Life Stories and Everyday Drama - page 16

Being married to someone with ADHD is a bit like managing a never-ending whirlwind... 🤯 I'm a 39-year-old male, and let me tell you, the struggle is real! Balancing a marriage where spontaneity and disorganization reign supreme sometimes feels like a Herculean task. Words like "executive dysfunction" and "time blindness" have become part of my daily vocabulary. My vows did not include being an impromptu project manager, yet here I am, juggling schedules, managing chaos, and frequently playing the diplomat in our otherwise harmonious union.

One day blends into another, all marked by last-minute schedule changes and unexpected curveballs. I've read countless articles, promising that understanding is the key, "knowledge reduces frustration." While I do make an effort to empathize and educate myself, there are days when the constant unpredictability becomes overwhelming. Who knew that even planning a simple dinner could devolve into a logistical nightmare? 🍛 As much as I love spontaneity in small doses, I am not exactly a fan of daily surprises that involve lost keys, missed appointments, or urgent late-night runs to the store because we ran out of toothpaste (again).

Despite it all, I commend my spouse for their efforts to work with their ADHD and seek help where needed. Together, we have implemented what I like to refer to as "behavioral scaffolding”—strategies meant to curb chaos, such as color-coded calendars, digital reminders, and whispered daily affirmations of patience. On most days, these measures improve both our lives, but on others, they feel like mere Band-Aids, barely holding back the floodwaters. Have you ever heard the saying, "the straw that broke the camel's back"? Well, it feels like I'm constantly searching for new ways to reinforce the camel.

In the end, I don't want anyone to think it's all bad. We have our moments of brilliant clarity and profound connection. Thanks to ADHD, love is never boring! However, dealing with it requires understanding, patience, and, dare I say, a touch of humor. 😂 It is important to remember that what we deal with is not our significant other's personality, but a condition they did not wish for. Would you agree that the spontaneity, only manageable with communication, sometimes also breathes life into mundane routines? Nonetheless, I hope sharing this has lifted some weight off my chest. If you're sailing a similar boat, remember: you're not alone. Stay strong, stay patient, and find joy in small victories.

man, life's been a rollercoaster lately, and i honestly can't figure out why i'm being so hard on myself. maybe it's just this age thing, being 21 and all. i feel like i should be on top of the world, but instead, i'm just stuck in my own head. you ever feel that way? like no matter what you do, it's never enough? i've always been my own worst critic, but lately, it's like i've amped it up to a whole new level. it's not like i have messed up big time or anything, just regular life mishaps, yet i'm treating myself like i’ve made some colossal screw-ups. sometimes it feels like there’s this invisible scoreboard in my mind, keeping track of everything i wish i’d done differently. real talk, it’s exhausting.

i remember this one time, i was talking to a friend and they were like, "dude, why you always judging yourself so harsh?" honestly, i didn't have an answer then and still don’t have one now. it's like i can't shake this need to be perfect, even though deep down, i know it’s impossible. maybe because i see people around accomplishing so much and i feel like i should be doing the same. everyone else makes it seem so effortless while i'm over here with my thoughts tangled up in a million wires. when did life become a contest? am i the only one thinking this? because if i am, i definitely didn't get the memo about how to just chill and roll with the punches. is it social media pressure, or just society in general? i really can't pinpoint the exact trigger, but man, it's annoying.

it's like whenever i achieve something, instead of feeling proud, i'm just like, "okay, that’s checked off, what's next?"; i don't give myself a second to breathe and appreciate what i’ve done. let’s say i finish a project, rather than enjoying the moment, i’m already doubting if it was good enough. what gives? isn't that wild? i get that self-reflection is important, but this constant over-analysis is straight-up debilitating. there’s got to be a better way to navigate through life without beating myself up over every tiny thing. this might sound crazy, but i sometimes wish i could talk to teenage me, let him know it's okay to not have everything figured out and that the pressure he feels now isn’t gonna lead to world catastrophe.

so, i guess i’m here trying to figure out if i’m alone in this or if other 21-year-olds feel the same way. are we all just struggling to walk this tightrope of expectations versus reality? or am i really just putting way too much weight on my own shoulders? if you’ve got any tips or thoughts, i'm all ears. it's just hard not to compare, y'know? and every time i slip into that mindset, i remind myself there’s no rulebook stating i have to have my entire life mapped out at this age. it’s a work in progress, being kinder to myself, and maybe, just maybe, i'll figure out how to break this cycle. until then, i'm stuck here, trying to keep my head above water and learning to be a little less hard on myself. 🤞

Im in a space where I don’t know what to feel. I love both my parents. But… this has been so highly stressful and im a pissed at how they handled the situation.

