It’s no surprise to anyone that we all have our struggles in life. From seeing our friends and family mistreat us to dealing with mental illness, these are some of the hardships that people are in desperate need to air out.
#1 Smarmy Facebook Message
I am seriously annoyed with people I know, who have posted those fake sugary "You can always talk to me! there's always someone! Here's the hotline number!" Many of those people were not there for me in the darkest times of my life. Especially a lot of college friends who basically froze me out when I struggled after my brother's passing. It's fake and you're not living the smarmy little Facebook message you're copying and pasting.
#2 Losing Sleep
I’ve been sending out resumes for four months now, sometimes as many as five a day. I’m starting to feel like I’ll never find a job. I can’t sleep anymore worrying about it and I’ve started getting stress rashes. I don’t want my friends and family to worry though, so I just keep pretending as if everything is all okay.
#3 Faking the Next Step
In my life, I know just barely enough of what I'm doing at any given time to fake the next step. Some days I feel competent in what I’m doing and there’s not really an issue. Other times, though, I'm positive that everyone around me can see right through this whole phony “responsible adult” routine I’ve got going.
#4 Getting Worse
I feel like I’m losing all of my friends because either I’m the only single one out of them all or I’m the only one who lives somewhat farther away. I constantly see them all hanging out together and I never get an invite to any of the group hangouts. It’s causing the depression I’m battling to get even worse.
#5 Best Friends
My dog is 11 years old, turning 12 next year. She's a larger dog, almost 65 pounds, so she's an old lady. She's been there through every single thing I've gone through and I legit can't remember a time she wasn't a part of my life. I have wonderful friends, but there are some things I've never shared with them and I've only shared with her. I’m so incredibly scared of her passing. I don't know what I'm going to do. I'm going to break, it's going to be ugly and I won't have her to lean on and it's this cyclical thought process that I haven't really been able to break out of recently.
#6 Back to Therapy
I'm distracted by a boy who recently came back into my life. I literally spent thousands of dollars and countless hours in therapy trying to get over him and it only took a single, "Hey. How's everything?" to undo everything I worked through. I'm so angry and upset at myself. So, I guess it’s back to therapy I go.
#7 Doctor’s Appointment
I am absolutely terrified of going to my doctor in a few days and admitting I think I may be depressed. I don't know even what outcome I want, or if anything will happen, but the only reason I haven't cancelled the appointment already is because I hate calling in. What if he thinks I'm just lazy? Why can't I just do better, anyway?
#8 Serious Problems
My mother told me that while I was in college last semester, she started to write me a note and was contemplating taking her and my little brother's life. She's acting like it never happened now. I don't know how to help them. They both have serious problems and won't get help. Also, I have to go back to college. I'm so anxious that I almost wish she never told me.
#9 A Disjointed Self
I'm so tired of dealing with my own brain. It's messed up, and it's a struggle every day to not silence my brain. Nobody seems to understand. Even therapists are like "Well, I tried?" and I can't afford an entire psych team. I'm too good at keeping everything quiet to appear normal and functional on the outside.
It's like I have a disjointed self, even around those that can help fix it. I'm constantly fighting my brain. Everything is constantly too loud. It's like being tied in a chair and forced to listen to 10 different songs at max volume at all times, but getting a jolt of electricity every time you show any twitch that indicates you don't like it.
Sign Up For Our Newsletter
Stories that matter — delivered straight to your inbox.
#10 Scary Thoughts
Honestly. With all the recent celebrities taking their lives, I've grown to realize that, even with the lives they lived, it didn't stop them from just thinking, "Yeah. I can't take it anymore." I guess it just makes me think, "Well, my life really isn't that great, what's stopping me?" Of course, this is just a thought. But, it scares me nonetheless.
#11 Moving Away
I just got accepted to university, and I can't call my mother to tell her. Instead, I’m moving away and not telling her where I’m going because of the stress she has caused me and my other family members. I have been contemplating this for a long time and have only recently decided to go through with it. I just can't tolerate the toxicity she brings into my life any longer. I know it's something I want to do but at the same time it's sad I can't call her and tell her my exciting news.
