# Stressed/depressed over the future and the economy; hopelessness



## Hurricane Matthew (Nov 9, 2012)

Hi everyone, I don't really like putting stuff this personal out here... but I just feel so hopeless about the future and like there is nothing for me. My future keeps looking like a black hole of nothing and I'm surrounded by family and friends who are all doom-and-gloom when it comes to politics and the economy. Every day, I'm bombarded with how much the US is doomed and how it will be a very long time before anything gets better in terms of jobs and the economy. As an unemployed college-aged person who can't seem to get a job and has had to drop out of college because of a mixture of illness and financial reasons, I can't find any optimism when it comes to the future... and I feel so much helplessness and hopelessness from everything. My family is so negative because my dad's company hasn't turned a profit in 2+ years and my brother says his job will eventually vanish so he is just staying around until his employer runs out of money to keep him hired. I want to go back to college but my family doesn't have the money for it anymore and I can't get any financial aid since they claim my dad "makes too much money" for me to qualify, which is total BS, and I don't want to take a loan because of all the horror stories involved with it and how poor the job market is for..._ everything_. It'd suck to have all that debt, graduate and then not get an optimal career to pay it all back.

But a side of me also kind of fears returning to college. In my freshman year, I came down with a really bad viral infection that viciously attacked my spleen ((one of my classes had an outbreak of mononucleosis where more than half the class came down with it)) and forced me to drop out of most of my classes. After a few months once the symptoms had gone away, I tried returning to college but I had really depleted energy levels and found having just two classes to be overwhelming, even when I handled four or five just fine before then. I also keep repeatedly getting sick now as if my immune system just doesn't exist anymore so every time I am around a small group of people or go someplace public like a mall, I'll come down with a cold/flu right after. Before I had the infection, I almost never got sick but now I get sick so easily that it's made me want to avoid going to public places and interacting with people. I really don't have much social anxiety but my family has started thinking I do since I keep being so avoidant of any and all social situations, when really all I'm doing is trying to avoid getting sick AGAIN. The cold/flus are annoying but I'm scared of catching worse contagious diseases like meningitis.

I eventually just decided to take a break from college... I was being sick too often and so I was missing too many classes ((an hour long commute to the campus doesn't help things but I can't afford to live closer and this IS the closest campus to me)).

A tangent but still a factor... I'm also autistic. While it never really hurt me up through high school, I think facing the real world with college, debt, employment, jobs, etc etc is making me realize how debilitating it really is. My mom raised me to not want to see autism as a disability because she didn't want me to use it as a crutch. She says it is just a part of my personality and there's nothing wrong with it; that people can be really successful even with it. I believed this for a long time, but I don't think it affects life as much when you're a kid/teen as when you're an adult because the adult world has a different set of expectations. While I got really good grades in college, I felt socially isolated there because I had a hard time communicating with others and understanding really basic things. My speaking ability is _terrible_ and I get messed up when talking super easily with lots of stuttering and mis-speaking. I can't tell what other people are saying unless they say it slowly, have a visual and they're talking to me 1-on-1 ((group work has too much going on and I get overstimulated to the point of not being able to understand anything?!)). I don't know how to deal with conversations so I often get frustrated and just give up on communicating since nobody is going at my pace. It's annoying since I DO understand the material and do well on essays and reading questions, but I am so helpless in verbal situations that all my group projects were the biggest blows to my grades in every subject. How do people learn to be more socialize and do stuff like reading faces and knowing how to follow a conversation?! I feel stupid since everyone understands this but me. The worst part is wondering how this would affect any potential career option I have since I'm so _deficient_ with this and employers want to have social types of people that work well in groups. Well, I can work in groups if I'm with someone who has a lot of patience :/ which I find to be incredibly rare, but other than that... I get too stuck.

