I Need Help
Hello everyone! I am a little worried about something, and I was hoping to get some advice, because I don't know what to do.
I have an older brother with autism and ADHD. Let's call him Edward. I have autism myself, but not adhd. Thing is, Edward has spent the past ten or so years of his life in college, studying architecture. To put it into context, I begun college myself later than he did (cuz I'm younger) and I still graduated before he did.
Mind you, he didn't know he was neurodivergent when he started out. Thing is, he can't focus. He's spent the past two or three years trying to finish his master, which apparently he needs in order to become a proper architect, but he can't. He feels like he's wasted his whole life. He's sooo exhausted. Bone deep, depressing exhaustion. Me and my parents have suggested he just drop it, but he says he's so close every time, and every time he never finishes in time and it adds another month, another year. He feels like if he dropped it now, after everything he's done, it would confirm he's wasted all of those years, that it would be for nothing, and he's not sure he can stand it.
But clinging on to this has obviously started to affect his mental health. He's going to a psychologist, but honestly, it doesn't seem to be helping him much. He complains it's such a neverending chore, that he's so demotivated, burned out and tired, but he won't stop. He says he can't stop.
He gets very upset when we suggest he leave it. I feel like we can't convince him to stop. And I know he feels worse every year because everyone around him has long since finished, found jobs, etc.
As his younger sister, I want to help him so badly, but I don't know how. I wanted to ask, did anyone go through the same? Do you have any tips to get things done? Should he drop it or keep going? Anything you can tell me helps. Thank you so much.