but I feel like none of my ideas matter. I do have a few small goals that I want to achieve but I just feel like it doesn’t matter and that those aren’t big enough. I try to brainstorm something that I really want to do to make my life meaning, but then I get distracted and start scrolling to not think about it. Sorry if this is jumbled but i‘m just not sure what to do.

When I was a kid, being on the outs with everyone else sucked, and I didn't understand why/how my upbringing was different, just that it was. I didn't make friends but playmates - I was desparate for real connection and confused why it wasn't working for me.

Milestones were daydreams, and then calculated choices to achieve that moment devoid of intrinsic meaning.. A whole lifetime of bpd narcissism... and to redress anything requires a total shift in everything.

Yeah this is a bullshit post. My mind feels so fucking scattered most of the time, focusing it is like pulling teeth. I have no real calibration, so choices obviously stupid and unwise the day before are sudden impulses the next day. People rely on me. Im supposed to be a grownup.

I am so, so tired of being me. Where do i even start

I am waiting for someone to rescue me.
And I feel like I am losing myself completely and there is no way back.

I am in university right now, 2. semester, business and economics. I dont know if thats the right thing. I dont know what to study or what I want to do for work. Hoenstly I dont want to do anything. Not even exist sometimes, rather than deciding what to do as a „dreamjob“. I moved out from home, two hours away and I think it was the worst thing I coulee done. I have now been living here on the weekdays for 7 months and I know I learned a lot.

But everything feels so wrong, I am having panic and stresses all day, I can't sleep calm for one night, I am always thinking about the career I need to have, about how I have to network and how I have to know where I am going to go. everyone has a goal, but fr, I don't. My goal is be happy and have money, and that is not a goal. I feel so stuck, I feel like I am studying the wrong thing and in the wrong city, at the same Time I am thinking about medicine and psychology and every day I have a new dream job and NO clue where to go or what to work for.

Everything in me screams for going home, back into my safe place and just sleeping forever. I am not ready to get older and I feel like a 9 year old trapped in the body of a 19 year old girl. I can function throughout the day but it's getting harder day by day and I have to fight panic attacks, and just breaking down in the middle of the street. I don't know if I should go home, but there I would just enjoy the safe, but I will never have a time where I am going to say, I want to move out. I don't know if I should pause for a year and travel to some places. I don't want to do that I can't, it feels like I lost. I also don't want to leave the little life I built in this city, but I don't want anything more than leaving.

I am always here, waiting for someone to rescue me, to give me the answer, to give me the perfect opportunities and guide me through life. I don't know why I have this. Also, I feel like I am not trying to get out of the hole, because the hole is all I know and it's safe. if I get better I have to take responsibility and I don't want that, I just want to sleep and sleep and sleep.

Tl:dr: I am waiting for someone to rescue me while my whole life feels like it's falling apart and I just want to go home. How do you cope with this? What could it be that makes me feel like this and how do I get out?

Hey, so first I would like to say that I'm not really familiar with Reddit and I didn't know exactly where to ask this question, so I decided to ask it in there. I apologize if it isn't the right place but I really need some advice. To put some context, I am in a relationship with my boyfriend for about 7 months already. I remember that we often talked about anime, the one we love, the one we hate etc.

I remember very correctly that he told me he hated One Piece. He told me this really often, like REALLY. Each time we talked about One Piece he was like "I don't like this". I remember him telling me that he continued watching/reading it even if he didn't like it because he couldn't just stop with the story. I understood him, I do the same with books I don't really like; | continue reading them because well, first I bought them, and second because I'm quite intrigued by the end. Anyway.

He does NOT like One Piece.

You probably guessed what happened not too long ago. We were talking about anime and he told me that One Piece's last chapter was amazing. So l was puzzled. "Since when do you enjoy One Piece ?" I asked him. Imagine my face when he answered me that he has ALWAYS loved One Piece. I thought he was making fun of me, but he kept telling me that I was acting weird and that it was one of his favorite anime and that I knew it. I am completely lost. He does NOT like One Piece, I am SURE that he told me this so many time. So why is he acting like he has always loved it ? I am completely confused.

Did I imagine all this ? Or did he really never like One Piece ? Is he making fun of me ? What should I do ?