For reference, I’m 22. Im an adult, and I live with my boyfriend at his place. So the actual divorce doesn’t bother me that much… well I say divorce, they’re separating… but it will definitely lead to divorce. My dad is getting an apartment nearby and my mom is staying in the house.

I am angry with how they handled the delivery of the information… well I’m angry for they’re actions leading up to this, but at this moment the delivery is really pissing me off.

I’ve known they’ve been having problems. I’ve known my entire childhood. I’m the oldest so I remember the before, but that doesn’t erase a decade of my father isolating and being cynical, and it certainly doesn’t erase my moms temper. So for the last year it’s been… particularly bad. I was in college so I didn’t see every facet, but you certainly wouldn’t need a microscope to see the problems… and in the last year I began suspecting my mom was having an affair with a man who worked down the street her workplace. I had no proof or real substance, I just thought… maybe… better let sleeping dogs lie, pun intended.

In March my mom started poking her nose in what I knew. She asked me if she noticed any changes to my dad. At the time she was referencing his therapy that he was now going to. I said I did notice a small difference. And I don’t fully remember how the conversation led to this but at a certain point, she asked me about her. I said I had my suspicions of an affair. She didn’t confirm them then, but maybe a week later she told me and I was right.

She didn’t tell my sister till a month later, and even then my sister told her she didn’t want to know and I broke the news to her later. And now another month has passed and they finally told my brother that they’re separating but not about the affair!

It’s fuxking bullshit!! My sister and I told him that there’s more to the story but we want to give my mom a change to tell him herself, but this little information waiting game is horrible!!! Why’s he gotta wait?! He’s old enough to know why his life is suddenly changing!!! And I’m scared he’s going to resent me or my sister for not telling him. But it’s not my story to tell. At least for now. I told him I would tell him if they didn’t tell him in the next month. But both my mom and my dad are scared he’s going to hate my mom. He will be angry. I think it all came as a bit of a shock to him. I think they hid it better from him than from my sister and myself. My sister is 19 and my brother is 16. And I don’t know what to do. Do I tell him? Do I wait? What do I even say? When we told him last night that we would tell him later if mom never told him, he said he doesn’t feel comfortable with mom telling him, but he would feel most comfortable with us telling him. I think he has an idea, we were dropping some big ish hints, but I feel horrible!! I hate keeping this secret!!! It’s absolutely bull!!! What do I do?

My boyfriend has been going through his hardest times, he lost his brother by a car accident, and he lost track of the criminal he was chasing after for more than a year, furthermore he was standing at the edge of the rooftop yesterday night— I swear I knew what that dark look on his face meant

In fact I was dumb enough to get rings already :(

But should I propose now with that high risk of getting rejected or should I wait until next year or whenever he feels better? Because I’m sure if I propose to him now, he’s going to throw dishes at me and shout at me so that he can feel better, and trust me I’m not in a toxic relationship…

I just turned 18 and graduated high school last year and if I'm being honest about everything, I genuinely cannot see myself passing the age of 20. I still feel like I'm 12 years old about to start high school, I genuinely have nothing going for me in life, I have no friends; the ones I do have live in different states and are with their significant others, which is something I don't have. I feel like a burden for my family and they all have jobs and expect me to get one or start doing something with my life.

What can I do to change the way I feel?

