[Double]

I'm 24 and still living with my parents, unemployed. By myself, I can't imagine how I'll ever get out of this. I am overwhelmed by all the unknowns. Each passing day, I feel my dreams of living a normal life slipping away. My ultimate fear is dying alone.

My mom is always on Facebook and my dad is always working. For several reasons, I don't enjoy their company. They always succumb to the same boring things, and I think it's partly due to insecurities. They have never been social creatures, and I think this has been unfairly passed onto me.

They never ask questions to understand who I am, it's probably because I've got nothing new to contribute.

[ace333]

it may sound harsh but i would suggest you get a job and move out of your parents house for starters. then go out and join some kind of club or hobby. getting a job and or hobby will help you meet people. i was in your similar situation not to long ago im 25 and just moved out about two months ago from my parents house, i was feeling alone all the time and wasn't getting along with them. since moving out i feel my moods and outlooks on life have gone up. parts of my relationship with my dad in particular have gotten better as well. in my case they wanted to control every aspect of my life, wanted to know where i was going what i was doing putting me down on anything and everything i did...now they can't say anything and have learned to back off...in you situation it sounds like you feel neglected from them, i bet if you moved they would see the error of their ways....i still question the unknowns in my life alot, but you just have to basically jump in and hope for the best if you want any kind of life.
tell your family what you need from them, tell your mother to get off facebook ( its my belief that facebook is the sole cause for more misery in peoples lives than they want to admit and they still refuse to stop) i don't think alot of parents really take the time to see what their kids are really going through and they think at a certian age they can't relate so they give up. so like i said try talking to them, get you a job so you can meet people and just force yourself to do things out of your comfort zone. you won't die alone and you do have something to contribute, like they say fake it til you make it...best of luck

[Maria116]

Originally Posted by Double

I'm 24 and still living with my parents, unemployed.

Yesterday I met a friend for drinks and she was upset about the same two things, only we are in our mid-thirties.

'Ello.

I can relate, you certainly are alone. I'm coming up on 30 in a couple of days and am single, living with family (who are ill themselves) and on SSDI. I'm not even sure where my days go anymore. As suggested in the first comment, I've been trying to make plans to get back out on my own and do something - even if it's volunteering - but it's still really difficult. And a lot of the motivation is shallow I'll admit - I don't care about myself enough to be motivated for me, so I imagine myself finding a partner again after I get my **** together. It's really not a good path to go, wouldn't recommend it. Try to find reasons for improvement that have to do with you and you alone, not dependent on another unknown person.

Overcoming illness isn't always just as easy as "doing it" so try not to let it get you down too much. You still have time and maybe will find a better medication/treatment combo in the future that helps you find your way out of the situation. I will agree with that first comment in the sense that it's good to start thinking about and fleshing out a plan to get yourself back "out there" even if you can't put it into action right away.

[StuckinRut]

I understand what you described. I lived at home until I was in my late 20s. Over the years I changed but my parents remained the same. Consequently by the time I moved out I had almost nothing in common with them any more. My parents do not like to socialise either. This has the effect of increasing their dependence on family members. I still find it hard to make friends, but I've definitely found that I can integrate better since I moved away. I agree with ace333, the only solution is to move away.

[Maria38Divine]

Hi Double,

I can relate to your situation. But the bottom-line is: you're 24 and your parents are not. Even if they were social butterflies, chances are your interests might still be different.

Make a brief list of what you want to accomplish now. It could be just 2 things: a job and an apartment. Work at them, one by one. Try to be patient with your progress. Your efforts will eventually pay off. On disappointing days, your mind may tell you you're a failure. My mind tells me that many, many times. But over the years, I've learned not to trust it. Our brains may be oddly wired, but that doesn't mean we can't achieve anything worthwhile in this life. In our cases, it just takes a lot more effort. Good luck!