#12 Personal Positivity Bubble
I feel like a lot of times, people do know when someone's actually struggling with something in their life, but they also hate and avoid "negativity," so there's that. In other words, a lot of people just can't let themselves be bothered by anything that will burst their own personal "positivity" bubble… even if they say they’re there.
#13 Three Weeks
My ex just started dating someone three weeks after I thought we were going to reconcile. We were together for two years, had a house, the whole thing, but we moved to a town an hour away from our friends. So now she’s gone and it’s very lonely. The last three weeks have been brutal, but I joined the gym classes and go five times a week. Hoping it helps the mental part of this process. I'm pretty shy talking to new people, but maybe it will take care of itself.
#14 The Ex-Boyfriend
I was attacked by my ex-boyfriend and it’s only just now starting to affect me. Everything happened about 16 months ago. It was the last time I had been with someone in that way, and now I’m afraid that I won’t be able to have relations with anyone ever again without thinking about the way that he touched me.
#15 Out of the House
I just want my own apartment. I can't afford one on my own but my boyfriend of five years just got a new car so it'd be really hard for us to afford one even now. I'm tired of living with his mom. I can't stand it anymore. I want a place for myself. I'm trying to get a job as a flight attendant so that I can travel and be out of the house as much as possible.
#16 Tell Me for Certain
I'm pretty sure that I am on the autism spectrum, but I've never visited a psychiatrist or whoever would tell me for certain. When I brought it up to my mother, she just seemed hostile to the suggestion that I might actually be on the spectrum. But because I still live with my parents, I'm not sure what to do.
#17 Ignoring the Problem
I don't want kids but my significant other does. We are both just ignoring this problem. I don't know what to do. We will have to have a serious discussion about this, but I think we both know it will end poorly, so we just keep pretending that it's not a thing, hoping that the other suddenly changes their mind.
#18 That Girl in Class
There’s this girl in my class. I don’t really like her and never have. She’s quite dumb, intolerant to different opinions and ultra-religious. Overall, she’s like an 80-year-old small-minded woman stuck in a poorly-treated 25-year-old’s body. I still worked with her, mainly because she kind of “glued” herself to me.
I had no problem working with her, even if most times I had to redo the assignments because she’s basically illiterate. However, today she decided to betray me (and the other girls in our group): she changed stuff we had made, changed the numbers to wrong values even when the teacher had already gone over that part of the assignment with us, and during the presentation, cut us off and basically did all the talking.
Now the teacher thinks we did nothing and we’re at risk of failing. This is also our last week of class and if I fail, my graduation is at risk. I’ll have to pay for the exam, which is expensive, and take it in July, ruining my vacation. My anxiety is sky high, I don’t know if I should cry, be angry, or laugh at the situation. I just hate it and her.
#19 Helping Yourself
I’m one year sober from any opiate painkillers, mainly hydrocodone. I still crave the high randomly and if I just start thinking about it too much, but I’ve been sober. Some people don’t understand how addicting it can be. If you’re going through it, get help immediately. It’s never too late to help yourself.
#20 More Than Salty
I'm torn between hating the guy who crushed the truck in which my sister passed away or being a reasonable person and believing it was an accident, which can happen to anybody. He's just starting to walk after nearly seven months and I haven't asked him how he's doing lately. I know the right thing to do is to just let it go and communicate with him since my sister's not coming back.
He was her boyfriend and I did like him more than her other partners, but part of me thinks he's just an idiot who didn't stop when he should've. I also think that he's just going to think my sister was some sort of angel to make him put life into perspective. Like, no, you idiot. She was a person and she didn't pass away because of God's plan but because you didn't stop! Don't act like it was destiny! Yeah, I'm still more than salty.
#21 The Breaking Point
I feel like I'm at my breaking point with my life in general. I've been so stressed from my job and my anxiety disorder has me worry about things that most likely are to never happen. However, my brain never rests. I feel like I'm close to a breakdown. I'm scared and don't know who to talk to without getting judged or having people worry. It just seems easier to go the easy way out, but I don't think I could ever do that.
#22 Letting Him Go
My father is losing his life and I have to go and see him. But, if I’m being honest, I really don't want to see him as he was seriously toxic and sold me to his friends when I was very young. That being said, though, even with everything that happened to me as a child, I feel really guilty about thinking about not going.
