I am a doctor and single woman running my own practice. This year has been transformational. Despite facing some of the biggest tragedies and setbacks—being jailed, the love of my life who was with me for five years marrying someone else, losing my closest person, one of my clinics shutting down after years of work, being one crore in debt, and suffering an injury among other challenges—I find myself much calmer now.

I am working with greater efficiency and have a newfound mental peace; I no longer break down in tears every other day. I treat myself with respect and love, regardless of the external circumstances. Sometimes, the biggest setbacks and tragedies shape you in unexpected ways.

I see my 34th year as a breakthrough. This year, I dedicated significant time to strengthening myself internally. All through my life, I remember begging others to celebrate my birthday, to cut a cake, or to do something special. But this year, I am not weeping; I feel an internal calm I have never felt before. I guess I finally matured for good.

I’m by myself, yet I don’t feel lonely. When I was in a relationship, I felt so lonely, and all I did on my birthdays was cry. Being by yourself on your birthday isn’t wrong if you know how to journal and reflect meaningfully.

Happy Birthday to me 🎂 Cheers to the beginning of my 34th year 🎂✌🏼

So long story short, I was a classmate with this guy when we were an undergrad, we used to help each other in some classes, other than we are not really friends, we don't have any contact outside class.

At the beginning of the semester, I have saw him and waved to him, but he had ignored me ( yes he had noticed the waving but ignored it). Then after that I also ignored him whenever I saw him.

But today in the lab, I was talking with one of the TAs and when saw me he said the usual, like hey, blah blah. Then when the TA have asked us how we know each other, he had told her that we used to be classmates last semester and if it was not for my help he would not have passed those couple of classes?

So can someone explain to me what is the meaning of his behavior?

Thanks

Tell me it can be better

2 years ago my life was completely uprooted after an SA incident in which someone followed me home from a bar. I ended up filing a restraining order, (it was contested and dismissed), quit my job, moved out of that very small town I had taken the job in, and started again in a city closer to where I grew up.

The past 2 years have been full of normal life highs and lows as well as grappling with and processing this event. It was dark there for a bit- lots of drinking and dating to numb, tons of credit card debt following taking a break to be unemployed while I moved and processed.

And now that things have settled I'm noticing some of the longer term after effects of having really gone through that event. I cut people and jobs off VERY easily. I stopped talking to a lot of friends after the event because it felt impossible to explain what had happened. It's hard for me to imagine a future and not in a harm way- just like "how could I POSSIBLY know what 2 weeks from now will look like?!" I'm flaky and tend to isolate.

In the last year I've made some good moves. I'm single and happy to be single. I've done a lot better job keeping in touch with friends and family. I quit my old job and made some big changes with my finances to tackle the debt. I'm apart of a gym I go to 4-5x a week. I'm in therapy.

But part of me just feels like that's not enough. That it's going to stay mediocre at best like it is now. That I'll keep repeating these trauma patterns and isolating. It's really just shitty.

So reddit, what advice do you have for me. Can you tell me moments where you made a lot of progress but still felt so defeated?

Kindly, A gal really trying her best but struggling (aka OP).

(19f) I’ve been having a hard time with comparing myself to so many people, but my younger sister recently. She’s 17 and in her senior year of high school, her year is going much different than mine did she has her friends, people she can confide in, and activities she does, she’s been going to the school for 3 years now also. Where’s during my senior year (last year) I was new to the school, going through my first heartbreak, feeling hurt I kid you not every single day, and I didn’t really know how to just talk to people. I made friends but a very small circle. It was a rough year for me mentally and emotionally and now I wish I could just change how it went. Also I’d been homeschooled before I got there so college was never a real thought for me before hand, and after I graduated I rushed to make a decision to go to community college. Had a really rough year there, and I felt horrible because I’d wanted to have the university experience and felt I was missing out. But my sister is gonna have that experience of getting to actually plan out what she wants to do, and it just makes me feel worse that I didn’t. She’s also the youngest child so I know it’s gonna be really special for her to graduate. I hate that I’m feeling this way about it and comparing our experiences, because I feel like my sister genuinely does deserve to have a good experience, I just keep looking at mine and feeling terrible about it, even as far as having no friends. I need advice on how to deal with this and not just keep it inside.