I've been trying to look into career options with low social demand and not requiring a college degree, but I'm not getting anywhere with that, especially in this economy. The only thing that really seems to fit at all is trucking since all I'll need is a Commercial Driver's License and it has high job security, but some of my friends/family think I will be going to waste that way since they consider me to be highly creative and intelligent. However, they're all saying college is a scam because it's far more expensive than it should be...

Since taking my "break" from college, I have spent most of my time working on my drawing and writing skills. My mom keeps saying I should publish a novel and have that pay for college, but making that much off of writing is really rare and not reliable for a source of income. I've done some small time art commission work but it's not nearly enough to make ends meet if I were to move out. I have some outdoor life skills ((orienteering, building a fire, canoeing, etc)), I self-teach myself Japanese and Russian languages ((well, as far as reading/writing goes, anyway)), then not much else beyond that at my disposal as far as skills go.

Okay, this is way longer than what I had wanted @[email protected] So my questions...

1. Is there anyone out there who has any optimism in terms of the American economy and job market? All that surrounds me in my home life is negativity and pessimism so I'd like to see what a more optimistic point of view has to say. Economics isn't my strong point and I don't really know who to believe here about anything.

2. What kind of careers out there might suit me as possible things to explore, or should I try returning to college? I was planning on majoring in geophysics with a specialty in volcanology because my dream when I was a kid was to work at the Alaska Volcano Observatory. I've become more unsure about this dream since the government keeps threatening to make cuts to volcano observatories and were about to until Redoubt volcano erupted like a week after the statement was made. Who knows how long this will last, though. Job security is a major concern for me.

3. Are there any other people out there on the autism spectrum who got through college ((legit autism and not "I took an online test and it said I'm autistic")), despite the social situations and weakness in communication, and went on to a decent career? Any advice on how to deal with these issues?

4. I don't know... any sort of advice on anything to make me less stressed out whenever I think about the future will be much welcomed. I really can't get away from all the negative outlooks, all the "Obama/the Democrats are destroying America", "college is a scam", "Obamacare will put us out of business", "unemployment will get worse soon", etc etc type stuff. It's making me feel so hopeless and I can't seem to get out of it.

Thanks for reading...


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## Diphenhydramine (Apr 9, 2010)

The problem with very specific career desires like that is, as you say, they can get snuffed out very quickly. It's better to sit down and think about a more general idea of what you would like to do, and general paths towards it -- even at the cost of vagueness, I'm afraid.


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## Mustang (Oct 24, 2012)

College is a series of hoops to jump through that shows employers you're malleable, can work with people, and can somewhat follow instructions. A lot of companies don't give a shit about what you learned in college; they'll teach you their way of doing things. Either that, or you're one of the rare brilliant folk who have an amazing skill that has real world, money-making applications, and you get to skip all of that. Calling college a scam is a bit crass, however it's undeniable that the value of a degree is falling in proportion to the inflation of tuition rates. It's spiraling out of control and not sustainable, mostly because it's being treated as nothing more than a business that supports other businesses, and is infused with money from the government. America is America, though, we're founded on freedom: the freedom to be smart, or the freedom to be stupid. It's pretty amazing how we're okay with saddling our children with debt before their lives really start, but is that actually any different from history? At least we have the freedom to do what we want under that burden, in a sense.

All science more or less has to deal with the constant threat of funding pitfalls. I work with a research lab and the lead researcher warned me severely about entering any of the fields; just no money or security in anything that isn't an immediate concern to people. See again, problems with government funding dictating what's important. That being said, it certainly doesn't stop people from trying, but they lead stressful lives to pursue what they love.

America isn't being destroyed, even if we're dealing with some setbacks due to poor government (it doesn't really matter which party right now). I mean, sheesh, look at the state of the rest of the world. We're still one of the top players in the globe and it'll take a lot for us to lose that status, far more than what is currently happening. We're not going to be having any superpower wars anytime soon, either, something our generation has been spared from worrying about... though we got domestic terrorism instead. We also suffer from the 24 hour news media cycle, which loves to promulgate nothing except for how bad the world is. Fearful people are easily controlled people... but really they just want your money, so. 

