It sounds like your family has a long history of being awful to each other.

Remember that the giant orange made his fortune in real estate, so there you go. Not the kind of people who will treat you with respect and acceptance. The housing crisis in your area enables such predators to flourish.

Social struggles and shyness are just part of ASD. Did any of your schools or universities have support programs? Low self-esteem can trigger false beliefs about yourself that no one else actually has. Coping with dishonesty and ambiguity can be hard, especially for someone on the spectrum, but unfortunately that's just life and we all have to learn how to work with it. Pay close attention to whether a person's words match their actions. Social skills training, and assertiveness training, might be of benefit to you of that exists in your area.

Getting out of your area as quickly as possible is a good idea. Times of transition are the best times to change old habits, like rumination and spending time with toxic people. Novelty is stimulating and refreshing and can really change perspective and mood.

The campaign will need all hands on deck if the primary is only 3 months away. Contact it through the candidate's website and they'll probably get back to you. In my case, I filled out a form months ago and attended several events since then, so they contacted me about canvassing and phone banking. It's impossible to feel depressed or hopeless when I'm part of this movement and working for the future I long for.

Shame is probably the most useless and harmful emotion humans are capable of. Problems don't get solved if they're hidden away.

People on the spectrum often have trouble with being bullied through school; sadly, your background has happened to so many people. Acknowledge it for the trauma that it is, and that it was not your fault. Also consider that you might have PTSD. I really think that talking to a counselor would be a good thing for you. There's a lot going on, and self-help and peer support can only do so much.

That's a mom thing there, feeling what her child feels. It's also common in people with very high empathy. Your mom sounds like a sweet lady. It's okay to talk to her about these things even if you fear bringing her down. It will hurt her a lot worse if you suffer in silence, and she'll probably wonder why you didn't feel comfortable talking to her about what you're going through. Moms want to help.


The crisis of belonging is a worldwide epidemic, but seems especially prevalent here in the US. Suicide, addiction, and accidents from reckless behavior are skyrocketing, and life expectancy is declining. Your experiences and pain absolutely deserve to be listened to and validated. It's important, though, to realize that millions of others feel just as deeply in pain and afraid and alone. We have to transfer this into collective action instead of personal despair, or all of humanity will sink lower and lower until there's no place left for any of us. This is what's driving my political involvement.

Comparisons aren't helpful to anyone. And there's no set timeline for anything. Nothing is written onto human DNA that says "By x age, do this or it will never happen."