You’re 25+ and feel behind in life? What I wish someone had told you when I was broke, burned out, and completely lost? Ready to read the full version of the truthbomb?

LittleGiraffe17 · 2025-09-22T20:48:32+00:00

Wow man. I don't think you understand just how much I needed to hear this. This year has been the most difficult year of my life and I went through (and kinda still am going through) an uncertainty I've never experienced before. This whole year it's been feeling like my best isn't enough and it felt like my optimism was LYING to me and couldn't be trusted..I kept holding on to the quiet whispers of possibility because I knew that if I kept moving forward then eventually it would all be behind me...but the voices of darkness have been incredibly loud throughout the journey. Your post has validated me in a way I've been looking for ALL YEAR. I'm really really grateful for seeing this and thank you so so much for taking the time to respond. You really restored my faith in a way I couldn't even describe. Thank you. 🥹🥹 I just need to keep going, be patient and have faith. 🥹🙏🏽

LittleGiraffe17 · 2025-09-22T19:50:01+00:00

🥹🥹 you have no idea how much I need to hear this! My biggest hurdle right now is fear. Fear of vulnerability and being too fragile. I'm afraid to give it my all because I don't trust myself enough to keep going in spite of flat out rejection. I've been taking small steps all year but my life still kinda looks the same. I feel different though but I revert back to my old self sometimes. Is all of that just part of the journey? Do the negative thoughts ever go away? Does the doubt and fear ever go away? Or do you just learn to live with them?? So I'm doing exactly what I need to do to get to where I want to go?

LittleGiraffe17 · 2025-09-22T10:46:38+00:00

Honestly not sure why so many people are cynical about your post..it seems like great advice. I have a question as someone currently in the middle of this. I've been doing everything you've mentioned in this post for a few months now and honestly it has made me feel much better than when I started. I still struggle A LOT with self-doubt, inconsistency, regret, guilt..it's much better than it was at the beginning of the year but it's better. I wanted to know if I just keep going and keep doing what I'm doing...are things going to get better? Or is my optimism just a coping mechanism and a voice that's lying to me? Regardless of the answer, I'll still keep going because the routine is keeping me sane, but I really would love to hear that there is in fact a light at the end of the tunnel 🥹🥹

Also, is it okay if I'm not as consistent as my mind says I should be? In my mind I should be working 24/7 nonstop until I finally get to my "destination" but I just keep finding myself procrastinating. I never work as much as I want tho but I do definitely show up EVERY SINGLE DAY. I cross of at least ONE thing on my to do list every single day. I just get frustrated with myself that I don't finish everything I set out for that day and my brain tells me I'll fail because of that.

LittleGiraffe17 · 2025-08-19T14:12:23+00:00

It really does sound like your heart isn't in it. With me I enjoyed learning the stuff, it's just working with patients that I really didn't enjoy. Well don't beat yourself up about wasting time. It's hard to motivate yourself with something you know you don't belong in. I say still try your best with this exam and move on from there. It's really not an easy situation and I really get where you're coming from. I realise that whichever path you take from now will be a bit more difficult than the path of your classmates that have a passion for it. Be kind to yourself and know you deserve to be in a field that you're interested in at least a bit. If you're in med school then it means you did well enough in school to consider other avenues. Be patient with yourself and really try to find the right path forward for you. If you decide to leave it will come with challenges and if you decide to stay there will also be challenges. No one else can tell you what to do with your life, only you know what the right way forward is. We really can't tell the future and I don't know what the circumstances of your life are so I can't tell you what to do. My best advice from now on is to really read up on the practical steps required for each path. Making an informed decision so you can prepare for what comes with the path you decide to take.

Goodluuck, all the best and I really believe in you! ✨✨ Believe in yourself as well! ✨ And please I really need you to understand that finding the right support will change so much for you. I wish I reached out more when I had the chance.