I'm facing similar thoughts that you are, as a soon to be graduating senior who specialized in a very particular field. Fortunately, people will always need entertainment and experiences with worlds far away from their daily lives. Hell, I'd say work with animals like I do... I still have to work with people, but not quite as much. It's not a good use of your time to worry about the negative outlooks that people have, because the world is going to keep on chugging along regardless. 

You still have a lot of challenges to work through, you didn't get life handed to you on a silver platter. Nothing wrong with that, we all have to face this adversity throughout our lives. 

Anyway, key points: 
College is not a scam, but there is an inverse relationship between value and cost.
America will be just fine for our lifetime.
Science fields will always be risky and very rarely tangibly worth the time and effort you put into them. If you love it and are an abstract, long-term effects person, go for it.
You're not alone in these scary thoughts. Hopefully some other people will have more targeted advice for you.


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## milti (Feb 8, 2012)

I don't really have any advice for you because I don't live in America; where I live is very different, and you can't find a suitable job without a Bachelors' degree minimum. But I understand about the illness. I was forced to drop out of college (postgraduate) because I went and contracted Tuberculosis and was stuck with it for a year. I couldn't complete my thesis (60 percent of my final grade) and now I have an Incomplete on my degree, which is in some ways worse than a Fail. I lay around the house for close to a year hoping and waiting for my degree to magically materialise, while I was ill, coughing sputum and blood, generally feeling weak, run down and terribly demotivated and lethargic. 
The incomplete degree has not seemed to make much of a difference, but I don't want to tell prospective employers that I "fell ill" like as if I'm always falling ill... So I keep it vague as to why I have an "incomplete" - and they do ask and probe, and then I just blame it on my previous university. Lol.

Don't let the illness get you down. You'll see the light at the end of the tunnel soon, I promise. It's far away. But it's there.

I hope you know you're not the only one afraid of the future and what you'll do wit the rest of your life. No one REALLY has it figured out: everyone's just going with the flow.


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## funcoolname (Sep 17, 2011)

Matthew Nisshoku said:


> 1. Is there anyone out there who has any optimism in terms of the American economy and job market? All that surrounds me in my home life is negativity and pessimism so I'd like to see what a more optimistic point of view has to say. Economics isn't my strong point and I don't really know who to believe here about anything.


As long as Congress remains as divided and unyielding as it is, I think it's going to be a frustrating road ahead, but I am optimistic that things will come right in the end. Economics is never stable. With things as they are, I think the best way for people to help themselves and others may be entrepreneurship, but this is obviously much easier said than done. How I see it, money is not in infinite supply and economy runs on the symbiosis of consumer and producer, employer and employee. Both must treat each other well to benefit, and money hopefully will circulate from one area to the next. The average person cannot spend right now because they don't have much to spare, because too much is sitting in the accounts of people who are paying themselves and their shareholders millions while their employees can't make rent, let alone buy other producers' products. This is fixable, everything is fixable, but it requires big steps to be made and less stonewalling between parties. 



> 2. What kind of careers out there might suit me as possible things to explore, or should I try returning to college? I was planning on majoring in geophysics with a specialty in volcanology because my dream when I was a kid was to work at the Alaska Volcano Observatory. I've become more unsure about this dream since the government keeps threatening to make cuts to volcano observatories and were about to until Redoubt volcano erupted like a week after the statement was made. Who knows how long this will last, though. Job security is a major concern for me.


If that is what you are passionate about, go for it. Know that it may not work out, and you may need to change plans, but you will work harder (which will get you good places in the long run no matter what it's for) if you're doing something you're psyched about. It is better to choose anything and take action than to sit questioning and doing nothing. 



