Adult Problems That Literally Nobody Prepared You For

Adult life has a way of sneaking up on people with problems nobody really warned them about. Bills and credit scores are one thing, but the emotional, social, and practical curveballs of growing up can feel a lot messier.

That is exactly why a Reddit thread asking about the adult problem nobody prepared you for struck such a nerve. People chimed in with everything from aging and work stress to grief, money, and the strange realization that plenty of adults are still winging it too.

1. This is such an unrealistic view of how things will supposedly go.

K4YL13N

2. Getting older can cause a lot of thoughts to surface.

thirtiesmatt

3. Not every adult acts like an adult.

Super-Progress-6386

4. This is a common feeling among adults.

"Being an adult feels extremely lonely."Bluebloop0

5. This is so common.

"Lack of purpose. All your young life, you are given the purpose of passing exams and learning, then all of a sudden, you are thrown into the world and told to find your own meaning."Captain_Snow

That realization seems to hit people at different ages.

6. No one really talks about how aging feels.

Jaycatt

7. Always!

"The kitchen is always dirty. You’ll clean it at least three times every day."cewnc

8. The pressure from others is inevitable.

"Figuring out what makes you happy. Everyone keeps trying to get you to do things you're good at or that make you money, but never to pursue what you enjoy."eternalwanderer5

9. Some of us were prepared for this one.

"How d*mned tired you are all the time."chickenofalltrades

10. The death of loved ones will always be difficult.

"Handling the decline and death of your parents."Agave666

Grief is one of the hardest parts of growing up.

11. Everything needs to be maintained by you.

"Life is all about maintenance. Your body, your house, your relationships—everything requires constant, never-ending maintenance."IHateEditedBgMusic

12. Normalizing healthy "fighting."

PMYOURBOOBOVERFLOW

13. You really shouldn't, and you probably won't want to.

"You can stay up as late as you want. But you shouldn't."geek_fit

14. The systems are not here to help anyone but themselves.

hercarmstrong

15. Nobody can even attempt to prepare you for that.

legenducky

It’s just like a person moving out of an overcrowded family home and leaving parents to fend for themselves.

16. This is something people don't talk about enough.

"Having to make dinner every. F***ing. Day."EndlesslyUnfinished

17. Adults aren't always adults.

billiemarie

18. We live to work.

"Working full time, but still not being able to afford the basic necessities of life."Liam_Tang

19. Mental health is important. Don't forget that.

"Without a support system, your mental illnesses alone can render you homeless."Ok_Sheepherder_8313

20. Mental health is no joke.

"How prevalent depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation are. At this point, I think every adult has experienced it at some point in their lives."ojazela

21. The amount of neck pain that we experience can't be normal.

Retrosonic82

22. Remember, you have control of your life.

"How easy it is to feel stuck in a bad situation (job, relationship, etc.) just because the cost and effort of getting out can seem daunting. And sometimes you just have to accept a figurative bowl full of s**t because you can't afford to blow up your life."movieguy95453

23. Money and how it stands in terms of value.

"$5K is a lot to owe, but not a lot to have."Upper-Job5130

24. Movies and TV shows will soon all blend together.

busyB_83

25. Adults indeed do not have it together.

ShorterByTheSecond

26. There's always more to do.

"Adult life is basically a permanent to-do list that just keeps getting bigger and bigger."madkeepz

27. This is the one.

"Finding purpose and dealing with childhood trauma."MisTeri678

28. I'm convinced everyone has imposter syndrome.

Successful_Chip3930

29. There is little to no free time.

"Not having a lot of free time or time to myself."detective_kiara

30. Nobody talks about the personal struggles you'll endure in your close family.

"Daughter with behavioral and mental issues. Then she got pregnant at 16. It was a roller coaster ride…very trying and about kicked my [butt]. My husband had esophageal cancer, and then nine years later, he had 14 brain lesions. Both times, his survival rate was low, but he’s still here. I feel like I’ve been in survival mode for years and years. I’m kind of tired now."Sharonanana

Family problems can hit harder than anything else.

31. You have to clean so much.

ljam16

32. The secrets of adulthood are that we have no idea what we are doing, and we just wing it.

Yoluun

33. Everyone can live their life how they please.

"Being asked why I'm single and have no kids, as if I'm some sort of alien."thefanhit

34. It's funny how many people do this, and we swear it works.

"That turning down the radio when you are lost in a neighborhood helps you see better."Garysgirl17

35. Networking and finding jobs is difficult no matter what.

TPrice1616

36. People need to talk about how common it is to lose friends.

"Almost all of your friends won't be lifelong. No one really talks about how common it is to lose touch with people or grow apart. Most of your life will be spent either making new friends while losing old ones or being alone."Emotional_Tale1044

37. This is so common among adults.

"Getting burnt out."OddRumskie

38. Life starts flying by as you get older.

"The more life you’ve lived, the faster time seems to go."FadedQuill

39. Workplace politics are a no.

Steve_Lobsen

Some of these adult problems can't really be prepared for, like losing someone or dealing with medical issues that involve close friends and family. Adulthood is hard.

Adults don't have everything together; they're just winging it, and it's not all rainbows and butterflies once you turn 18. Things just aren't how we all thought they would be.

Being an adult is amazing, but there are inevitably some challenging aspects to it.

Adulthood is basically a long list of surprises.

Still paying for grown-up life with your parents, read about an adult son refusing to contribute financially after moving back home.