Hey All,

I’ve been reading a lot of stories on here about a lot of negative situations in relationships like cheating , lying , people just leaving etc .. I recently just got out of a relationship also and not to get into too much detail but I have been thinking recently if it’s even worth getting into relationships anymore, I feel like hardly anyone ever has that mentally of actually trying to be in a relationship and going through the highs and lows, like most people are only expecting the highs and once things get difficult then that’s it .. Im an old fashioned guy who has values in a relationship and have more of a long term mentality with the understanding that you go through highs and lows and it’s never always rainbows and butterflies but the challenges at times and the journey of us growing together and helping each other become better is what’s amazing in a relationship, anyway I just want to hear from some of you gals and how you are in relationships and what your values are I guess just to know there are still some good people out there and not give up hope in this dating world .. Thank you all 🙏🏼

Just learned about the clause for most life insurances. Really thinking about ending it. I am so tired.

"Hurts" is an understatement, recently had a friendship breakup on august I was the one who ended and I am not taking it too well. I always post on soc med with my new cof that I am fine without them, making sure they know that with or without them my life still goes on but cry everynight thinking if it was the right decision to end it.

What's the point. In continuing to strive to be a good person when all anyone does is take advantage of how you are and hurt you. Why do I have to be other people's support and have no one to support me? Why has God made me be the one to listen to others and have no one listen to me? Why am I the person to give so much love and yet not receive any back? What is expected of me? I had so many goals to meet and now everything seems so farfetched. People look at me and think I'm sorted and fine, when no one sees the pain inside. Has no one looked into my eyes to see it? My eyes hurt from crying all the time. My head feels like its going to explode from the burden I feel. I can't even do anything about it - my religion doesn't allow us otherwise I would've ended it ages ago. My body is tired, my heart is tired and my soul is tired. Before I had hope no matter what and now that has been taken away from me and I see nothing. No light, no hope. Every day is a battle and the only type of hope I will have from now on is in a tally chart marking each day as one day nearer to when I'm gone. Oh how I long for that day.

I'm bored every second of the day, it's driving me insane, been like this since beginning of 2023 nothing is interesting to me & nothing is enjoyable, I get 0 enjoyment from anything unless I'm good at it which I'm not good at anything due to a super rare unknown genetical disease that prevents me from being able to improve at anything. Mediocrity is lame to me only time being bad at something is acceptable to me is in the beginning stages & as time goes on Its becoming less and less acceptable as no matter how much time & effort I'll invest I'll be terrible at whatever, it's been like this with every other activity I've ever spent time on. I didn't even know interacting with people could be a hobby so that already speaks for itself, I have no friends, I have no social skills, I can't interact with people cus im too awkward, boring & lifeless, i hate interacting with people irl I honestly dread it. Even if I fixed these issues it still wouldn't matter since people avoid me & I've had people literally run from me because I'm so ugly, I despise my face & voice too. I sleep 8-10 hours daily maybe even more over holidays I still can't be bothered to get out of bed I'm waking up when it's nighttime now, the dreams I have at night are more interesting than waking life. How come back in 2020 no one was bored? When we did nothing all day... But yet 2023 & 2024 I wouldn't be able to recall a week out of both them cus they are so boring & forgettable years. At least with 2020 & 2021 they were boring but you remember them cus they were boring not like that now. What are meant to do if life screwed you in everyway?

Im 21M. I have a great family and friends(all of them have partners) i feel alone tho as hell. I have tendency too overthink my issues and i can't think of anything good in my life. I feel like a failure im studying at great university i still don't see a point. I thought i was way behind my bad state but i feel like this never ends, all thoughts of being a loser in life just keeps getting me more. I just don't know what to do anymore. So yeah i know under this ill get a lot good advices and people who was way worse and just gonna say that im pathetic.

I matched with this girl on Hinge on October 17th. Pretty girl, seemed very sweet. Eventually we had moved from Hinge to Instagram, and I sent her memes here and there, we talked a little bit.

Got her number. Everything was going so smooth. She was so kind. The last text I got from her was October 25th. It was a Friday night, and I was looking to make some plans, go out, get to know her. Nothing.

Texted her the next day, wanting to go out. Nothing.

Sent her a couple reels on Instagram that were funny to make her laugh. No response.

Texted her Thursday, just curious if she was okay and, again, wanted to see if she wanted to go out this weekend. Nothing.

At this point, I figured she had either ghosted me, or something was very wrong. Deep down, I thought the latter, because she seemed way too nice to just not say anything.

So last night, I decided to do my social media stalking. Because I followed her on Instagram, I saw a post she was tagged in. This was posted 3 days ago from her cousin. The caption was talking about how she "fought a good fight" and how tough the world was. My stomach was in my throat.