T.L.D.R. Hallucinations, inability to control certain parts of myself, extreme mood swings, SI/HI, and noone around me that would believe me or that I can trust to help me

I’m starting to get genuinely scared. My hallucinations (auditory+tactile) have been getting worse and clearer each day, and I can’t tell anyone about it. I have tried to set up appointments with a psychiatrist but I can’t set it up by myself. I can’t get my parents to help because they think I’m faking or over exaggerating or making excuses any time I try to talk about my mental health. Granted I can’t entirely know unless I actually tell them, but every time I bring up things that have been active road blocks, I get invalidated. Last time I told my dad it felt like he was invalidating me, he said he acknowledged I was struggling then just told me to suck it up again rather than, idk, actually caring ab it I guess? I try to tell him I can’t do certain things and he always, ALWAYS says I am victimizing myself and to stop saying I can’t, he doesn’t listen to me when I try to tell him. I use wording like “I can’t” for things to convey that it is not an active decision I am making, and all attempts to not be taken along for the ride have failed. I try and try to do things like keep up with basic hygiene, I set reminders, put it in my way, try to follow a schedule, and without fail after a couple of days everything falls apart. I’ve tried to explain that I lack a certain level of control over myself and body, I’ve literally talked about the meltdowns and full on crying I have had due to my inability to do certain things that I want to. My parents don’t know this and I don’t have the heart to tell them, but I have sometimes had such a strong mental block stopping me from getting out of bed that I have SH’ed due to it. I have such a lack of self esteem and such a large hatred for myself because I can’t fix my life and the people closest to me won’t listen when I try to convey that, and instead just think I’m not putting enough effort in. The craziest part is that my dad has been able to relate to me with things before, yet doesn’t seem to understand the extent of my problems, or can’t accept that I could have it worse. Plus there’s him just brushing my mood swings off as hormones. I know that hormones are a thing that can cause mood swings but for one, I’m almost 19 and I also don’t think hormones cause such extreme mood swings that I bounce from full on euphoria to complete depression with SI. I just don’t feel like I’m ever taken seriously by the people that I really want to. I wonder if it is because I’ve been able to hold a job since I graduated? Then there’s my issue with social anxiety, which I tried for the longest time as a kid to tell my parents that I had and instead what I heard wad that I didn’t and then was told of how bad my step mom had it and yet again invalidated. Another thing is that I genuinely feel like the only difference between me and someone that people would consider “insane” is that I haven’t acted out on anything. I have very frequent intrusive thoughts and HI, and while I would like to say that I know I won’t go through with anything, it’s another part of why I’m scared, because I’m not sure. I think about killing certain people and play through different scenarios in my head and I’ve realised that yes I would feel guilty because I took another person’s life away, but I wouldn’t feel remorseful or “care” necessarily. I genuinely need help but don’t really have anyone around me I can trust to talk about this stuff and actually get me the help I so desperately need.

For context, I am a 7th grade student, just adding this because it adds more depth to the story. In class today, my friend told me when I bent over to see what my friend was doing on her desk which was right next to mine, my friend told me (who was near by my desk and Joeys) a boy behind me (Joey) was staring at me; in the wrong places. I sat back down after my friend said that, kinda disturbed but was paranoid if it really did happen. I stood up again, and did it again just to test the waters which was obviously a bad idea. I think I caught him staring, but I’m not exactly sure. I’m not exactly an attractive girl and this boy is innocent and really stupid (there’s clearly girls in that class which was more attractive than me) which leaves me to doubt what that he did it. You know that thing where you kneel on your chair? My female friend next to me did it and I think he stared again.

It made me feel uncomfortable, but for some reason seriously doubt he did it, am I paranoid?

We started as teenage lovers, got teenage children now, was able to get a permanent job where he was not able to finish highschool. Loaned about 17k and now my salary is only $122 a month, while the bills amounts $140...so the bills was compromised to provide food on the table. Now the mortgage is now 3 months unpaid, calls from the collectors has been ringing, incoming school year is fast approaching, money is badly needed for tuition, uniform and school supplies...it felt like it is gripping me from thinking so much... I'm so pathetic for staying, even marrying him when he can't provide anything. I'm so tired of pushing him to get a job when it ends up fighting and shouting...

