Is it normal to be unaccomplished in your 20s

I feel like the biggest failure ever because I turn 25 soon and have accomplished nothing.
I have studied a lot and have 2 degrees but one of them is mostly useless.
I've so far never had a job. I barely get by each month. I have a condition so obviously things are harder it never gets any easier. I am hoping that this fall they will truly be able to help me as I know pretty well what I want I just need help getting there. I am trying to build habits now and structure but its hard without a single drip of motivation for anything in my life. I have no strong feelings about anything these days, i'm mostly just null and very tired yet I dont really sleep just stay up every night. I want to change that but I don't know if it will work. My mental health declining so much sometimes my parents wants to take me to the psych ward because I am functioning less and less well and sometimes get irrational with panic or paranoia. I am going to try my best but I feel like my whole life has passed I should really be well accomplished with a successful career, rich social life and all that jazz at this age. My younger sibling has those things and is younger than me. I compare myself a lot. I wonder if that's how it should go, getting a great job at 19 years old and an apartment and a lovely partner and have tons of supportive friends without much effort. Just somehow being a very naturally likable person who seems to attract things without trying. Or maybe thats how simple it is for most others ? Or does anyone relate to me ? I compare myself a lot and I feel very useless.

Voting Results
100% Normal
Based on 15 votes
Help us keep this site organized and clean. Thanks!
[ Report Post ]
Comments ( 12 )
  • SkullsNRoses

    How is having 2 degrees and knowing what you want accomplishing nothing? You are being far too harsh on yourself. Many 25 year-olds are yet to find their career niche and making friends as an adult, especially when unemployed, is infamously difficult. You are far from alone in these struggles.

    You must have heard it before but comparing yourself to others really is a waste of your time. What steps are you taking to address your mental health?

    Comment Hidden ( show )
      -
    • Okay. Thanks.
      Well i've taken many steps but it's much harder than I thought before I did. Mental health professionals aren't always helpful and give false promises or redirect all the time etc. Again they have promised me they'll help this fall. I hope this time it's true and I am trying to plan for it as well as possible so maybe its easier for them to help me.

      Comment Hidden ( show )
  • idolomantis

    Totally normal. In highschool I was literally a straight F student, AND I graduated as a 'super senior' to boot. At the age of 19. There was literally a fucking banner in my C-school (short for continuation school) that said "It isn't your IQ, it's your I Can!". Nope, not making this shit up. x'D

    I flunked a bunch of classes there too btw, I probably only graduated because some of my teachers liked me. I barely had friends there either, but I kinda did lol. I just sat with them silently while they did weird shit usually...anyways...

    I also flunked like 2 years of college. I was just too anxious and depressed to really accomplish much. Plus I was always daydreaming and trying to find other fun stuff to do. Usually I just kinda walked around campus because it was pretty. But yeah, again, I think I only passed like a couple classes there.

    Mental illness is a real and misunderstood thing. It sucks when even your own family and friends don't get it. And yeah, sometimes not "getting it" EASILY escalates into outright abuse. For me it was mostly psychological. I did very rarely get threats of violence from my own family too. Yeah, it ain't fucking pretty when people's ignorance seems to have a will of its own.

    I hope I'm not putting the OP off, honestly. My point is that you definitely aren't alone and that you have no true reason to feel bad about yourself. Feel free to ask me any questions, I don't want my comment to get too long lol. Please take care of yourself.

    Comment Hidden ( show )
  • DADNSCAL

    You've accomplished a lot. 2 degrees didn't come easily I'm sure. Now you have to put them to use.

    Comment Hidden ( show )
  • RoseIsabella

    I'm 51 years old, and I still can't whistle. Never once in my life have I had a piñata. I've never been scuba diving. I've never been horseback riding.

    Comment Hidden ( show )
      -
    • SwickDinging

      I am genuinely surprised about the piñata.

      Comment Hidden ( show )
    • idolomantis

      I'm 29 and I can barely whistle, and I don't think that I have ever successfully snapped my fingers. I haven't been scuba diving either, I hope to someday.

      Comment Hidden ( show )
        -
      • Somenormie

        I can't even snap my fingers lol.

        Comment Hidden ( show )
      • RoseIsabella

        I can't snap properly with my left hand.

        Comment Hidden ( show )
          -
        • wigz

          I'm right handed but can only snap with my left!

          Comment Hidden ( show )
  • olderdude-xx

    Most people have their greatest accomplishments after a "mid-life" crises where they reset their priorities. Those typically start to occur in the 30's and usually occur by 60.

    However it could be earlier or later. Colonel Saunders did not start Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) until age 62 when a highway project took his restaurant; and he figured that he had to do something.

    Comment Hidden ( show )
  • 27 and sucking. Work at unfulfilling job watching people younger than me make more progress and demonstrate greater competence. Am one giant teenager. going back to school because why not, will probably fail (looking to get comp sci degree, algebra 1 is highest math I got) but in the end, you'll either be sad that death is coming for you because you've got/had an awesome life. or you'll be happy because you'll forget all the indignities and failures. just remember that life is meaningless, failure inevitable at some times, humiliation the norm, and you'll be good. Some people aint meant to be content, and the scripts that work for some don't work for others. happiness and meaning aren't egalitarian in their distribution.

    Comment Hidden ( show )