Aging Up Support Thread

Great thread @Hope thanks for posting this valuable information.

Listening - One Step At A Time!

I dont know about anyone else, but the fact that I am turning 18 this year scares me in different ways. I honestly dont know how time flied the way it did. Its absolutely rediculios how everything just passes, and changes the way it did. You never know what the next chapter of your life is going to lead you to.

@J2002 Yes I agree, and turning 18 is a magical time too! You came to the right place, this thread is for members just like you.

Listening - One Step At A Time!

Heyy @J2002, I'm turning 17 on the last day of the year and I'm also graduating this year too! To be honest I'm a little scared of what it's going to be like to do things on my own, like going to college or Uni. and finding a place to rent

@Scarlet09 It is understandable to feel scared about the changes coming up.  You have gotten this far through your efforts and strengths - is there anything in particular you feel proud of achieving so far?

hi @ASilentObserver, just staying alive through high school! and making people around me happy

@Scarlet09 That's great, Sacrlet. It sounds like keeping yourself and others happy during this time is important to you.  You are dedicated to making the most of your experience.

@ASilentObserver Yes, well it's also a learning experience too 

@Hope

I have a question 😊

if i get the ageing up notification, how many days does that mean I have left on the teenie side?

@Hope

would i still be able to access the group chats??

@Grace11727 Yeah but the adult ones, 18+ now I suppose

How do I access them??

Yeah... Not too excited about this.....don't wanna become "an adult" quite yet... And I've already been transferred to this side tho I have 11, more days to go. Like, let meg live as a "kid" a bit more... I DON'T want to become an adult... 😭@Hope

(edited to remove inappropriate language 5/22/2023)

@LunaSemiluna Don't be too paranoid about it, when the day will come when you become 18 it will pass like any other day. You're still going to be you.
I have turned 18 recently and honestly? Nothing has changed, I just feel more independent. I felt the same way as you and... I lived through that process with a bad mindset. Just think about using your being-an-adult to buy whatever you want for yourself! The responsibilities will come later.

@LunaSemiluna me too😥

I’m scared of growing up. I feel like I was a much better person when I was a kid.

@amicableWillow2702 I think everyone is scared of growing up. But the TTM team is here to help you. Think of turning 18 like a new page in your life. It's up to you what you write and how fast or slow you turn over the pages.

Listening - One Step At A Time!

The thought that I'm turning 18 in a month and three days is absolutely terrifying. I'm excited to finally be independent, but I'm also scared that I'm not going to succeed on my own either.

@Hope i am really scared about becoming an adult. i feel like i wasted my childhood years and now they are almost gone, and that makes me scared and sad

I don't like being 18... its kinda scary too...

my birthday is on like 4 days and i’m terrifyies. i have so many health problems and can’t even wake myself up in the morning because of my sleeping disorder. how am i going to live like this and be an adult when i can’t even wake myself up in the mirning

@Hope

I age up soon and I’m nervous…

@Hope thanksssss

I have been having emotional episodes where I am crying nonstop about growing up and remembering how there used to be a time when I didn’t have to worry about college, money, jobs, and other scary adult issues that I know nothing about for the longest time now. It really started to get worse when the pandemic hit because it felt like two years of my life were taken away. I want to stop thinking about what I could have done in the past if COVID wasn’t a thing, but my mind hasn’t stopped going a mile a minute for the past year and a half. And now that I am only a week away from turning 18, I am terrified and don’t fully understand why. Pls someone let me know if you have been feeling a similar way so I know I’m not alone <3

I think the scariest part about turning 18 is just thinking about time passing. I have been having a really hard time thinking about being an adult, going to college, and change in general. I had a hard time when it came to changing schools a few years ago and I feel like I am going to have the same reaction to moving to college, except its worse. This time, I won’t have my family to go home to and tell them how hard it is. It’s also hard because I think I am the only person I know in my family and in my friend group who is terrified about turning 18. I almost feel like my life is ending since nothing else is planned out for me like it was for the first 17 years of my life. I don’t even want to talk to my friends about it because I feel like they are excited for this big change and I am the only one who is constantly thinking about how upsetting growing up will be like. If anyone has any advice on how to stop overthinking this pls let me know. Or just knowing I’m not alone would help a lot!

No I totally get it. I’ve been 18 for a total of 11 days and Idek what to do with myself. I have strict parents so I saw turning 18 as this big break to finally have control over my life and finally get some freedom but like now that it’s actually happened I just wanna go back. I graduated this year too so I just feel like I’m losing everything. I loved my high school experience and I took it really hard when I was leaving. Especially since most of my friends were in lower grades than me so I’m leaving them behind. For the first time in my life, I actually hate the fact that I’m not gonna be going back to high school in the fall. I just desperately wanna hold on to it and stay there instead of having to grow up so quickly.

@fairmindedBanana6038 I feel the same way too, not being in high school is like a shock because...I don't really know what to do.

@Hope I think I just got moved to the adult side a day too soon- it said it would happen on august and it's still July.

Please. I’m crying reading this thread because I didn’t want to be an adult yet. I’m not ready for this.

@Hope

Honestly I am terrified to turn 18 this year in a little over a month I'll be turning 18 and that completely scares me cause I don't know what to expect.

I'm turning 18 tomorrow, September 10th. I'm not scare of, you know, becoming an adult, never really thought about it. Also my birthdays, I have never been excited about them, it's just another day where I completed another year of life, but yeah never been excited about them. Someone said something to me about when you are in your 12, 13, and 14 and it made me wonder what I did in that time and it wasn't much, just care about school and every year that passed see it as a year closer to finishing school. When you are between those ages that I mentioned turning 18 it seems a long way but when you about to turn 18 and look back it feels like you were 15 yesterday. I was always telling myself to enjoy the time I had because one day I would regret that I didn't now I'm turning 18 tomorrow and it feels like it came to fast and I did nothing in my teens. From my 13th birthday to this one now, they have passed like nothing. Again I'm turning 18 but I'm not really acknowledging that.

@YenSummer1337 Happy 18th! Congratulations I hope you have a lovely day. Don't forget you can reach out the the Teen Transitioning Team for support if needed too.

Listening - One Step At A Time!

@Hope umm why is this thread archived? the banner redirected me here...

@Hope I'm turning 18 in just a few days and I'm terrified and excited, haha. Thanks for making this thread.

I'm actually going to be looking forward to turning 18 as even though I may be not at the same position most 18 year olds are but I look at this as an advantage because i can build the life I want to as I'm starting from practically nothing.I can resonate with this quote "once you have nothing, you have everything".

@Hope will I still be able to chat with the listeners I chat with Joe once I move up? Thanks!

I'm already 18 and man I don't know if I'm ready to be on my own. Im going to a college farther away from home and I don't know if I have the skills that other kids have, and I'm kinda've lonely so I'm scared I won't make friends or my choice in college is wrong.

Other than that...being 18 is pretty cool, nothing much I'm worried about except I feel really scared about aging so fast, idk man.

I m turning 18 tomorrow.

I don't want to turn 18. I didn't do anything worthwhile until now and have been down and low like this for about as long as I can remember without an actual reason. all the years before I celebrated because I wanted to feel normal and be happy isn't everybody supposed to feel happy on their birthday? why do I always dread mine? one more year older, one more year I was alive in a sense. I wish there was something I could do to stop feeling this way or stop feeling altogether. I can't and don't want to be like this for another year.

@Hope this transition feel so uncomfortable. sorry ):

@Hope does this mean I'm losing all the people that had listened to me before?!?! 😭