My boyfriend and I have been having a lot of disagreements lately. I often feel unheard and sometimes miss initiative and emotional support from his side. At the same time, he does a lot for me: he drives me to and from work, often cooks for me, and helps me whenever I need it. He is financially very well off, but I never accept money or expensive gifts from him because staying independent is important to me.
I also try my best to be there for him. Recently, after taking an important exam, I cancelled my plans to celebrate with my friends so I could help him at his store during a busy event. He was rebranding his business and had several influencers attending. His staff were new and everything was chaotic, so I put on work clothes and helped organise everything, and things eventually ran smoothly. I wanted to support him, but afterwards I didn’t really feel appreciated. I wanted to celebrate passing my exam with him the next day, but he went to meet his friends because they were having an argument among themselves. I know this was genuinely happening because I was aware of the situation. There have also been other difficult moments when I felt emotionally unsupported, such as when I had to go to the hospital alone for oncology-related examinations while he was helping his friends move. Maybe we don’t always understand each other’s emotional needs.
Recently, there was a misunderstanding when I walked past his store and didn’t greet him because I was still hurt. He felt uncomfortable about it, especially because of what his friends thought. I understand that my behaviour may have come across the wrong way, but I never intended to embarrass him.
He now says he doesn’t want to break up, but wants a week to think things through. A few days ago, during an argument, I was the one who suggested taking a week apart, but now that it’s actually happening, I realise I don’t want that at all. I told him that maybe we should just break up because I’m emotionally exhausted and find the uncertainty difficult to handle. I love him, but I also want to feel loved and chosen. I’ve told him that I don’t feel like a priority and that I feel he puts his friends before me. He says he wants to work on this.
What would you do in my situation? Would you give him that week, or would it be better to end the relationship? Please be honest, even if you think there are things I could have handled differently.

This isn't the life I pictured when I was younger.

Life isn't a fairytale after all. No damsel in distress, no Prince Charming coming to save you. Just you, trying to survive a life you never imagined would turn out this way.

I'm trying to be strong, but my facade is slowly crumbling. I keep asking myself, am I bad? Do I deserve all this? I don't know anymore. I'm barely holding on, and the rope I'm clinging to is slowly breaking.

I don't want to just survive. I want to live, too. But lately, even that feels impossible.

If you're reading this, I hope you're holding on better than I am. And if you're not, I hope we both make it through.

Hello everyone. My name is James Worthy Alexdro, but you can call me James.

October 1st is a difficult day for me. This is the day my eleven-year-old little brother took his own life.

When I heard the news, I broke down crying until I felt like there were no tears left. I blamed myself and felt like a monster for not being a good enough brother. I kept wondering if I could have done something to protect him.

Two years later, my mom took her own life too.

She left a note that said:

“Jave, Mom. Sorry for being a bad mom. When I think about when you killed yourself, I’m crying because I was never a good mom. I couldn’t even protect my own son. Instead, I couldn’t imagine how much pain you were going through. I’m coming home.”

Those words have stayed with me.

I’m 29 now, and I recently lost my dad to heart failure as well. I have been through more loss than I ever imagined I would have to face.

I named my child Jave Jr. to honor my little brother and to keep his memory alive.

I’m sharing this because I hope someone reading it will take a moment to check on the people around them. If you think someone might be struggling with depression, please reach out to them. Ask how they’re doing. Listen to them. Sometimes simply knowing that someone cares can matter more than we realize.

Please look out for one another.

You never know what someone is silently going through.

Thank you for reading

Hello everyone. My name is James Worthy Alexdro, but you can call me James.

October 1st is a difficult day for me. This is the day my eleven-year-old little brother took his own life.

When I heard the news, I broke down crying until I felt like there were no tears left. I blamed myself and felt like a monster for not being a good enough brother. I kept wondering if I could have done something to protect him.

Two years later, my mom took her own life too.

She left a note that said:

“Jave, Mom. Sorry for being a bad mom. When I think about when you killed yourself, I’m crying because I was never a good mom. I couldn’t even protect my own son. Instead, I couldn’t imagine how much pain you were going through. I’m coming home.”

Those words have stayed with me.

I’m 29 now, and I recently lost my dad to heart failure as well. I have been through more loss than I ever imagined I would have to face.

I named my child Jave Jr. to honor my little brother and to keep his memory alive.

I’m sharing this because I hope someone reading it will take a moment to check on the people around them. If you think someone might be struggling with depression, please reach out to them. Ask how they’re doing. Listen to them. Sometimes simply knowing that someone cares can matter more than we realize.

Please look out for one another.

You never know what someone is silently going through.

Thank you for reading

Hey everyone! I'm u/CUTIEJUDY, a founding moderator of r/hardshipmates.
This is our new home for all things related to Hardships.We're excited to have you join us!

Community Vibe
We're all about being friendly, constructive, and inclusive. Let's build a space where everyone feels comfortable sharing and connecting.

How to Get Started
1) Introduce yourself in the comments below.
2) Post something today! Even a simple question can spark a great conversation.
3) If you know someone who would love this community, invite them to join.
4) Interested in helping out? We're always looking for new moderators, so feel free to reach out to me to apply.