Doing more internet sleuthing, I saw a post from her dad, posted 4 days ago. He went on talking about how his daughter was dealing with substance abuse, he went into detail... It was fentanyl. She was in the hospital on life support, and her family decided to pull the plug, according to his post, doctors said there was "no chance" of her coming back.

While I never got to meet this girl in person, I can't shake the feeling that I could've done something, maybe I should've called her, or maybe she wasn't too interested in me after all, and I was being too much. While I'm okay, knowing I never got to personally know this girl, or had any personal connection, I can't shake the feeling that maybe I could've done something, or said something. I'm just in complete shock that just a week ago, we were texting. And now she's gone.

Deep down, I don't think I would've made much of a difference, I think it still would've went the same way, as I'm just some stranger off a dating app. But this whole situation is just so surreal and I'm still having a hard time knowing this girl is dead now. I guess I just wanted to find a place just to talk, I apologize if this is the wrong sub.

I got into a car accident after my mind went blank when I was coming off of the highway. My parents confronted me about it and I told that I passed out / blanked out they then told me I needed to go to get neurological test to see what was wrong and that I would never drive again. I then had to lie and say I just wasn’t paying attention I can’t bring myself to never be able to drive again and have to use people to drive me anywhere.

Edit my family thinks I’m a liar and they tell me they have no respect for me but I lie to protect them from thinking less of me or to me have me depend on them for everything

Idk what to do anymore

For me, I talked a girl out of possibly ending her life.

For the past six months, I’ve been off the grid, stepping away from social media and the relentless noise of the internet. Initially, I thought this break would bring me peace and a chance to reset my mind. Instead, it stirred a whirlwind of confusion and introspection within me. Friends I once felt close to now seem like strangers, all laser-focused on traditional markers of success. I watch them chase careers and lifestyles that feel hollow to me, as if they’re merely ticking boxes on some invisible checklist. The activities that once brought me joy—scrolling through Instagram, catching up on YouTube videos, chatting with friends—now feel empty, like echoes of a life that no longer fits.

Each day blurs together as I drift through a routine that feels more like a cage than a structure. My sense of humor has dulled; even when I hear a joke, I barely manage a smile. It’s as if my ability to find joy has been drained away, and worse yet, my empathy feels frozen. I used to care deeply about people’s struggles and joys, but now it feels as though I’m observing life from the other side of a glass wall, detached and distant.

On the surface, I maintain the appearance of success. I excel in my academics and fitness, but beneath that facade, I feel hollow, questioning the purpose of it all. There was a girl I once cared for who bravely confessed her feelings for me, but I turned her away bluntly, seeing our potential relationship as a distraction that would waste my time. I knew I hurt her, yet I believed I was being true to myself, prioritizing honesty over social niceties. However, I now wonder if my commitment to truth is just a mask, concealing deeper issues I’m not ready to confront.

People say I’ve changed. Friends—well, people I once thought of as friends—describe me as distant and cold. Even my teachers have expressed concern about my silence, asking if I’m okay. But I don’t feel unwell; instead, I feel evolved, as though I’m shedding an old skin. This transformation, however, is often viewed as a decline by those around me.

One significant change is how I handle conflict. In the past, I would either ignore insults or retaliate with sharp words. Now, when someone tries to belittle me, I find it almost laughable, unworthy of my energy. Yet, if I do respond, I don’t hold back. I react with a force that leaves others reeling, whether I’m standing up for myself or defending someone else. I’ve found myself in physical confrontations, sometimes facing multiple opponents at once. While I’ve emerged victorious, it’s a hollow triumph, one that has earned me a reputation as a monster—or worse, the devil. The thrill of that power fades quickly, replaced by a profound emptiness.

Manipulating situations and controlling people with a well-placed word or a clever lie has become second nature. I’ve honed my ability to weave intricate stories, turning people against each other with ease, almost forgetting who I was before. Before my break, I often lied to test boundaries, learning from every misstep. Now, I lie out of instinct, aware of the damage I’m causing but unable to stop myself. It’s a dark skill that, while it has served me in some ways, has eroded something essential within me.

So here I stand at a crossroads, questioning everything. What happened to the simple joy I once felt? What happened to my ability to laugh, to care, to connect? A part of me knows that if I continue down this path, I’ll lose whatever humanity I have left. I don’t want to become a monster; I want to rediscover what it means to feel and to be human.