#23 Wild, Long Shot
I am about to start HRT so I can transition and I’m terrified. I know it's the right thing to do and I'll be better off with than without, but I'm scared. I'm worried about my job, my family, my body, being hurt — everything. I'm also really lonely. Most of my friends live far away, and I have no partner or prospects for one. I hate doing things alone, from bringing in groceries to traveling. Hopefully once I transition, I can feel more comfortable with myself and find someone who likes chubby, ginger dudes, but it seems like a wild, long shot.
#24 Birthday Celebrations
Everyone forgot about my birthday last week. We have an eight-week-old daughter and no energy to host a party. So, at first, I thought I was okay with not hosting anything. But I just realized the day went by uneventfully and there were no gifts or congratulations. I’m kind of annoyed that that makes me so sad.
#25 Answering the Questions
I’ve been going to a psychologist a few times because of my social anxiety and lack of social skills. I feel like he doesn’t get me at all. He focuses on things that are not as important as some others would be (or so I think) and we have barely talked about my struggles in topics aside from social relationships. I know it’s my fault for not bringing them up but when I’m there, I just seem to forget what would be important and just answer his questions.
#26 Couldn’t Care Less
I tried to end my life in 2015 and didn’t hear from my friends for a few months. When I finally did, it was because I was the graphic designer for my theater troupe before dropping out and they needed someone to make the program for their upcoming production. I didn’t get invited to the show or anything, they just wanted the work and then didn’t speak to me for a full year .
I went to see my (then) best friend in NYC and tried to talk to her about what had been going on in my life, and she flat out said she didn’t care. She posts awareness things all the time, but they are only aimed at the LGBQT community. Because I’m not blatantly queer (bi, but not boisterous about it), she couldn’t care less about my mental health.
#27 No Enjoyment
My depression has gotten to a point I no longer care about getting better. The thought of being in any state but depression makes me feel uncomfortable and I don't want to leave it because it's become so familiar. I don't have any friends to support me and my family doesn't understand. I no longer care about my life and get no enjoyment from living. I don't know what to do.
#28 Emotional Intimacy
I feel like there's something wrong with me. No matter what I do, I feel like I'm completely alone. It's like I can't keep up an intimate emotional relationship with anyone, partners, family, or friends. I see all these people who find people that they can completely trust and be themselves around and I simply can't do that with people. I don't understand why. I mean, it's obvious I have some issues with emotional intimacy but I don't know how to fix that. Some days I feel completely fine with how I live, but I always end up having a moment where I hate myself for being like this.
#29 Waking Up
I can’t stop sleeping late. What happened? I used to have a healthy sleep cycle. Why am I being so lazy recently? I used to be so productive, why does this have to happen? I wanted summer break to be a time of me working on my hobbies, not spending the whole night browsing Reddit and fantasizing scenarios that are far from my reach. Why do I do this? Why am I laying in bed at 3:00 p.m. still feeling tired? Why did I let this happen?
#30 Still in Love
I miss my ex-girlfriend more than I could have ever expected. Everyone in my life thinks that I've moved on, but I really haven't. None of my friends can see through my tough façade that I'm still hurting. On top of that, my ex doesn't even want to be my friend anymore. I have never felt so sad and alone in my life.
#31 Don’t Follow My Footsteps
I slept with another woman. My girlfriend moved to another country a year ago, but we decided to try long-distance. However, after the first time I visited her, her parents forced her to break up with me since they didn't approve of our relationship. We decided to keep it a secret, but the distance plus the secrecy was damaging us.
I know that's not a valid excuse, but I felt like I needed to give some context. It feels so strange; in the day it feels like what happened was just a dream that never happened. At night, though, when I close my eyes, I feel my heart beating unreasonably fast and like I'm missing air. I'm not a guy who sleeps around and I'm terrified that this girl will show up pregnant or something.
If you're considering doing what I did, don't. The amount of guilt I'm feeling is something I've never felt before in my life. Think things through and value the trust someone else put in you. Value the peace of mind that comes from knowing you did nothing wrong because once that's gone, you'll feel like you've gone mad.
