Trapped in a toxic home, isolated for 4 years, and failing a high-stakes exam. I feel completely hopeless
I’m reaching out here because I have no one in my real life to talk to and I desperately need perspective.
For context, I’m from India, where there’s an extreme amount of pressure placed on entering the medical field. For the past 4 years, I have been isolating myself to study for NEET—India’s single, hyper-competitive national medical entrance exam where millions of students compete for a tiny fraction of seats. Because I devoted everything to this, I haven't socialized, made friends, or lived a normal life since I was a teenager.
Now, it’s clear I won't get into a college. My family is heavily blaming me for failing, completely ignoring how brutal this exam is.
What makes it ten times worse is my home environment. My parents fight constantly, and it frequently turns physical, mostly caused by my dad. Living surrounded by severe domestic violence and chaos while trying to study for years has completely broken me mentally. On top of that, my family is struggling financially, so I don't even have the money to leave the house, buy a small comfort, or distract myself.
I feel completely "dead inside," trapped in a abusive house, financially dependent, and without any friends or future prospects. I genuinely struggle to see a purpose or a way forward right now.
Has anyone survived extreme isolation, a violent household, and major academic failure all at once? How do you rebuild your life from zero when you have no money and no support system? Any advice or kind words would mean a lot.