I'm almost 30 FWIW.
1) does life actually get easier? I feel as if you just accept and adapt to it.
For me, yes and no.
Yes, because: As your brain develops (especially that frontal lobe finishing up at about 25) I feel a lot more confident and relaxed about a lot of situations and I'm less bothered by what other people think of me. I feel stronger and more resilient to random work and life challenges, which come with experience when you meet them head-on. And they often say that high school or college are the best years of your life, but for me they were WAY too stressful to be the "best years." I was constantly working or studying and had no time or money to do much of anything, I was worried about my future, I was still an ugly duckling and my friends didn't appreciate me... As a working adult I can afford to travel and buy nice things, you can leave your work at work for the most part and enjoy your night, and I don't have to work weekends (as I did in my crappy college part-time job). And in general most people are much more mature and avoid drama, and take you more seriously than they do when you're a teenager or young 20s. And best yet, some people just start to look up to you for some reason lmao. Plus I became a lot more fit and attractive than I was in my so-called "peak years" because now I could afford what it takes to look good and exercise well. So it's partly acceptance/adaptation of growing up and partly realizing that maturity, wisdom, experience and age (and a full-time salary) make life easier in general.
But also no, because: I do miss having long summer vacations, school breaks, etc. I wouldn't say my job is soul-sucking and office work is generally pretty easy but I do miss being a bright-eyed student and feeling like my whole life was ahead of me. Generally you have less time for everything and more responsibilities. It's also WAY harder to make friends after school ends, and dating is still a crapshoot because a lot of people just refuse to grow up and the good ones get snatched up quick. You now find yourself with bills and nobody to really take care of you (unless you're lucky and have a partner/benefactor who will support you) which is pretty lonely. It also really sucks to see loved ones age and pass away -- I miss being a kid and having everyone be "here" and having that safety of family and a childhood home (not to say everyone is lucky enough to have this, but that was the case for me). And generally in your 20s/30s there's a lot of pressure to establish yourself and your career because you don't want to just fuck around for a decade or two and find yourself with no retirement or whatever.
2) what made you stay for as long as you have and not CTB?
I love my parents, they are the most important people in my life and I know they would suffer horribly if I were to CTB. Plus I still have a few things to do (finishing fanfiction, travel, small events I'm looking forward to) that keep me afloat for now.
3) does adult life suck all the responsibilities and aspirations to have kids and everything?
It doesn't totally suck, but from my perspective I was never privileged enough to have "no responsibilities." Sure, it's way easier to be a kid in general, but I was always expected to do chores even from a young age, I had pretty strict parents, I was always expected to get good grades (I had the most Asian-like white parents ever lmao), and I always had to toe the line because I had a moral Catholic upbringing. So in that way there's more freedom to be an adult because I pay my own bills and my parents don't gaf what I do because I'm an adult. And just because you have bills, a mortgage, take care of a pet, etc. doesn't mean you can't have fun. I travel, go to concerts and raves, trawl art fairs and festivals, hang out in the park, thrift and go to music stores, take art classes, explore new restaurants, or just spend all night playing video games if I want. The difference is that I have the money to afford what I want to do now. I guess it's weirder at my age to get shit-faced and hoe out all night but that was NEVER my lifestyle anyway.
Aspirations to have kids... I can't comment on this because I want kids REALLY BADLY and would love to be a mom and have a family. So I never feel pressured against my will. But it's hard to find someone who wants kids without having 3 already with a psycho ex-baby mama or who's not a deadbeat dad or a manchild. So I'd say my sadness comes more from not being able to have that and how challenging it is to find a good partner who wants kids. And sometimes your life can improve with kids, if you want them. My brother and SIL are having the time of their lives with my new niece, so many fun family trips and family-based events and things to explore which you don't have if you're childless (NOT shaming childfree people, just saying your life and fun don't have to end with kids).
4) what drove you to join this siteā¦ years of depression, anxiety, something in the moment happened? (This one's a bit personal you don't have to answer if you don't want to)
I don't want to live in a world without my parents, I'm pretty sure nobody would give a fuck about me once they're gone and I would just be mentally tortured with the reminder of their passing forever. Plus I don't want to grow old, single, and childless, I'd rather blow my head off. I've also had years of anxiety and depression and they have gotten MUCH worse since about November of last year (had to go on medication and nearly killed myself a few times). It's nice to have a resource to express these feelings considering most other forums (Reddit. etc.) either explicitly censor discussions on suicidal thoughts or they don't allow anything except pro-life platitudes in response. Like the grief support subreddit straight-up bans mentioning suicidal thoughts because it could make "suicide survivors" feel bad lmao.
Sorry about the long post -- just wanted something with more detail on how I felt so it wasn't just a "no, it sucks" or "yes, it's fine"