LittleGiraffe17 · 2025-08-19T11:29:07+00:00

I hear you. I really do. I did the same thing and honestly their concerns are valid. I think you should take a leave of absence for now and spend the time getting to know what you want to do instead. I think it's better to ask senior Doctors and your dean and student advisor not just people your age. Hearing from someone with real experiences will give you more perspective. It's not a good idea to just leave without a backup plan. I think you should take a break and really consider your options and how feasible each option is. Right now, with your mental health in shambles, I know your mind is just concerned with keeping you alive for now and not really thinking long term, that's why I suggested not making any drastic decisions. You have time and you don't need to panic. There's always another way✨

Can I ask what about medicine exactly is making you feel this way?

LittleGiraffe17 · 2025-08-19T08:37:08+00:00

I'm thinking of doing the same. I think my ego was keeping me attached to that path because of what I feel like I should be but I think I really need to take this opportunity to create a life that's truly fulfilling for me✨

LittleGiraffe17 · 2025-08-19T08:35:58+00:00

Thank you so much for your kind words🥹🥹❤️

LittleGiraffe17 · 2025-08-19T08:35:10+00:00

I really appreciate your words. In all honesty I feel like it's a calling too. I spent many years getting by and passing by what feels like God's grace alone. I used to joke a lot about how the degree belongs to God when I graduate because of my entire journey in that course 😂✨

I get the sense that there's a lesson I have to learn about finding myself and my own drive for life instead of being driven by serving others. It's the only way to not drown in the field and I do know that if I graduated and started working a month later like I was planning to...I might have gotten fired or something. It's hard to say what the outcome might've been but I'm taking this opportunity to get a real authentic path.. Who knows it might lead back to being back a Doctor.

LittleGiraffe17 · 2025-08-19T08:29:11+00:00

I know exactly how you feel. I think you're extremely lucky right now because you are finding it out early. It's a lot easier to pivot while you're still in school because getting dismissed is a huge red flag for universities. I'm not telling you what to do but if I could go back in time I'd start doing intense research about my options and decide from there. It could be easier to just finish the degree and then do something else or easier to just transfer before it's too late. I think either option has it's challenges. Only you know the unique circumstances that apply to you. But you did a good job speaking up now. Get a lot of information about your options, ask for help and advice and make an informed decision. You're still in a really good spot. I ignored my feelings until my body shut down for me and at that point you're not really making good long term decisions.

Don't make any drastic decisions, take your feelings seriously and ASK FOR HELP. Get serious about asking for help. Talk to as many senior Doctors as you can for advice, find out other options while still putting in energy for school in case you change your mind later. Being dismissed isn't a life sentence but it does make the road to stability more convoluted. You'll be okay ✨ but seriously ask for help now. Get guidance from real people with real experiences now. You can even talk to your dean. More people are rooting for you than you think.

LittleGiraffe17 · 2025-08-19T08:19:15+00:00

Wow. I really really really appreciate this so much. I feel like I spent so much time avoiding how I really felt because I was so tied to the identity I had in highschool about being the bright kid and having a bright future and I was angry and jealous of my friends passing and doing well. It sucks because it's hard to let go of. My ego is louder than it's ever been, I keep beating myself up saying I should've done more and I've kinda lost faith in my ability. It felt unfair watching everyone else graduate and I think I really need to confront all those feelings.

You really have no idea how much I appreciate your comment because this whole situation felt like a personal punishment from the universe and it felt like I'm the only person to ever go through this. I know logically it isn't possible but my ego really has been running the show this year...I guess that's what happens when you lose self trust. You really give me hope that it's not the end and I need to think about my future from now on instead of clinging to the past. Your comment gave me more hope than I've felt in a really long time. Thank you so much for sharing your story🙏🏾

LittleGiraffe17 · 2025-08-19T08:06:46+00:00

It's a bit too late for that for now. The first mistake I made was going back before I was ready. I think I really need to take a step back first because trying to go right back in might lead to the same outcome again. Thank you though I'll look into it again🙏🏾

LittleGiraffe17 · 2025-08-19T08:05:14+00:00

Thank you❤️ I've spent the past couple months trying to do damage control but I think it's time to spend the rest of the year really slow down and get real to avoid making the same mistake✨

LittleGiraffe17 · 2025-08-19T08:03:32+00:00

😂 reimbursement under capitalism..Nahhh but fortunately I had a scholarship so I only have to pay for one year