I gave birth in January to my first child on the 8th via c section, was not my first choice but I stopped dilating and needed to have emergency c section. Going home I felt on top of the world, my daughter was absolutely perfect and I had my whole family's support including my husbands side too. My mom was moving in with us this week too to come help out with the baby for the first few months. Well this emotional high that I was on quickly crumbled, at 5am 7 days after the birth I saw my mother die of a heart attack / stroke I really dont know I never got a answer from the emts and the death certificate said she died of natural causes. What I witnessed changed me, I had just got out the shower and my husband and newborn were asleep. I got out the bathroom and heard noise from downstairs and it sounded like my mom was struggling to breathe so I ran down as fast as my freshly cut body would let me and by the time I got down there she was beginning to panic and gasp for air. I was trying to keep composure and listen to her ask for her inhaler while also getting my phone to call the ambulance. I went back upstairs to get my husband i remember doing this twice but not how much time was in between. I was terrified, panicking and crying, the call lasted a life time to me the woman on the other end did not seem to understand my urgency and tried to keep me calm but I was literally losing the woman who raised me in front of my eyes. When my husband came down stairs he got my mom on the couch and once the paramedics came they tried relentlessly to save her and I couldnt watch i was falling apart they asked me to go upstairs and that is where I remained while I was living a true nightmare. Once they told me it was not looking good and that I should start making phone calls I felt like I was going to lose it but I began calling everyone and that was a traumatic experience on its own too. The next day and few days after are truly a blur. After I was left to put together the entire funeral arrangements and everything that related to her I was so numb it felt like I was having an out of body experience for the first month. I think that was my spirits way of coping and protecting me. My little bundle of joy became my emotional support baby, when holding her and being around her I could not even shed a tear. She was my rock and my reason for everything even more so than the typical similar feelings of new parents. Moving forward has been the toughest part of my spiritual journey in life so far. Though there are days that are so much more tough than others I know that my higher self or true self is there with me in those moments and we are celebrating the love that it takes to be a living loving person who makes eternal impacts on the universe. I hope that life continues to give me signs, every single day since my daughter was born I have seen 544. she was born 5:44 and my mom died at 5:44, when im least expecting i will look up and see 544 somewhere and I know that im where im supposed to be and that everything will be okay.

I don't know what to do.

I'm FTM and I don't think my parents fully understand what's going on or what could happen. They're great supporters, but most of the time when I'm around them (or any other people in my family for that matter) my dysphoria is at it's worst. They'll do things that very obviously show they still see me as a girl and it makes me feel terrible. I don't know if I should bring up how I want to get on puberty blockers because of how they've said binding will damage (even though I have brought up on many occasions I know how to do it safely) and I'm scared they might also say that for the blockers. I think they know how at risk trans people are for su!c!de but aren't willing to accept that I could possibly end up having those thoughts in the future. This type of stuff is called life saving for a reason, and just because I'm not having those thoughts now doesn't mean I won't in the future. I also think they might be completely oblivious to the fact I have dysphoria (and I have brought it up with my mom before).

Honestly I just get exhausted around them. Usually, when I'm having fun with them they'll randomly bring something up that reminds me of how they still view me. My dad still deadnames me a ton, even right after he corrects himself, and both my mom and dad just misgender me in general. My little sister is the only one in the house that kind of understands who I am and actually repsects that (she was the first one I came out to for a good reason). I don't know what to do, especially since serious sit-down talks mess with a lot of my emotions and I have no idea how to bring this stuff up.

so here's the thing, i'm 34 and just found out my partner cheated on me, which, as you can imagine, is kind of like being hit by a psychological freight train...

