I don't think you are alone in feeling like things are put on hold because of the pandemic. In my situation, I had to cancel a bunch of doctor and dentist appointments because of the pandemic, and I'm kind of dragging my feet to reschedule most of them again. Even though I know I need to go.

You're young, you have plenty of time to have all the things you wrote about. I DID have lots of fun in my 20s, but I think everyone is different.

A suggestion would be to write out a list. Write all the things you are hoping to do. Once you have it written out, you can break each item down into smaller steps.

Be patient with yourself. There is plenty of time to get to everything. The whole world has been placed on pause for awhile. You will get to everything in your own time.

Gentle empathy, KN. This business of keeping our lives on hold while we obey the germaphobic laws seems to be hitting us all pretty hard. I often wonder if the holding pattern is easier to handle for those who have faith in the control measures. I have no such faith and all I see are control freaks telling me I must be as afraid as *They* are. It is *you* I am afraid of, control freak. Don't force your faith on me.

My own anxiety over approaching the next flu season under germaphobic mandates is out of control, as is the anxiety of my 2 elder foster charges who have to start their elementary school experience under rules that make more sense in senior centers than elementary schools.

My prayer is that with honest and open venting, we can find our way out of this mess together. Just praying. . .

Gentle support while you find your way through those hideous dynamics.

Are the germaphobes safe yet?

everyone has kind of chugged to a halt with the pandemic--don't worry about what society expects of you--they give people a "timeline" of what their life is supposed to look like every 5 yrs or so--I call BS--you do what you want to do when you want to do it...we have so many options now--you decide---don't worry about that timeline AT ALL. you can freeze stuff--you can have entire relationships online (apparently) everyone has their own stuff--no one is perfect--don't beat yourself up.

I am 29 and have never moved out of my parents home. Due to my mental illnesses, I had to put dating on hold as well and focus on my recovery. We are still so young! My sister is 31 and just got Married earlier this month. I have 6 brothers and sisters, most who are younger than me, all who live on their own. It is so important not to compare yourself to others. Their journey is not your journey. You will find someone someday just as I will. As for sex. theyre right what they say when you are younger. Wait for someone special. Someone who respects you and treats you well. You cannot rush things.

One of the best gifts we give ourselves is to reach out for understanding, support, and encouragement.

Kudos to everyone!

Living at home is normal for a lot of adult children these days. It's kept quiet to minimize the comments from those who have zero understanding of the circumstances that bring it to that point.

I agree with writing out everything in ideas of things you might want to do, places you might want to visit, people you might want to connect with, and check out through internet research options available.

Best wishes.

Yup. I try to journal every day and it helps get things out of my head. Also talking to my therapist or someone else in my support circle. Talking it out is so important for me. I used to keep everything bottled up but once I found people I could trust I found it’s easier and healthier to share my burdens with people I trust.

Kisses2016 you are so right about journaling. It is an awesome way of getting it all out. I used to do this. But make sure you have a support group in place that you know like and trust. I used to write everything down that was going through my head, and I mean everything. Every little detail. Then I used to vent it all out to my family. They stood by me through thick and thin.

I went through a nervous breakdown at the age of about 30. See if you keep it all inside. You will blow and it won't be pretty. I was diagnosed with psychosis. It was really my darkest moments. But I came through it as hard as it was.

Stay Strong