> 3. Are there any other people out there on the autism spectrum who got through college ((legit autism and not "I took an online test and it said I'm autistic")), despite the social situations and weakness in communication, and went on to a decent career? Any advice on how to deal with these issues?


A chem professor I know had a man working in his lab who was autistic. Quite successful, at a very good university. In the end he was not a great co-worker because he was a bit subversive and didn't respect the wishes and assignments of people in the lab, but still, he made it there. And then left, maybe to work at a private company? If your work and ideas are of real quality, people will care less about your social skills. There are many websites and books on careers for autistic individuals, too.



> 4. I don't know... any sort of advice on anything to make me less stressed out whenever I think about the future will be much welcomed. I really can't get away from all the negative outlooks, all the "Obama/the Democrats are destroying America", "college is a scam", "Obamacare will put us out of business", "unemployment will get worse soon", etc etc type stuff. It's making me feel so hopeless and I can't seem to get out of it.


The future will be fine. We just need to stop being so divided as country and the rhetoric you seem to be surrounded by is not helpful on an individual or larger level. If our government messes up badly enough, we are supposed to be able to elect new people to fix it. There is far too much money influence in the public and private sectors, just greedy greedy people, but it is up to people to elect individuals to cut that back. It's a very competitive and destructive cycle we're caught in now, unfortunately. I think the younger generation will learn from the mistakes (both moral and concrete) of people in power now and hopefully fix it. Keep the faith! You will do more with yourself if you have hopes and dreams and active optimism than the pessimists who are doing nothing but complaining and blaming.


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## RaidenPrime (Aug 4, 2012)

I can relate to what you're saying. 

My immune system was attacked by lyme disease twice, so I get sick often. I've been fighting off some flu-like thing for the past two weeks. At certain points of my life I was too sick, and had to take my classes online. Have you considered online college classes?

I also struggle with OCD and PTSD so I can come off as anxious and socially awkward at times. I got help for my issues, but still, anxiety sucks.

I get rejected almost instantly when I get phone calls for a job interview, because I have a high pitched voice - employers think I'm a child (I'm 26 years old). 

I would suggest trying oDesk (oDesk.com), but be very careful... A quiet laid-back office environment could do you good, but those are hard to find, I know.

I've found going in to business for myself (entrepreneur) to be the best solution, at least for myself, since it is difficult to get a job in the US these days. 

Best of wishes to you...


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## yet another intj (Feb 10, 2013)

Matthew Nisshoku said:


> 1. Is there anyone out there who has any optimism in terms of the American economy and job market? All that surrounds me in my home life is negativity and pessimism so I'd like to see what a more optimistic point of view has to say. Economics isn't my strong point and I don't really know who to believe here about anything.


Cheer up! You have the internet, you can use it for making money.



Matthew Nisshoku said:


> 2. What kind of careers out there might suit me as possible things to explore, or should I try returning to college? I was planning on majoring in geophysics with a specialty in volcanology because my dream when I was a kid was to work at the Alaska Volcano Observatory. I've become more unsure about this dream since the government keeps threatening to make cuts to volcano observatories and were about to until Redoubt volcano erupted like a week after the statement was made. Who knows how long this will last, though. Job security is a major concern for me.


Education is overrated yet necessary. I wish I can professionally repair air conditioners.



Matthew Nisshoku said:


> 3. Are there any other people out there on the autism spectrum who got through college ((legit autism and not "I took an online test and it said I'm autistic")), despite the social situations and weakness in communication, and went on to a decent career? Any advice on how to deal with these issues?


Nope... But I'm an INTJ, I think it's already a functional form of the asperger syndrome.



Matthew Nisshoku said:


> 4. I don't know... any sort of advice on anything to make me less stressed out whenever I think about the future will be much welcomed. I really can't get away from all the negative outlooks, all the "Obama/the Democrats are destroying America", "college is a scam", "Obamacare will put us out of business", "unemployment will get worse soon", etc etc type stuff. It's making me feel so hopeless and I can't seem to get out of it.