one moment you're cruising along, thinking your relationship's snug and secure, and the next, boom, everything you thought you knew is flipped on its head. now, i'm trying to figure out how to stop overthinking all of this. is that even possible? i mean, how do you shut off your brain when it's on a mental hamster wheel of betrayal and doubt? the byproducts of this whole ordeal are the constant reruns of past interactions, analyzing every look, word, and action, wondering if things were ever real or just some cruel joke. it sneaks into your thought patterns like malware, disrupting your everyday operations, making simple tasks feel like defusing a bomb. questions like, was it something i did? was there a sign i missed? keep me glued to this self-analysis, where i'm both the therapist and the patient. efficiently unpacking these instances seems rational, yet it feels emotionally exhausting. this brings me to strategies, like cognitive reframing or maybe just trying to distract myself with hobbies, but is that enough? maintaining emotional equilibrium feels like trying to balance on a tightrope with your eyes closed. it’s vital to test emotional boundaries, acknowledge the feelings, but decide not to let what transpired dominate every thought or decision. letting go is something people throw around like confetti, decorating conversations as if it's an easy step, but those who've been there know it's no picnic. trust is a delicate ecosystem and once disrupted, rebuilding feels daunting. but can this process of navigating post-betrayal emotions ultimately lead to personal growth? or does it just leave you with emotional scar tissue? strategizing how to restore or even redefine psychological self-reliance amidst this emotional upheaval is essential. sometimes i catch myself thinking if forgiveness happens naturally, or should it be a deliberate choice, like signing a mental peace treaty? this journey is a personal labyrinth, unique to each individual, yet relatable on a universal level. what's the protocol? allow some grief, sprinkle in a dash of self-care, and perhaps a generous dollop of patience, right? navigating through this emotional multi-layer shouldn’t be a solo expedition. it hit me that seeking seasoned guides like therapists can dissect complex post-cheating neurology into manageable parts. having a non-judgmental space to unload cognitive debris may not erase the past, but it might clarify the present. it's incredible how interconnected emotions and intertwined experiences are; yet there's hope in slowly disentangling them without making them the defining narrative. maybe resilience can sprout from this ordeal, or maybe not. what do you think? through it all, maintaining a nuanced view on relationships, understanding their imperfections, enterprises, and sometimes failures, might just be the grounding element needed in this intricate chaos. is there a shortfall in just living and letting each day unravel? 🍀

Okay I am new here... idk how this works..but still I am here.. So rn I wanna say that

why am I even born.. like god why.. do u see anything good me in ? No !

Uk now I'm tired of talking to new ppl online and then saying the same shit.. hi hello where are you from ? age ? and then the whole loop of stories starts again

like every time the same shit..

I'm tired of me and my silly actions.

my future is in great danger bcoz of me..

I'm failing in neet since the last 5 years... I didn't gave the exam this year... so what ? u would have still failed.... cuz uk u had no preparation !

But damn u definitely know that u can do whatever you want in this world... then whytf are u so lazy ????

I really wanna kill myself... get better for ur own sake gurlllll

And this is not it...

Ur mood changes rapidly... like are u a maniac ? or what ?

one sec my playlist sounds so good and dreamy ... and then the other second u become Arijit Singh... like what the hell is going on... why aren't u stable gurlllll ?

U didn't even had any relationship !!!!

then wtf are these mood swings ?

And to make my life more hell...

day before yesterday

I met that British guy online

he's 6'2 niceee

and ur just 5

okay keep going

u like tall ppl

fine

u got one

fine

actually why don't you just marry a pole for the sake of your life ...

My gurlllll u fell for ppl so easily... like soooo easily !

Ik ur lonely , ur sad , u want love... ikkk gurlllll

but please don't fall for anyone...

that guy complimented u so much

even when he looks wayyyy much hotter

and ur just that potato

idk what did he saw in you

maybe he was saying that all just to use you

and ur an easy prey !

last night he tried to sext with you

I didn't wanted to

but he kept saying those words which u wanted to hear so much...

but not so soon

not just in a day

my gurlllll ikkk ur desperate to find ur ideal love but understand that there's nothing like ideal.. but one day u'll definitely meet that one guy.

don't get desperate

ur not that girl

uk it

u have kept ur sanity safe till so many days for someone special

ik ur alone.. depressed.. in anxiety.. ur young 21 yr girl.. ik ur hormones.. ik ur feelings

but bcoz of these stupid hormones which just get turned on unnecessarily seeing a hot guy..

