Dear picasso99:

Yes, it strikes a chord. For one, I very much remember how I felt … too old at 29. I started a teaching job at the time and was very bothered that at 28 (a year younger than you then) I was only a beginning teacher while other teachers were younger than me as beginners. I used to compare myself to others my age: those who were earning more money (having started earlier to climb up the salary scale), those driving expensive cars, owning their homes… while I felt like a failure. It was tough!

I think you are experiencing excessive ongoing fear (anxiety) and that paralyses you, keeps you stuck (the title of your thread). An automatic response to anxiety is the experiencing life as “highly detached from reality too and feel like I’m in a dream the whole time”- this is dissociation, separation from reality best your brain an muster so to not be scared.

Seems to me that living with your parents is a bad idea, that moving out will be a good idea, once you figure the finances. It is inexpensive to live with your parents money wise, but the mental consequence to you is dissociation, paralysis and being stuck.

When you compare yourself to peers/ others, if you have to compare, don’t forget those people who are not doing as good as you. There are plenty. When we are down on ourselves we don’t see the people who aren’t doing well and we think … everyone else is happy. Not so.

anita