I’m 26 (turning 27 soon) and was recently diagnosed with NVLD. It’s helped me understand why social interactions have always been such a challenge for me, but looking back, I can see how my experiences from high school to college shaped my confidence and sense of belonging.

In high school, I faced bullying — one incident in 11th grade stands out: a group of girls put food in my water in the cafeteria to make me gag, then laughed as I spat it out. I was humiliated, but I wasn’t completely alone. Friends and classmates reported the prank to my guidance counselor and the dean of students (I don’t know exactly who spoke up, as my counselor wouldn’t tell me), and some teachers were indignant. Their support helped me survive that moment, and I carried that validation with me, even if it didn’t erase the sting entirely.

College, however, was a very different story. I thought it would be a fresh start, but instead I spent four years isolated, feeling like a pariah. My roommate was controlling and exhausting, and my RA was dismissive and gaslighting, offering no protection. At one point, my roommate’s fiancé tracked me on Facebook and demanded to know her whereabouts — someone I had never even met. I blocked him, of course, but the invasion left me drained and anxious. Some classmates also took advantage of my vulnerability, and I never found anyone truly kind or supportive during those years. It felt like being a bullied 7th grader all over again.

Recently, reconnecting online with a friend from my international school brought up these memories. He acknowledged the high school prank and shared some of his own struggles from that time. Hearing his empathy and validation was deeply emotional — healing, but also a reminder of what I lacked in college.

Now, I’m trying to process both the grief and the healing. I’m learning that it’s possible to find safety, empathy, and genuine connection as an adult — even if I missed out on those critical years in school. It’s a slow journey, but acknowledging the past honestly is helping me reclaim my sense of self and confidence