The Adult Problems Absolutely No One Prepared Us For – These Are The Worst Parts Of Growing Up

Rose Reilly | November 25, 2024 10:00 pm

Being an adult is like being on a roller coaster...constantly. You work, you tire, and you fend for yourself, over and over again. That's just the reality of growing up, and there's no escaping that. But sometimes, we can't help but feel like some of the problems we face in adulthood are problems we never anticipated.

Sleep? We didn't know that would be a thing of past once we became real-live adults. Friendships? Yep, those are suddenly harder to keep. Reaching your potential? Uh, let's not talk about it. These are the adult problems no one told us about.

Other Adults

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Photo Credit: David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images

Oh, yes, those people. Other adults. You know a bunch of those folks as some of them are likely your friends.

Once you grow up, you're no longer protected from the horrifying things adults have done over the years, and you realize you're all kind of the same and none of you really know what you're doing anyway. All you want to do is pet a dog since it turns out that people suck.

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Scheduling Your Own Appointments

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Photo Credit: BSIP/UIG/Getty Images
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Honestly, going to the dentist or doctor is still a fear for some adults much like pets who don't want to go to the vet.

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Let's face it; nobody wants to book appointments for things they don't want to do. It was so much easier when mom forced us into going to the doctor or dentist before school. But wait? Who is my primary care provider? Do I even have insurance? No one prepared me to talk to a secretary.

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Maturity Level Isn't All There

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Photo Credit: Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto/Getty Images
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Just because you're older, doesn't mean that you've fully matured. Now that you're an adult, you can have fun, but not too much fun. No one prepared us for this.

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For The Love Of Sleep

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Photo Credit: Joseph Prezioso/AFP/Getty Images
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Sleep is necessary, especially when you get older. For some, coffee will be your best friend if you can't seem to get some rest.

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When you start working a full-time job like a true adult, you'll be wanting to be in your bed more than ever. Just don't hit the snooze more than once.

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Re-Evaluating Your Career

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Photo Credit: Richard Levine/Corbis/Getty Images
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You go to college after high school to focus on a career you want to pursue. Then, you realize the job you have is eating you alive.

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You know that after you've wasted resources on what you intended to pursue a career which you now must re-evaluate.

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Young People Seeking Advice

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Photo Credit: Aaron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post/Getty Images
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It's so unsettling the first time a kid asks for your advice when you're an adult. The first time you tell a kid they need to get the okay from an adult to do something, only to realize that you are the adult — doesn't it feel strange being someone who has authority?

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Loneliness Creeps Up

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Photo Credit: Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto/Getty Images
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Most of your friends are doing their own thing only because their significant other is their best friend and support system.

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That's not the case for all people though and crippling loneliness can set in. It's even more challenging to meet someone "naturally" instead of using apps like Tinder.

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Accepting That Your Parents Are Aging

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Photo Credit: Gideon Mendel/Corbis/Getty Images
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Becoming an age where you're able to see the flaws in your parents that you never saw before is hard.

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The thought of your parents declining makes you feel sick to your stomach. Parents, for better or worse, stir deep feelings in us all.

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Friendships Become Fragile

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Photo Credit: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic, Inc/Getty Images
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It doesn't matter if you've been close to someone for ten years. All it takes is some distance, a change in occupation, and then, you haven't spoken in months. Essentially, friendships require effort and preventative maintenance like a car. If you want it to last, you're going to have to keep in touch to show that you care.

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Alcohol Eventually Catches Up With You

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Once you enter your twenties, you'll think you're unstoppable at drinking. As soon as you reach 25, it can be hard to come out of the party lifestyle.

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If you end up throwing parties in your mom's basement for your 30th birthday, that's a cry for help.

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When Produce Goes Bad

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Photo Credit: Vincent Isore/IP3/Getty Images
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We're told it's cheaper to buy in bulk than it is to dine out. Although this is often true, sometimes it feels like produce goes bad within 30 minutes.

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Learning to buy groceries and cook is a challenge in itself.

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Not Discovering Your True Passion

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Photo Credit: Drew Angerer/Getty Images
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Reaching adulthood an not discovering your passion is okay. Your peers may have figured it out before you did and it can be frustrating.

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Time is passing by in the blink of an eye, but everyone has a thing. If you know you want something, but aren't sure what it is, seek the answer for it.

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Living With Messy People Is Hard Enough

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Photo Credit: Photofusion/Universal Images Group/Getty Images
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Even living with five people didn't prepare you for how disgusting, stubborn, lazy and disrespectful roommates can truly be.

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It seems easier if it was your family members, but with strangers, it's another story. It's just like, who are you and why are you like this?

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Too Much Noise When You're Moving Around

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The pop, click, sigh, and groan sounds start in your twenties and carry on after that.

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Sure, too much noise will inspire any adult to get off their butt and get a gym membership. The next thing you know, you're feeling as fit as the Six Million Dollar Man.

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Times Moving Too Fast, Man

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Photo Credit: Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto/Getty Images
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Time speeds up as you get older. Although you were probably told this more than once as a kid, you likely never believed that would become true.

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Now as an adult, it flies past you that's much faster than Usain Bolt running on a track.

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Not Cleaning Your House Is Punishment

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Photo Credit: Guillaume Souvant/Stringer/Getty Images
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Once you stop taking care of your house, it comes back to haunt you.

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So much of your adult life is spent doing these endless four chores: dishes, laundry, cleaning your room and floors. Yup, it's a total pain in the butt, but having a cold one after cleaning is a reward.

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Budget, Budget, Budget

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Your teachers didn't do a good enough job at this. Budgeting your money is one of the most challenging tasks you go through as an adult.

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If you keep track of your spending, good for you. If you don't, well, you'll be burning through all your money before you realize you can't pay rent.

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The Body Begins To Fall Apart

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Photo Credit: Gerry Thomas/NHLI/Getty Images
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Your body seems to fall apart, but that doesn't stop some people from doing what they love.

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You can still play a sport, as long as you stay in shape that is. So, who knows, maybe one day you'll be able to play sports in your forties like Nolan Ryan and Jaromir Jagr.

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Concerns About Getting Old

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Photo Credit: In Pictures Ltd./Corbis/Getty Images
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Sometimes, it's horrifying when you think about it. The days go by slow, but the years go by fast.

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You should swallow your pride and accept it because it happens to everyone. But don't let it bring you down because you can have fun while catching up with age.

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Being Happy With What You Have

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Photo Credit: Victoria Jones/PA Images/Getty Images
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No matter what you've done in life, try to feel satisfied with whatever you've done.

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That goes to show how you can be content with life and accepting the fact that not everything came out as you expected. The next time you look at yourself in the mirror, smile and tell yourself that life is happy.