I believe the way forward is through vulnerability. Maybe I need to let people in again, to allow myself to care, even if it means risking pain or disappointment. It’s time to seek out relationships that nurture rather than drain me, connections built on honesty that embrace empathy rather than cruelty. I don’t have all the answers yet, but I understand that I need to soften, to invite empathy back into my life.

This isn’t about undoing my evolution; it’s about grounding it in something meaningful. I want to reclaim that old spark, to rediscover joy, and to find balance once more. I realize now that the path forward lies not in isolation but in learning to stand open, embracing the complexities of life with all its highs and lows. I want to reconnect with the world around me, to foster genuine connections, and to rediscover the beauty of vulnerability.

i feel like i am the only person who thinks about this everyday, every hug every moment i just think how i'm gonna be thinking about these moments while grieving later and suffering, and it hurts so bad thinking like this everyday, my therapist told me that we humans are wired to get over it and move on when people around us die but i just can't stop thinking about it, do you really just suffer and get over it?

I never meet my expectations for myself, yet I keep demanding things that look realistic to me because other people are able to do it.. yet if I am into this whole productivity thing I feel so soulless and drained, like I am pushing myself through it.. I keep feeling guilty whenever I don't engage in something that is supposed to boost my value... yet I always get burnouts from pushing myself and having ambitions always does that to me...

I feel lost.. whenever I start enjoying something it becomes my ambition and I start pushing myself into becoming best at it and starting to hate it..

I really miss those good old moments where I could just play around and not worry about spending my time productively..

how could I get it back?

My son is 14 years old, and he's in 9th grade. On school days, he always skips breakfast, and he doesn't eat anything until he gets home from school at around 1:50 pm. After he gets home, he usually has a soup for lunch, but a lot of the time he's not even able to finish his lunch, and I suppose it's because his stomach has shrunk from not having eaten anything all day. He never misses dinner, though, which is good, but I'm still very concerned about this. What should I do to help him? I'm worried that his physical growth and development will be stunted as a result of this...

Hello! I’m starting a project to share people’s mental health stories on social media. My goal is to explore the human experience and offer comfort to others through shared stories. I’d love to hear yours!

Europe is approaching a possible continental war and America is in danger of becoming a dystopian society.

I would never have imagined that in 2024 we would be living with a threat of world war as if it were 1914 or 1939, that there would still be a need to send tanks into a neighboring country.

And I never imagined that a country that claims to be the most advanced and richest in the world would be at risk of undergoing a transformation that would turn it into a land without rights and freedoms, a land more akin to the dictatorships of Asia than a European capitalist country.

I love my European country, for now things aren't great but they're stable, people live humbly according to their economic capacities and are satisfied with what they have.

If there is a war, it will all go downhill and there could be a risk of social collapse and a huge crisis.

I'm not going to make a detailed list of what could happen, I'll just say these words: hunger, poverty, violence, ruin, stagnation.

It will be worse than all previous crises, even in countries without war.

And as for America, I'm not American, but I sympathize with the people who are being hurt by the loss of essential rights.

Is it too late for you now?

My husband 30M and I (27F) have been married for over 5 years. We have a VERY regular sex life. (Averaging once a day) but lately I have been wanting it and he will shut me down, not want it, say he’s tired (which I’m sure he is but I don’t shut him down with that one!!!) etc. and I’m worried he’s getting bored! So I’ve started branching out and trying to get him to try new things (I read my spice🌶️) and has been open and excited to try things but still he will shut me down frequently. Why? What do I need to do? Did I do something? Is he getting it somewhere else? Or is it just possible for a girl to have a higher sec drive than a guy?

And I'm feeling great the next day! She was very nice in the way she said no and I'm glad I asked at all.

I (26M) enjoy my life.

I’m by most standards average. Average height, income, looks. But I still truly enjoy life.

I try to be social, (sometimes I get nervous), I go after goals and I try to believe in myself.

In my opinion not overthinking can be really helpful. Enjoy your life.

The title is less of a statement than a question.

My life, for reasons far too numerous to expound on here, is one of sadness, disappointment, solitude, and regret.

And yet, ever since I resolved to pursue my creative passion in spite of the many obstacles mounted up against me, my days, of late, have been punctuated by uncanny acts of coincidence, moments of perfect alignment that bespeak of events unfurling as if by script, by some wanton imagination.

It's as if someone or something is letting me know, through clues, that yes, I'll be alright; that yes, you're on the right path; that yes, you're doing exactly what you need to be doing at this time, even though you don't realize it (yet).

I'm sure this sensation is neither novel nor profound, to some. But it'd really be encouraging to hear if others have experienced something similar. Many thanks.