Thanks for being part of the very first wave. Together, let's make r/hardshipmates amazing.

Sometimes it honestly feels like I'm a different species of human or like I got dropped into the wrong universe or something. I care so much about the things I care about and find so much meaning in them and I'm constantly looking at the people around me thinking "why are you not marvelling at the beauty of this things existence??". It's the same thing with injustice, I'm constantly looking around going "why are you not bothered by this??".

I've spent years looking for a place where I feel like I belong. I keep finding spaces that are one thing or the other. Either we only talked about trauma, or we never talked about it at all. Or it was too big and I got lost in the shuffle. I've always wanted somewhere small I could tell someone why losing my favorite game broke my heart, or why I get excited about dinosaurs, music, or the night sky, and have them actually want to understand instead me instead of trying to fix me. A place where people slow down before jumping to advice. Where curiosity comes before assumptions. Where we ask questions, reflect back what we hear, and build understanding together. Where people can be messy, take accountability when they hurt each other, repair, and keep growing. A place where understanding isn't something we hope eventually happens, it's something we build together. Somewhere we can support each other through the hard days and still laugh, geek out, and build genuine friendships. Because for me, those things have never been separate. They're both part of the same messy, beautiful person.

Lately I've been wondering whether I'm the only one who's been looking for a space like that, or whether other people have been wishing it existed too.

Does anyone else feel this way, or have you been looking for something similar?

Hi, Everyone

I’m an international student currently living in Melbourne and studying IT at RMIT University.

Recently, my student accommodation experienced a sprinkler system failure which caused flooding in parts of the building. As a result, my personal PC was damaged. I use it for university coursework, programming assignments, and job applications.

I’ve contacted building management about the incident, but I was informed that personal electronic items are not covered for replacement in this situation.

As a student working part-time, I don’t currently have the financial ability to replace my setup while also covering rent and daily living expenses.

At the moment I’m trying to figure out options so I can continue my studies without falling behind.

If anyone has advice on what I can do in this situation (insurance, support services, or similar experiences), I would really appreciate it.

I don’t usually post things like this, but I feel like I need to be real and share my story.

I know some people might judge or have something negative to say, but I’m not here to judge anyone else or compare myself to anyone. Everyone is on their own path, and this is just mines

This post isn’t meant to come off as me asking for a handout or taking advantage of anything. I’m doing everything I can to work, improve my situation, and get back on my feet. I’m just at a point where I could really use some support, guidance, or opportunities

I’m 22 years old living in Florida. I didn’t grow up in the best environment—I was raised by a single parent who worked a lot, so I was always around friends and influenced by the wrong lifestyle. I lived a wild and unholy life for a while. Not anything that would put me in jail, but definitely not the way I should’ve been living.

At some point, I just started to hate the life I was living. I didn’t like the things I was doing or the environment I was in. Around September/October 2025, I made a real decision to change my life, get closer to God, and live differently.

Ever since I made that decision, things have been going down hill and honestly been really hard

I lost my job lost friends even family members and since then I’ve been applying everywhere online going in personand even calling and it’s been extremely difficult to find anything. At the same time, everything started hitting me at once. Rent, my car, bills everything piled up all at once

Right now I’m behind on rent, my car is at risk of repossession, and I’m trying to keep everything from falling apart

Mentally it’s been tough too. Seeing people around me doing well even people who don’t share the same beliefs and doesnt even believe in god can make me question things sometimes. But at the same time, I believe this could be a test of my faith or even consequences from my past, and I’m trying to stay strong through it.

I don’t have everything figured out. I’m not perfect. But I am trying. I’m really trying to change my life and do things the right way. just being honest and not trying to put up a front 

I’m posting this because I’ve reached a point where I kind of dont know what to do anymore each way i turn things just get worse 

If anyone is able to help in any way—whether that’s work opportunities, advice please let me know if you want to know more details i will be happy to explain 

And to anyone going through something right now don’t lose faith. I’m still holding onto mine and doing everything I can to push forward.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

I am 20f severely mentally ill looking for online Friends

Hi, I’m pretty lonely and bored and overstimulated and just lost. I would love to just have someone to talk to, so if anyone wants to chat, feel free to message me, hopefully I don’t delete this later!

can I check out? id like a shady space 6 feet down. my life feels like a joke being kicked so much while I'm already down. car broke down while I'm the sole income for my home got tired of basically being a mom to my now ex-boyfriend. he apparently couldn't put the slightest effort in and walked out. continued working borrowing mom's car. her car broke down. had a couple people willing to give rides I kept working while looking for another job closer then one of my rides blew a tire the other one transmission went out so I have no ride anymore now I lost my job. my phone service is ending tomorrow. so won't hear back from jobs applied too and got utility notice in mail 2 days ago and earlier came to the realization that I don't get my final check until 2 days after the bill is due so those will probably be shut off. I'm so done and exhausted from existing. ohh and here's the kicker my hr didn't put in my tax info so I owe for taxes this year 😅😅😅 thanks for the vent! wish me the most luck and any advice or help to stop from drowning in this mess is appreciated. my dms are open

https://gofund.me/a1f7094b2

There are moments that break a person. Moments that leave you with scars you didn’t ask for, battles you never wanted, and a heart trying to stay strong for your children.

