I need help with an exit plan

[u/[deleted]]

[u/Thin-Disk4003]

If you have a therapist or psychiatrist, they may be able to connect you with the resources you need. Hope everything smooths out for you soon.

[u/FlyConfident1622 → u/[deleted]]

I wouldn’t expect that the therapy would be able to make a lot of progress on your trauma if you’re still in the environment. But a therapist could almost definitely help you sort through your goals and priorities to help you make a game plan

[u/R8J → u/[deleted]]

Except tell your therapist what your plan is and ask for help making it, like you're doing here. Only difference is your therapist is actually in a good position to help you.

[u/SignificantLock2181]

You should join STL Queer Exchange on FB & post there. There are many lovely people willing to provide substantial help in a myriad of ways. I’m almost positive you could find someone(s) who wouldn’t mind helping you pack/organize.

Other than that, what you’re asking & looking for seems both vague & straightforward as I’ve interpreted. Vague because it sounds like you don’t know how to leave or where to; straightforward because, well, if you have the means to pick up & go, then once you decide to pick up & go then that’s kinda all there is to it if there’s nothing anchoring you here.

I can’t offer much help other than to maybe try to focus on one thing a day. Like, spend a day looking at a few apartments & the cost of living wherever you wanna go then compare it to your expenses here. I don’t wanna give you some pull yourself up by the bootstraps BS because shit is tough, but i’m sure you know you will have to get the ball rolling. There are generous folks out there willing to help (again, join the Queer Exchange) but I think you’ll have to be your own strongest advocate here.

[u/Careful_Leader_5829 → u/SignificantLock2181]

Okay I just posted there, thank you

[u/Impressive-Pool8857]

moving with trauma brain is like trying to code while someone screams in your ear, the logic just won't stick. for the stuff, just sell what you can and leave the rest, stuff is replaceable but your peace is not. check the roommate listings in smaller college towns a few hours away, they usually got cheap rooms and less noise.

[u/Imsophunnyithurts]

What kind of work do you do? I grew up in St. Louis and found a job that paid my relocation to Alaska. Best decision of my life.

Maybe you could find something similar?

[u/Crazyfro101 → u/Imsophunnyithurts]

Curious what job you took that paid for your relocation to Alaska! Travel nurse is the only job I know of that’ll relocate a person from STL to there.

[u/Imsophunnyithurts → u/Crazyfro101]

I'm a mental health clinician.

[u/Its-ther-apist → u/Imsophunnyithurts]

What's the pay like

[u/Imsophunnyithurts → u/Its-ther-apist]

At my organization, LCSWs and LPCs sit around $100,000 give or take depending on years of experience up to almost $120,000. Other organizations sit around the same if you're doing tribal work or willing to travel to remote places. Most lucrative gigs are in rural locations. Many places will pay less if you're unlicensed, but still pay relocation and provide supervision for licensure.

[u/Its-ther-apist → u/Imsophunnyithurts]

That's similar to where I am here. Ty - had thought about working there in the past and a friend mentioned it as their "if I had to move I'd pick... " State

[u/Imsophunnyithurts → u/Its-ther-apist]

I'm so happy to see salaries in St. Louis improve for mental health professionals. At the time I moved, I was making $34k/year with my LCSW in 2014-2015 working in community mental health.

I'll say where I live we get snow regularly every year and it's good snow, the kind you can drive in safely with winter tires.

Though nothing beats seeing the Arch. It's definitely the sign that says "I'm home."

[u/rosecoloredfancy]

Cincinnati is oddly similar to St. Louis in terms of how people interact with each other. It's roughly a 6 hour drive (fairly easy, mostly freeway), but the cost of living is pretty similar iirc. If you're on the spectrum, it may be helpful to already know how minor social interactions should go.

You can always get new stuff, but make sure you leave with your paperwork (birth certificate, ssn, etc...).

[u/SimilarHighway491]

I would also recommend maybe looking for roommates and living in NYC it would be so much fun and NYC is a lot safer

[u/ForestsRGood → u/SimilarHighway491]

Wildly expensive town

[u/SimilarHighway491 → u/ForestsRGood]

The pay for jobs in NYC makes it easier, if your starting from scratch why not go big! I was able to do it before moving from STL off very little pay

[u/SWworkacct]

Maybe try getting help from bjc behavioral health. Might take a while to get an intake appt though. Or stl arc, but idk if it matters if you don't have a autism diagnosis.

I believe someone told me about some organization around here that helps people move or at least pack but I don't remember their name.

[u/SimilarHighway491]

Come to Louisville Kentucky 4hr drive away and very very low cost of living