U CAN'T DESTROY URSELF !

focus on ur career .. on ur studies.. on ur parents.. on urself

u'll achieve everything ik

just stop doing stupid things to find love.. I beg u

So a few months ago, my boyfriend found out about his younger brother’s cancer which was already at level four :(

He’s just depressed and trying to earn as much as possible for the surgery fees and he’s just different

He talked less and he touches grass less

How do u cheer him up? Even the doctors said that his beloved brother won’t make jt out alive unless he receives a heart donation

Six months. That's all it took for me to go from "I can't wait to start my career!" to "I don't want to go to work!!!" How did it come to this, you ask? Let's roll back time. At 23, fresh out of college, I was thrilled to start my first job. An office job, no less. The dream, right? Suited up, coffee in hand, feeling all grown-up. But hey, spoiler alert! Turns out, cubicles and fluorescent lights aren't the vibe I thought they'd be.

Day in, day out, the same routine. Wake up. Hustle to the office. Sit. Type. Sip coffee (repeat). Breathe stale air until I'm out the door again. But doesn't it make you wonder? How does anyone find joy stuck inside four walls, going through the motions like robots? Maybe you're one of those rare ones who absolutely love it. If so, hats off! But for me, it's draining—absolutely draining. I used to think anyone opposing the traditional office environment was just being dramatic. Now, I've joined their ranks. Surprising, huh?

To be clearer, the work itself isn't atrocious. It's the setting! The lack of fresh air, the monotonous view, the awkward water-cooler conversations about yesterday's game that frankly, I couldn't care less about. It's like being in a scene from "The Office" without the fun crew. Do you know that feeling when you're stuck in traffic, bumper to bumper, just wishing to teleport somewhere else? That's how office life feels to me. Every. Single. Day. Surely, there's more to life than this monotonous routine, right?

I'm starting to consider alternatives. Can I pivot my skills to something more dynamic? Perhaps a job that gets me outside, working with my hands or interacting with people in a more lively environment? Maybe I'll try my hand at being my own boss. People keep saying it's the age of the entrepreneur! And while the thought of veering off the beaten path is terrifying, it's also kind of thrilling. After all, didn't someone famous once say, "Life begins at the end of your comfort zone"?

I’m trying to stay optimistic, reminding myself that it's all a stepping stone, even the dreaded office stint. It has its perks, sure. And I still hold the hope that soon enough, I'll wake up, excited for the day instead of dragging my feet. So, to anyone who feels the same—I see you, I'm with you, and let's figure this out! Because who said we had to settle for mundane when the world offers a splash of vibrant chaos? Let's trade those office shoes for something more adventurous and make the daily grind a bit less... well, grim.

So me and this girl have been talking on and off for about a year, to be specific within this year the reasons we've ended things we're she was over stressed by school, she didn't want to ask me to change and she felt like we were to different and I mean it's my fault for having my standards so low to even take her back because every time we ended things it's because she wanted to but about two and a half months ago she wanted to start talking again but just as friends, which is totally fine but what I was aware of is the fact she would be talking with other guys while talking with me. The way I found out is bc we work together and that's how we met and so we were on shift together just having fun laughing and then one of my friends walk in and I walk up to him calling him by his name bc this is one of my closest friends and like after our shift together she requests to follow him on Instagram and my friend texts me and he's like "do u know who this is" and I'm like "oh that's the girl I'm talking with, she prob heard me call u by your name while at work" and yk I fully trusted this girl so I thought she just followed him bc he was my friend and no other reason but then I started telling her about it and when I told her about the part of me saying that's the girl I'm talking with she blows up in my face and is like "what right do you have to put labels on us, I followed him because she caught my eye and you have no right to interfere" but like I was under the impression that we were fully just trying to work things out between us and it's not like we've just been friends per say I mean litterally the day before she was talking about how jacked I am, and the day before how cute I am and then the day before saying she was shaking because I almost saw her without makeup and then like a week before that saying she was concerned that it seemed like I didn't like her anymore

and like what am I meant to do? I liked this girl so much but I can't just take that laying down right? and I mean I haven't talked to her since but I have to see her at work on Sunday

I just need some advice on the whole situation, maybe I'm being over dramatic and I'm wrong but I feel like I'm being an idiot.