Will it get better?
I recently started living with roommates instead of my family, since they cause me great stress. I am friends with my roommates, and soon we plan on getting jobs in the same mall together. I cannot get a job until I get my ID next month, though.
My friends have promised to take care of me because I am so stunted. But I feel like such a burden. I am starting to wonder if getting a job will change anything. Will I even make friends? Make a difference? Will I change at all? I am stuck feeling like I am fourteen years old forever, and I'm so worried how that will effect me in the future. I'm considered "high-functioning," but inside I don't feel that way at all.
I guess in general I just want to know if getting a job and making new friends will help me feel more mature, or help me change for the better. I'm scared of being stuck forever.
@RobotPuppy of course it gets better man. you don't need some job to make you mature, or to help you get friends. it hurts to feel like a burden, talk to your friends about it. let them know. there's always someone there for you. but you aren't stuck forever. and look. i know you are an amazing person, and i know you will make a difference in only the best ways possible.
don't be afraid of being stuck, you have no idea what you're capable of.
love
Thank you. This really did help me a lot ❤️
Hi there. I wanted to reply because I deeply resonated with your post, especially the part about feeling like you're "14 years old forever." I want you to know that this gap between your chronological age and how you feel inside is incredibly common in the neurodivergent community (it's often referred to as asynchronous development). It doesn't mean you are broken, and it doesn't mean you'll be stuck like this forever.
The "high-functioning" label is often a cruel trap: it makes others assume everything comes easy to you, completely masking the exhaustion and fear you carry inside. It is completely okay not to feel "high-functioning." Your doubts and fears are real and valid.
Please, try not to see yourself as a burden. If your friends are there and promised to take care of you, it's because they see your value and genuinely care about you, not out of pity or obligation. Absolute independence doesn't exist; we are all interdependent, and we all need a safe haven and a stepping stone to start. Let them support you right now when you need it; you'll have plenty of time to give that support back in your own way later on.
Even if you feel like you aren't maturing or changing, look at what you’ve already achieved: you had the courage to leave a stressful family environment and you are actively working towards your autonomy. That takes immense strength, even if your mind is telling you otherwise.
Don't try to solve your entire adult life today. Your only goal right now is getting your ID next month. One step at a time. It will get better, and you are already on your way, even if it feels scary right now.
This was really sweet, thank you so much. It actually moved me to tears, LOL
I really, really appreciate your words. Thank you for giving me some confidence.
I'm so glad I was able to make a difference, even if it was just this once! I wish you all the best.
I'm so glad I was able to make a difference, even if it was just this once! I wish you all the best.
This is an amazing response, thanks for that. ♥️♥️♥️ I 100% agree.
Love to see this kind of caring here in the threads. It's hard, but we're not alone even when we feel like it, and we make a difference in our own ways that matter very much!
I'm so glad I was able to make a difference, even if it was just this once! I wish you all the best.
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