Democrats ruined our economy, republicans destroyed our constitution, same old story over and over again. Your collective memory is not longer than four years. Things are what they are, nobody can suddenly ruin everything or save the world in couple of months. Just focus on your own personal adventure in life, excuses and blame games are nothing new.


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## aus2020 (Jun 29, 2011)

In terms of intp type 5’s with aspergers in the news, there’s all types from Adam Lanza to Mark Zuckerberg. Where you fall on the spectrum depends upon your individual strengths, weaknesses, knowledge, motivation and priorities. In terms of successful people that I know, they’ve often had obstacles in their way. 

With regard to your obstacles, there are quite a few. If demographics are an indication of where the US economy and stockmarket is headed, then it’s going downhill until 2020, with recovery at around 2021. Many people with aspergers go to college or university. A more significant issue is that 85% or more individuals with aspergers are either underemployed or unemployed. The extraverted nature of job interviews can often be problematic for individuals with aspergers. As one person said, America is an extraverted sensing nirvana, which may or may not also have an effect on your future employment prospects. A dutch study also said that those with aspergers had an 80% divorce rate.

Economic downturns can be a very good time to make money. Individuals with aspergers can be creative, individualistic, single minded and don't need to follow the crowd. That’s what’s required in these times, along with the right wealth creation mentality and long term thinking. Online chess can be a good indication of mental processing abilities.


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## WickerDeer (Aug 1, 2012)

I don't think that autism will become more difficult as you enter the adult world. Actually, I think a lot of autistic children have more trouble during the younger years because there is more social demands on children. As an adult, you will be judged based on your job experience and expertise and less by your social fluency. Plus, if you continue to develop your social skills and your communication skills, you will be much more socially fluent as an adult than you were as a child, or are now. (I'm not denying that it's a challenge--but I don't think you should feel that you will be unable to contribute as an adult with autism.--that statistic is pretty startling)

I can understand how you feel hopeless. But don't let the economy bring you down. It's never been easy to get a well paying job with security. Jobs in the medical profession are pretty safe though, IMO--you could see if there is a nursing program nearby. I know you're worried about contracting diseases, but you can lower your risk of that by washing your hands often, using hand sanitizer when washing hands isn't an option, taking vitamins, and not rubbing your mouth/eyes/nose with your hands a lot.


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## FlaviaGemina (May 3, 2012)

Careers
Have you thought of being a technical writer? It's probably less exciting than writing novels, but it could be a steady source of income. Maybe you could write something for your dad's company for free and if it's good they might pay you to do more or recommend you to other companies? 
Or you could just write up something about a random topic as a sample, create your own website, put the sample on it and hope for customers to find you on google? Alternatively, you could advertise yourself as a technical writer on professional networking sites like linkedIN. 

Autism
Have you ever had any support for your autism? E.g. were you in a social skills group at school? You're mum is right to say that you shouldn't use it as a crutch and if you are intelligent or 'high functioning', you can learn many social rules by observation and thinking. Nevertheless, people can't just expect a person with autism to somehow 'pick it up' or 'sort themselves out' without support, because that's not how autism works. 
Were you classmates and professors at college aware of your condition? I'm not saying you should play the "I am special" card, but if people are aware of your needs they can accomodate them and make those group work situations more accessible to you. E.g. when you don't feel up to speaking, you could write down your contribution on a miniwhiteboard. If you get overwhelemed by too many people speaking at once, you could have a speaking buddy and discuss your ideas with him/her 1:1 first and then join the group.
When you do feel up to it, you can speak. It doesn't have to be an extreme choice between EITHER being a special snowflake OR fitting in 100%. 
If people are not aware of your needs, they might think you're a weirdo, stubborn, being difficult, not interested in the topic or any number of nasty things.
Sorry I talked so much about autism, it's just something I'm interested in because I work with autistic children.


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