[carbine]

ACE 2. labelled gifted as a young kid. have always struggled with people pleasing, and I've had a hard time finding my own center and figuring out who I am. I just focused a lot on external achievement in my youth.

I have undergone some rough trauma but most of the worst of it happened when I was an adult, so I feel fortunate and quite sad when reading some of the responses here.

there's a lot of general disdain about 'former gifted kids' but I do think we often feel pretty 'different' from everyone else growing up, and that alone can be quite isolating.

I manage, I do pretty good work I guess, but I'm definitely not as successful as I thought I would be. home/family life has always been hard. optimistic about the future.

hugs to everyone here for making it this far, hang in there.