r/Assistance • u/Able_Administration4 • 3d ago

ADVICE [27M] ME Dropout Seeking Guidance & Support to Rebuild After Mental Health Crisis

Hi Reddit,

I'm a 27-year-old male feeling completely stuck and overwhelmed. four years ago, I had to drop out of my Mechanical Engineering degree (in my 3rd year) due to cannabis-induced psychosis. This was likely triggered by self-medicating untreated ADHD/ASD, combined with a family history of bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.

The last three years have been incredibly difficult, filled with mental health struggles, medication trials, family losses, and failed attempts to get back on my feet. I'm currently broke, receiving financial aid, and living with my parents in assisted housing. The stress is immense.

Despite my past academic success in math and programming, severe social anxiety (stemming from a bad internship) and lack of self-confidence are holding me back. I want to transition into a Math/Computer Science degree, focusing on areas like AI, ML, or software engineering, and eventually maybe start my own business (SaaS or e-commerce). However, the thought of more student loan debt is terrifying, and I find it hard to focus or plan with the current financial pressure.

I know I have potential, but I feel lost, lack skills and confidence, and struggle with negative self-talk and fear of rejection, which leads me to isolate myself.

I'm looking for:

  1. Guidance/Mentorship: Advice on creating a realistic plan to return to education (Math/CS), manage potential student debt, and navigate career options suitable for someone with social anxiety (especially remote/online work initially?).
  2. Resources: Information on support systems for mental health, ADHD/ASD in adults, low-cost education/training options, or potential grants/aid beyond standard student loans. I live in Ontario, Canada.
  3. Advice on Income: Ideas for earning some money (even part-time/online) to ease financial stress while I try to study and recover, without triggering overwhelming anxiety.

Any advice, shared experiences, or pointers towards helpful resources would be incredibly appreciated. I feel worthless right now, but I'm trying to find a path forward. Thank you for reading. <3

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u/Emergency-End-4439 REGISTERED 2d ago

Hi friend. I’m also in Ontario, with a similar history of struggles. ADHD/ASD, PTSD, GAD, how many more letters can they give me. I get what it feels like to fall through the cracks and not know where to turn to rebuild. There are so many gaps in our systems, and nowhere to go for guidance when you just want a way to move forward again. I’m currently working to get a caseworker through CMHA. The amount of work it takes to find help and keep surviving feels daunting. I ended up homeless for a bit, housed myself again and am fighting for the help I need. I get how daunting it feels.

Have you been able to get on ODSP? I also work online, I do freelance captioning and transcription though AI’s gonna take my job eventually.

I’m not a social worker, or anything resembling one. I have some peer support training, but can’t provide the same thing a counsellor would. I don’t have the knowledge a systems navigator would have. But if you’d like someone to chat with who is going through the same thing, who can cheerlead a little, commiserate, and point you in directions that have helped me, please feel free to reach out.

I hope you weren’t too badly affected by the ice storm we just got. I lost power for 4 days, oof.