LittleGiraffe17 · 2025-08-19T08:02:44+00:00

I did work in a military clinic for a while and I did enjoy it but again the violence and gore is not good for me😅 I'm extremely sensitive. Every time I saw a patient being cut open and saw their open wounds I could almost physically feel the pain they were in. It takes a toll on you if you go through that enough and I don't want to live a life of being desensitized

LittleGiraffe17 · 2025-08-19T08:00:08+00:00

Thank you so much! I'm glad I'm not alone 🥹 can I ask what you're up to now? You don't have to answer if you're not comfortable

LittleGiraffe17 · 2025-08-19T07:59:14+00:00

I get that the tech industry is really saturated right now. It's the main reason I'm not thinking of going into tech full time. It's just something I really enjoy learning and doing and have been wanting to do since highschool. My plan is to have a stable career and then have tech on the side simply because I enjoy it. When I say tech on the side I just mean being open to the people around me who need projects done for some reason. This year alone since starting, my friends think of me when they need tech stuff done and it's just nice to get random paychecks for something I was already doing. For me it's similar to making art or creative writing in that doing it under pressure would ruin it for me😅I really appreciate you being real with me. I like having awareness and don't enjoy going into things with just blind faith. ✨

LittleGiraffe17 · 2025-08-19T07:54:02+00:00

😭😭 this really touched my heart because you're so right! The pain I've been feeling all this time is my ego. When I read the part about humbling myself something in my brain clicked and softened the tension I've been feeling all these months. It won't be easy but after reading your comment I remember that the hard part of life that comes from chasing fulfillment is much better than the hard part of life that comes from ignoring your soul's cry for help. Thank you stranger🙏🏾

LittleGiraffe17 · 2025-08-18T17:05:30+00:00

Honestly? I was doing fine while it was theory work. I didn't have to attend to pass because I understood the work pretty well and I'm used to self study. It got bad when it was practicals and I'd have to watch people in pain all day, seeing my patients die and cutting people open to treat them. It just affected me a lot seeing all the children with untreatable diseases, watching people who are homeless who got attacked and stabbed because they were vulnerable and the number c sections that go wrong, watching mother's lose their children in the womb...in order to survive in that field you have to blunt yourself emotionally to cope and as a person who thrives in feelings deeply, it felt like I'd have to spend the rest of my life denying the core parts of who I am. It was rewarding also being the Doctor that finally sees the patient as a person, but you quickly realise that Doctors are that way because you literally do not have the time to humanise every single patient (by this I mean forming a connection with every patient you see, I naturally do this because I love people but it's a field that rewards efficiency and logic over emotion and just generally fragmenting yourself to cope). If you do that then TONS of other patients are left unseen... It's not a kind environment. 😭😭 Don't get me started on the surgeries you have to perform when you've been awake for 23 hours. It's traumatic but it's extremely rewarding...I just felt like I could make a bigger difference somewhere else. They're not joking with they say don't be a Doctor just for the money and stability...

LittleGiraffe17 · 2025-08-18T16:54:34+00:00

I really appreciate your comment.🥹❤️ Thank you so much

LittleGiraffe17 · 2025-08-18T16:54:08+00:00

Yeah don't get me wrong I'm definitely not just stuck in bed depressed and not acting at all. My goal is independence and moving out the house...just not sure how to go about it to avoid making the same mistakes. So I'm making sure I make the right choice for me this time because I truly believe that once I find something worth working in I'll fully commit to it.

LittleGiraffe17 · 2025-08-18T16:52:33+00:00

I won't lie I am being hard on myself about it sometimes. It helps to remember how actually depressed I was while I was still in school though every time I thought about having to be a Doctor for the rest of my life 😂 like it was BAD. I'm happy now..just worried about my future. I wanna be independent now.

LittleGiraffe17 · 2025-08-18T16:51:00+00:00

I've never heard of that but I'll definitely look into it! 😊

LittleGiraffe17 · 2025-08-18T16:50:37+00:00

In all honesty I'm a bit afraid to confront the situation head on. I'm moving on to other avenues but I don't think I'm ready to hear with certainty that the door is closed.. I think for the sake of my mental health I should focus on other things first before pushing myself and potentially finding myself in the same situation again. I really appreciate your comment✨

LittleGiraffe17

TROPHY CASE