24 is far from running out of time!!!... your health and happiness should be your main focus, not the opinions of others... you should be so proud of yourself for recognizing what you need... change is hard... and it's hard to know you are going to hurt someone you care about.... but if you're heart knows (and it always does) then I believe even using the words you used here to explain yourself to him... I say this to you with confidence because it's advice I need to follow myself...

Tell your family to mind their own business. Be single if that is what you want to do... I hope you take care of yourself

Thank you ladies for your responses! They help and mean a lot! Clearskye I hope you follow your advice as well.. Its good advice! Thanks again to both of you!

Hello and welcome!

If being in this or any relationship and all the close intimate attention it requires stresses you out, suffocates you or otherwise makes you feel uncomfortable, don't be in a relationship.

"Running out of time": For having kids? Biologically, yes. But kids, while kids can be wonderfully loving and have a delightful sense of awe and wonder at seeing the world fresh for the first time, can also be a pain in the ass with their irrational outbursts/temper tantrums, not to mention they constantly need to be closely supervised, because they are constantly putting themselves in physical danger. If raising kids would stress you out even more, perhaps your destiny resides along a "different path". Tell family and friends, who are also crowding you and stressing you out, to mind their own business.

23 is time to define more than "what makes you happy"
define right and wrong
make choices that are consistent with "right"
sometimes that may not make you happy in the short term
you will like yourself in the long run as you will be able to look in the mirror and like/respect who you see

((your family seems to be a bit off the map, love them but don't listen to their kooked out advice))

23 running out of time... Well then I ran out of time eons ago!!!.... Welcome... This is a great site Emel!
You've said that you are unhappy... You have health 'issues', depression and anxiety... I would see a doctor in order to refer you to the appropriate help to deal with some of the things that are hurting you... Once you have a relationship may be something you look forward to... Big hug for you and a blessing...xo

If you don't want to be in this relationship, don't be in this relationship. It sounds like your family, while well meaning, are giving you bad advice that is serving their needs not yours. They may believe and intend for their advise to better your life but urging someone to "make it work" based on age (23 is so young) is not advisable.

This is your life. You owe it to yourself to be happy with you inside and out before you invest in a relationship. You owe it to him to be honest and let him go.

You have your whole life ahead of you and there's no time like the present to be happy.

23 is not "running out of time" for anything, as far as I'm concerned. If they mean kids(?) you still have many years to have a child, if you even want to (not everyone has to have a child, unless they truly want to). And adoption is always an option down the road as well, but I wouldn't even worry about that at this point; if you're really worried about fertility or something you could look into freezing some of your eggs, but again, you are wayyyy too young to worry about being out of time to have a child at this point.

And also, it is very damaging to you and yes to your boyfriend to stay in a relationship you don't even want. He will be hurt more the longer it goes on. Or worse, if you let yourself get pressured into marriage, or if you do end up with an unplanned pregnancy with someone you aren't even interested in, these things really impact your future. You sound very mature to recognize what you do and don't want. Don't let anyone make you feel bad for choosing against a relationship that is not serving your wants and needs.

You should do what you think is right for you.

23 and running out of time!????!! LOL!!!

Um..No, you are not running out of time. You are so young, take care of you!

Welcome to the group!

EmeliaK,

I'm sorry to hear about the health issues and emotional problems you are up against. I wonder feeling smothered has anything to do with to the anxiousness and depression you mentioned. Or, are you just not that into this guy?

It's one thing to give our close friends and family the right to call us out if our behavior is not up to par...

But at the end of the day, you have to do what's good for you.

You have the right to end any relationship you choose, without feeling guilty...even if he's super sweet and and even if no one else approves.

Best wishes!
2BWHOLE

No one should feel smothered or pressured about a relationship. When it's the right man, you will feel more than comfortable !!!
You will feel very, very happy.

In Australia the median age for having kids is 32. Another poster wrote you're running out of time biologically but thats incorrect.