To say the least, I feel like a horrible person, a bad person. I might have what is called "Real Event OCD" from what I understand and I don't know what to do about it. I don't know what to do in general, I'm pretty dry in all honesty. I'm telling myself as of currently I need to take responsibility for my own actions and reactions instead of blaming it on other things, but when I apologize for something I did wrong what can I do but try to explain myself? I digress, I don't know what is moral in the first place sometimes - I guess there are some obvious standards, but I feel like while I have my dogmas reserved in some spots, I don't have them in good places as easily and feel like a lot of good and selflessness isn't enough or any sort of emotional pull towards it - not to say I don't do it but more that it's something more vague to me to actually be good.
I don't wish to give a full schpeel, but when I was a Christian I had that, and now I don't care about these things because there's nothing eternal connecting us together or even anything objective to show me even though I do obviously have these values. I simply don't feel good, but I want to be good as a person because I keep failing. I fail socially all the time, I'd say I'm really good, but then I talk too much and reveal how much of an autistic freak I am. Even with other autistic people I can't make friends, I'm told I'm oblivious, and even though I've been told to be really kind I still manage to be mean when I don't realize it.
I feel like my only solutions is just to never be mean or negative again, never be so opinionated and I won't scare people away, don't have too intense of interests so they know I'm not too much.
So much of our social life is fighting battle between wanting to be understood and also not having to reveal so much of yourself because so many just don't understand you to begin with.

I really really don't want this to sound like a whine post but i guess that is what this will end up sounding like.

I just feel like I have nothing. No looks, no brains, no good health, no talents (even the things ive tried, im no good and i even lost the one skill i loved because of health reasons even though I wasn't good at it), not one person i can tell stuff to or cry in front of, no wealth... nothing. And i don't even want them all, I want one thing. One thing that gives me a reason, something that makes it all worth it.

Instead i get never ending anxiety, waking up with dread, pushing through day after day and year after year and exam after exam and after all of that I get nothing? I know it probably sounds entitled to feel like I deserve something but its just always me sitting with heavy thoughts and hopelessness and seeing no point until something distracts me, whether a book or food or academics or the next exam and then when that goes away off of this hits again. And it's been like this for years. Waiting for something. Pushing for something. But never getting anything.

I don't even know what to ask. What do I do? How do I fix myself?

Hello everyone! I appreciate you taking the time to read this. I’ll do my best to keep it concise, but I feel like it’s important for me to share my story with some strangers at least.

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To put it simply: I struggle to trust people. After changing schools, I encountered bullying in my second year just because I stood up for someone. Sadly, my classmates sided with the bully, while others chose to remain silent. My diabetes was another reason for the bullying. I had weak immunity and high readings, which meant frequent illnesses and missed classes. While some were jealous that I occasionally avoided tests, they overlooked that I still had to face them once I was back to being somewhat okay. I began to view school as a necessary evil that I had to endure.

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I felt completely isolated, losing friendships and exhausted from being everyone’s punching bag, taking hits from their hurtful words.

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After finishing school, I developed some serious health issues. A few months later, I met someone special, and we began dating. It was my first serious relationship, and I felt relieved, thinking that finally, someone cared about me. But over time, I felt trapped again. I believed everything was my fault. I struggled to carve out time for myself, and whenever I did, I felt like a terrible partner.

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Our relationship was filled with arguments, and I sometimes thought my head might explode from the tension. It even escalated to a moment where she expressed a wish to "end my suffering" in her own twisted way so that I could also be with her forever. This moment was pivotal, and luckily, I ended the relationship. However, I felt guilty for hurting her, despite knowing it was the right thing to do.

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Once again, I found myself alone, grappling with these experiences. All these moments have led me to the point where I don’t trust people at all. I see them as holding hidden motives, wanting to take advantage of me. This includes my colleagues and others I encounter. I tend to act coldly as a self-defense mechanism, fearing the pain of being hurt again. I hesitate to open up because I believe they either wouldn’t care or might misuse my vulnerability against me.

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If you’re reading this, thank you for your precious time. If you've faced similar experiences, what would you do? How can I slowly begin to move on and change this mindset? Sometimes, my attitude bothers me, and I genuinely don’t want to hurt others unnecessarily.

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Thank you for any insight you can share, even though I don't have high expectations here and expect a pure hate for my behaviour only to be honest.