#32 Mooching Mom
I hate confrontation, but my mom has been living with me for almost two years now and it's making me nuts. She’s paying me a small rent amount and at the time we agreed on the amount I didn't specify what rent "covered.” She seems to think it covers everything . Obviously her room, utilities, etc. but she doesn't buy anything for herself or the house.
All groceries are paid by me including laundry detergent, toilet paper, etc. I have two kids and a partner, so I make meals, which she happily helps herself to every day as well. Two years and she's never offered to make a meal. It's bizarre. There are three adults in the house who drink coffee, but she drinks more than half the pot every day and never makes more or buys any coffee.
I guess a lot of my frustration about it comes from the fact that I had a bad childhood because her and my dad were addicts. We didn't have money for "good cereal" or fresh fruit or various snacks being around and available. She enjoys all my good food, though. It's a weird thing to be mad about and I feel like it's super petty to bring up at this point since it's been two years and I haven't mentioned it. Pretty sure it’s crushing me on the inside, though.
#33 Surface Value
I’m in a position where, as I’ve entered adulthood, I’m realizing that some of my friends are toxic and just stuck in their ways. I need to cut them out of my life somehow. On the flip side, it makes me genuinely depressed when I realize how few people I’ve found in this world that I can genuinely connect with.
With all of that, it’s also tough to imagine trying to meet new friends, as I’m the type of guy with “surface value” who people have tried to use for personal gain. I don’t find comfort in the fact that I’ve managed to secure a great future for myself professionally. But through all the sacrifices, my personal life has taken a big hit.
#34 Utterly Defeated
I feel completely and utterly defeated by my depression. I've been struggling for years but this is the first time I feel like I may be at risk of harm. I studied psychology and I volunteer for a well-known prevention charity, so I'm very emotionally aware. I've tried everything to combat depression from exercise and dieting, changing careers, therapy, travel, dating and recently started taking medication.
I’ve discovered that nothing out there really seems to be working for me. My depression has progressively gotten worse as I've gone through my life. I feel like it might cause the end of my life one day. I obviously don't want that to happen to me, but I don't know who or where to turn for help at this point.
#35 Black Hole in the Brain
I’m not sure why I keep going anymore. I used to find real joy in physics, mathematics, programming, etc. Now I can barely pick up a book or think about anything complex anymore. My life went downhill really fast after leaving university. My girlfriend broke up with me six months ago and now I'm just doing the bare minimum at work and in life to stay afloat.
But what’s the point? If the rest of my life is going to be stupid zombie-me going into a job I don't like, coming home, do some chores and then sleep, I really don't want to live. Everyone keeps blabbing about how their life turned around after this or that, and I just get really angry because I know that will never happen to me. I'm destined for a bad life.
It's like there's a black hole just occupying more and more of my brain, eating away at everything I used to know and care about. I already tried getting help once, but I found the entire psychotherapy thing completely useless for me. My brain is awful at believing in mantras designed to put a positive spin on your worldview. I basically just went through the motions for half a year and then stopped showing up.
#36 Pregnant With a Toddler
The fetus in my belly is contributing to some crippling morning sickness. When I do feel like eating, my toddler sits on my lap and grabs my food with her sticky fingers. It's irritating and my husband thinks I'm too impatient with my toddler. I just wanna enjoy my oatmeal before the nausea kicks in. I literally make her the same thing, but she wants to share. Being pregnant with a toddler is the dumbest choice I have ever made.
#37 Leaving Me Behind
Sometimes I’m terrified that I’ll pass away completely alone and with little meaning. I’m terrible at forming romantic relationships because I don’t have a lot in common with most people. All of my friends are moving on to their next phases in life, however, I just feel like that they’re all leaving me behind.
#38 High School Education
I absolutely hate this job in public high school education. If I’m being honest, I really dislike most of my co-workers because they’re extremely unfriendly. I’m so excited that in three days, I’ll be done with that place. On the flip side, I’m going to miss these kids. Some of them, I could be friends with one day.
#39 Individual Experiences
I love my partner and have been dating her for over five years now, but I seriously just long to be single for a while. I haven't been by myself in my adult life and I feel like as I creep into my mid-20's, I'm missing lots of experiences as an individual. Especially since my college experience was rather bland with no dorms or on-campus living.
