I have both autism and ADHD, and I just feel pretty awful since I graduated college. I’m really low-functioning; most of the time, I can’t even get basic household tasks done, much less find a job. My funds are dwindling, and soon paying for HRT will be a challenge. I feel like it wasn’t this bad when I was younger; I’m now 21 and it’s starting to get unbearable. I cannot really get meds cause I don’t have insurance.
Sorry to hear…
Do you have goals you want to achieve in life?
Do you have a love interest?
Do you go to the gym?
Is there stuff you usually enjoy doing as a hobby?
Those are the kind of questions you should be asking yourself right now.
If you can’t give a positive answer to those questions then you should definetly go see a therapist.
“Go to the gym, it will cure your depression!” Is one of the least helpful things you could possibly say. So is suggesting a romantic relationship to someone who is not doing well.
Going to the gym as a hobby helped mine. Off mySSRIs and feel much better physically and mentally. Ymmv
Your body and mind are more in sync than you think. A lot of people’s lethargy and low energy can be attributed to poor diet and exercise. It’s not a cure but it treats many symptoms of depression.
Exercising has been shown to have massively positive benefits for people with depression.
It won’t cure you, but all the evidence points to it being a very worthwhile thing to do.
Agree on the romantic relationship however.
Hugs, hun. You have a lot going on, and early 20s are rough emotionally. You need and deserve help. Without knowing where you live it’s hard to give exact info, but this site is reputable and even used by social workers to help their clients: https://www.findhelp.org/
FWIW, you’re doing awesome. You’re valuable and you have a lot to offer the world. Please keep going.
I’m in the exact same boat. In my 30’s, but if you need a friend to talk to, a kindred spirit, please feel free to reach out to me. I’m looking for new friends, too. Everyone I know is too neuronormal. 😆
So sorry to hear you’re struggling.
Try contacting charities, maybe related to your conditions, they may be able to offer guidance.
Chances are there are some social systems that can help you. But it can be really tricky to find out about them.
There’s a pinned list of LGBTQ+ resources at the top of this sub; perhaps there are some starting points there that could help. I’m thinking not only with HRT, but also with finding a community for support and encouragement. They might also have opportunities to peer network, IRL or virtually. Yes, I know you’ve mentioned autism and ADHD, which make it difficult to reach out and find support—and I thank you for reaching out here. I suspect a Lemmy community, while we can send you our good wishes and occasionally useful suggestions, isn’t going to be specific enough to meet your needs.
You mention you’ve graduated college—were there community resources at college you might use? If nothing else, colleges have a strong interest in seeing their graduates gainfully employed. If you’re feeling up to it, they might be able to offer suggestions on easing back into the job hunt. Or their alumni office may know of social activities that would help you get up and out for a while—again, if you’re feeling up to meeting and mingling.
Have you checked to see if the state you live in offers state assisted healthcare? There are certain states that will provide free health insurance if you fall below a certain income. From there you can choose a primary care physician within the state provided health plan and get everything from referrals to specialists as well as prescriptions. See if it exists in your area and apply immediately if so. It can be complicated depending on where you live but there are representatives that are paid to help you navigate the application process if it starts to feel overwhelming.
Sorry you’re struggling. Early 20s are a bit rough, keep your head up, set goals for yourself and always set something for yourself to look forward to(like a trip, etc)
When I was 21 I was working construction jobs for shit pay, wondering if this was all that my life would amount to. I had a son I could barely afford to maintain, a shit relationship with his mom, and an estranged family. The people I knew only lived to get absolutely wasted drunk/high on the weekend. My ADHD/combative attitude got me fired from most jobs I’d had. I constantly had suicidal thoughts.
I had to humble myself, learn to listen, learn to follow, learn to teach, then learned to lead. I still humble myself every day.
I found something that interested me, studied it, practiced it, mastered it, and am always learning. In March I’ll turn 30 and recently accepted my first six figure salary offer. Still no college degree.
Even when it feels like you’re taking one step forward and two steps back, invest in yourself, find something you enjoy doing and then be the best at it. Life is timing. Once you finally catch wind, you’re off the ground for good.
Take care.