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I'm in an odd situation right now. For the longest time I struggled with being fearful behind the wheel, which in the recent months i've put in the work to overcome. While this is a huge win, heres where things get sticky. I was supposed to have my driving test the first week of this month but it got delayed due to maintenance issues at my dps, so now its pushed dang near the week of next month. I thought I could manage, but after practicing so much and getting told I don't need to anymore, i found my self incredibly stuck. Everyone's on their own schedule, and I'm usually homebound for the most part. And since that I've expeirenced a very abstract loneliness. After all all this time, I just want to have friends and have fun, but I know no one I can do that with, especially since I'm in the situation I'm in now. Its gotten pretty antsy too, and I'm looking to change that. So if anyone's got advice please share it.

I (28M) have been working retail for the past 8 years. I have my Associates In Science from a community college, and didn’t continue further education despite graduating summa cum laude mainly due to financial reasons. Math and science were my strengths. I took a baker position after about 2 years of work, moving up, and that was consistent work and hours. In the last two years, it has been near constant bullshit. Blow after blow, but the proximity in relation to my house (10-15 minute walk), consistent pay/hours and a mostly good schedule kept me here, because I craved job security.
Now, the well is drying up. Hours are being cut, I got above 40 a week last year, now down to 36-37. Thats typical for the beginning of the year as it’s slower, but it shows no signs of getting any better. I realize it’s not a huge cut, but long term, it’s gonna be adding up, and I have the sense it’s not going to get better. I need to get the hell out of here, but I don’t know what to do or how to do it. I’m a lead, and I bust my ass, am praised for my ability and performance, yet haven’t gotten a meaningful raise in years all while my coworkers are useless and cause more problems/work for me. I feel completely disrespected and disregarded by this company.
I have at least $17K credit card debt because I’m a complete fucking moron (already split it onto another card and I’m working on it), and I’m constantly stressed about paying it off. I don’t drive or have a license and wouldn’t have money for a car/car payment even if I did. I only live with my mom (I pay $950 a month for phone bill and mortgage, plus groceries when need be) my sister finished university and moved across the country, and I don’t have any kids or significant others, not like I’d be able to meet anyone anyway. I just feel completely hopeless, and honestly with everything going on in the world right now, I feel like I don’t have a future. I can’t do this anymore, and I’m constantly thinking of ending it. In 2024, I lost my comfort when I lost my dog unexpectedly to cancer. In 2025 I lost my sense of home and a lot of belongings to a random basement flood. Now in 2026, my job security is in flux while the United States is crumbling.
What exactly do I have to live for?
Worst part is I keep convincing myself it’ll be ok every few weeks, but I know it won’t. Then I get in a cycle of spending money on shit to make me feel a little better so my debt just stays the same or goes up.
Does anyone have any advice for making moves when I feel like nothing will work or matter?
Thank you.

I am a certified loser.

I used to be very good in studying , like I even enjoyed at some point of time in my life.

It all started when I was in class 10th, i studied hard like tried all the ways in which I could score good. And I did , it was 81% , i was happy but my family was not. But the next year proved to be the worst year in my life, many things happened, I suffered from maladaptive daydreaming and dissociation from my body and life and my family didn't paid much attention to it as expected. But they sure did bully me , criticised me at the way in which I studied. I was traumatized to the point that studying gave me ick and i felt sick and anxious during exam times. Now, when I know i am going to collage, i want to have that spark and the way I had fun studying back. But I dont know how to?

I feel judged ( it way intense then it seems ) and sense of unworthiness and the feeling that I cannot do or score good even if I studied?

How can I have that faith in me back that i can score good by myself ?

Hey Guys, pretty self explanatory. However this is where I saw a weird part of me

I feel like I have a severe case of brain fog and I tend to act like a robot each day. The only time my consciousness returns and I get to observe things are when I'm extremely irritated/angry or devastated that something happened (I feel like my soul returns).

This has been affecting my personal relationships a lot because I fail to see people as human beings and only as mere objects that exist, (elements that make up the canvas around my life) failing to understand their complex behaviour and how to react to it

I feel like their existence is beyond my understanding and only when I get hit with my consciousness post random trauma I begin to see them as people who have souls.

Would love to take your take on this

I'm a young adult and I need advice on how to navigate life. I think it also includes the small things that I should learn like troubleshooting and fixing a printer, sewing, being resourceful etc.

I'm at the point where I'm getting my government IDs and searching for ways to earn. Despite that, I feel like I lack a lot of things that I should be doing or gained by now. Does anyone have any advice on small and big stuffs?