#40 Mental Battle
I hate my life. I hate myself. I feel like I'm in a mental battle with myself. I'm so depressed and insecure. People have these crazy expectations for me and I just feel like I'm not worth it. I just graduated from university and I don't know what I'm doing. I got a job but I don't know if this is what I want. This uncertainty in life and my mental issues are all just messing me up.
#41 Feeling Horrible
I walked in on my ex trying to take his own life. I took him to the hospital to get help and I hate him for it. I'm angry that he was totally fine leaving our daughter. He was fine with me being the one to find him. I don't think I can live with him any longer because I'm afraid he's going to do it again. I can't even look at him. All things considered, I feel horrible about it. Like he should be getting compassion from me, but I just can't do it anymore. I don't have it. Maybe I'm as cold and mean as he says I am.
#42 Display to the World
My anxiety is crippling me and leaving me debilitated most days, but everyone I seem to talk to doesn't really care about it. They also don't understand the pain I'm in with it (they almost give me the impression they think I'm faking it for sympathy or using it as an excuse for why I'm so quiet and awkward). So I just have a perma-fake personality on display to the world.
#43 Job Offers
I don't know what I'm going to do if I don't get a job offer soon. To clarify, I have a job at the moment. But the job environment is tiring me. It's not like I have zero prospects, I've made it past CV screening pretty consistently and even interviewed twice. But between the current environment and the job hunt not panning out after more than three months, it starts to take its toll. I'm not someone who needs validation. I'm already looking at jobs that mean a pay cut. It's degrading enough, not getting any offers then. If I go lower… I don't know.
#44 An Unwanted Life
I legitimately wish I could take my life. I've tried before, but failed. I want to end my life because I simply don't care to live. Nothing about life to me is exciting and I personally think it's a waste of time for me to be here. But because people love me and care for me, I'm not allowed to end it. So every day is miserable, knowing I have to keep on living a life I really don't want.
#45 Stuck in the Middle
I met this girl about two months ago and we really hit it off. We spent the next six weekends around each other at the event we both worked for and we were flirting back and forth and were physical with each other. I know she liked me and I know I liked her, but she's engaged and polyamorous. I know that it's fine with her and her fiance, but I don't know if I could get in the middle of that. I can't stop thinking about her.
#46 Getting Help
I wish my mom would get the help she needs or would leave me alone. She has undiagnosed borderline personality disorder and she has gone off the deep end. I’m not talking to her because she crossed a line and tried to involve my children in her nastiness. I did not allow it. She also made up a fake FBI investigation to make my sister believe she was getting her foster child back. I’m done unless she gets real, professional help. I see her trying to call or text and I instantly feel sick. This is eating me up, but I can't let my kids get stuck in the middle of it.
#47 Trying to Replace Him
I feel like I should have never left my ex-boyfriend. Everyone since then has been a giant loser or essentially just a shadow of him. It feels like no one knows how to have a real relationship anymore. I'm tired of guys who are too full of themselves to define the relationship and are just totally wasting my time.
#48 Emotionally Isolated
I’m lonely. I keep telling myself it’s all going to be okay and life is going to work itself out, but it’s hard right now. I miss having an intimate conversation with someone and having someone say they miss me and wish I was there with them. Being single isn’t bad at first, I really enjoyed the freedoms I gained. But now I just feel emotionally isolated.
#49 Always Tired
I hate my job and hate my life. I'm tired, I want to sleep, I'm broke, and won't eat when I get home because I paid the rent with my grocery money. My boyfriend can't find a job, which makes me have to pay all the bills. I'm behind on all my credit cards, my stomach is starting to act up again, but at least I'm almost off work. Oh, and I want to cry.
#50 Head Above Water
I feel like I’m in a serious bind, medically speaking. I’m dealing with a small myriad of health issues that I need to tackle one by one, but all the while trying to maintain at least satisfactory performance at work. I’m also struggling with some severe anxiety and growing depression, which cannot be medically treated successfully without taking care of some other issues first. I feel like I’m barely keeping my head above the water.