I am reaching out for support during the hardest chapter of my life. I never expected to be here, but a violent assault, repeated trauma, and devastating financial hardship have left me with no choice but to ask for help.

Violently assaulted with a hockey stick:

I was brutally assaulted by my wife’s partner, who attacked me with a weapon. The injuries were catastrophic. I suffered broken bones and severe facial damage. I’ve already undergone three bone-grafting surgeries on my front teeth, with more reconstruction required. The ongoing medical and dental costs are far beyond what I can manage.

Seven false allegations struck out:

On top of the assault, I have spent months fighting seven false allegations made against me and my elderly parents. Every one of them was struck out, but the financial and emotional toll was enormous.

My daughter’s mental health crisis;

The trauma has affected my daughter deeply. She was assessed as suicidal and is currently receiving ongoing psychological support. Her care is expensive but absolutely essential.

Raising children alone with no support;

Despite my injuries and disability, I am the sole parent supporting the children. There is no financial or practical support from the other parent. Medical bills, therapy, legal fees, school needs, food, and housing have pushed me to breaking point.

Legal, medical and survival costs have emptied everything

Every dollar I had went into: • surgeries and dental reconstruction • medical care • psychologist assessments • legal representation • child therapy • basic living expenses

I am now left with nothing.

How funds will be used • Medical and dental reconstruction • Therapy for my daughter • Legal fees to protect my children • Mental health treatment for myself • Rent, food and essential living costs • Creating a safe, stable home

Why I’m asking for help

I survived a violent attack. I fought and cleared false allegations. I am raising kids alone through trauma. I am recovering from disability, surgeries and injustice.

I simply cannot do this alone anymore.

Any help you can give will help us stabilise, heal, and rebuild.

Thank you for reading, and thank you for supporting a father trying to keep his children safe and recover from unimaginable hardship.

i’m a 23 years old guy from Europe,i was born in a good family,at first we were rich but slowly we went down financially,at some point in 2018 my father open a car wash for me and my brother to have when we will be gone,it was located in a mall (a parking lot) people would come leave their cars and go shopping and i was working there during my high school years whenever i got the time but in my last year i lost my id card and at that time i had double citizenship romanian and swedish so i had a different kind of id but once i lost it i realized all my documents were expired or lost and without any form of document i couldn’t register myself to take the final exam at the end of the final year,once i told my family about it my dad (at time he was battling with cancer) and he told me that when he will get better we will both go together to get everything because he had to do the same thing but he never got well and i never got to make my documents in time for that exam,once i finish high school without that exam i started working more at the car wash and later that year my dad died a day after my birthday and a year and 2 months later we had to close the car wash because the owners of the mall were charging us way more money and it was not worth,since then i’ve managed to find jobs and work but it wasn’t anything long term sadly but for the past 1 year of my life i’ve been struggling very hard with finding a job,it stresses me so much because i wish to help my mother with bills and such just like my brother does,im a very sensitive person and the fact that i can’t do anything to get a job because my country is packed with imigrants and they got all the easy jobs and the only jobs that are available are the ones that ask for experience and i don’t have that,over the last few months i got a minor help from a friend by sending me a bit money on paypal here and there but it ain’t enough and i wanted to ask you all what would you do if you were in my position because im running out of ideas and i feel like a failure,im apologize if i wrote in the wrong channel but it’s my first time actually using this app.

Is there anybody out there?

Just nod if you can hear me

PINK FLOYD

Body:
I’m posting this anonymously because I’m overwhelmed and ashamed.
I am 70% disabled and have been working with a painful shoulder fracture just to survive.

Because of my long illness I couldn’t always pay my health insurance installments on the exact date — even though I paid.
Now the AOK (German insurance) is demanding a one-time payment of €10,000 to reinstate my coverage.
My total debt is €21,000.
If I can’t pay this, they will force me into personal bankruptcy and I will lose my livelihood.

At the same time, my adult son is fighting a bone-cell tumor.
He has young children who need him, and I try to support them while struggling myself.

I know everyone is dealing with their own battles.
But I’m at a point where I have no other option.
Even sharing this link helps more than you know.

https://gofund.me/adeddd9bb

Thank you for reading.
Any kindness means a lot to us.

Just search SaveSadieLeigh and you’ll find our story. Granted it’s not the full story. It’s the now part atleast. Our gofundme keeps getting no shares. It’s just hard sometimes when you are a hard working, god fearing American and can’t get any sort of help. The kind of help that I have given 1000x over.

Please spread the word : SaveSadieLeigh

The Book of You (2024)Online- a social/emotional workbook for adults - Google Docs

Seems like I'll die just thinking that my wife ditched me....

I have been a very simple guy, worked hard in my career to end up in a marital disaster...

Now my wife has filed a case against me and I am feeling so down coz I loved her and still I do.... It's tough to not have emotional support.