Minnesota Aspie needs HELP!

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[NOTE TO ADMIN: Sorry if this isn't where this goes, move it wherever if you need to.]

Okay guys and gals, this is probably a thread you get quite often. Roll with me here, though. Feel free to get off the ride if it gets too bumpy. I'm 27 years old and I've just went through a major life change. For 24 years I have lived in central Minnesota in a rural community somewhere around St. Cloud, Minnesota. I lived with my widowed Mother, and have finally came to the realization that life for me in that home is no longer healthy or productive for me.

Here in lies the issue, though. I've never really held a job down for a long period of time, as life is very stressful for me in my home life. I lost my Dad when I was 16 to a heart attack, he died in my arms. Kinda dramatic, I know. Keep rolling with me here. My Mom is a functioning alcoholic and has supported me financially and physically for the remainder of my current time alive. We rarely get along and more than once I have left over irreconcilable differences.

This time though, I really feel that I actually can't go back unless I am ready to finally give up on being a functioning adult, and succumb to the constantly changing whims of an unstable parent. Such instability has bred instability in myself, leading to a few drug addictions, as well as an addiction to alcohol abuse. I'm not medicated, I really don't trust the stuff after I went through high school on enough adderall to put a horse down. I quit it cold turkey (one of the most harrowing experiences of my life, next to watching the light fade from my Dad's eyes when he passed) but I didn't really stay drug free.

Due to the many long nights in deep argument with my Mother causing elevated levels of stress, I moved to pot to calm myself and try to keep an even head in the middle of utter chaos. For many years my friends have been trying to convince me to leave the house and go out on my own, but I didn't listen. Soon enough pot wasn't enough and I added smoking tobacco and drinking regularly (sometimes pretty heavily) to try to ignore my problems. That worked for a little while. Well, until now.

I finally made up my mind that I need to stop with all of the substance abuse and get some sort of help, but I HAVE NO EFFING IDEA where to go to get help with the problems I have. Quitting the pot was fairly easy, the drinking being something I'm still working on. But I got a lot of emotional issues that need solving, and I don't have a stable environment to do it in. I've looked into many things locally, but most of it is just some sort of excuse to get me back on brain chemistry altering drugs, and due to my fun with Adderall I would rather rely on a bullet in my head than a pill to fix my woes and emotional/sociological issues.

I'm currently living in Little Falls with my Friend's family, but I know I can't get comfortable and stay here forever like some sort of bum. I still have things I aspire to do, and to give up on those dreams may as well be.... well, see my opinion on taking medication. However as I am now, that ain't gonna happen. I need some sort of a group home thing that can help me re-train myself into making better habits and choices in my life, as well as helping me back into the workplace without me freaking the heck out and simply quitting a few months into the job.

SO, I've been sorta looking into other sorts of inpatient therapy, drug treatment, ARMHS (Adult Rehabilitative services) and all sorts of other options like FRASER and..... well, FRASER is all I've found so far that isn't a 2-3 day program to keep you from hurting yourself or others, or something that simply places all the blame on substance abuse, offering little to no training in the way of well... ADULTING. I was wondering if any of you (Hopefully that live in Minnesota) have tried any of these services and found any success? If so, how the heck do I get into something like this? I got pretty decent insurance through Stearns County, Minnesota (Thanks, Aspergers) so I think financially I can handle it. But I don't know where to start. Suggestions?

TL;DR: Just left my life long home at the age of 27, I need to know of a good mental health service in Minnesota that can help me live an independent life, as well as help me cope with a lot of pretty severe emotional issues.

Thanks in advance guys.

For a bit more info, here's an old post from a few years back of a similar crisis.

occupation and therapy,
check , i don't know if you qualify for young adult, but some might, or give you better information
https://www.allkindsoftherapy.com/progr ... -treatment
https://www.allkindsoftherapy.com/progr ... ent-center
http://www.artausa.org/
im not from the us, so i can't really point out more specifically

While this may seem backwards, you may want to learn how to keep a household first. While you may want to get a job, move out, and then figure out how to keep a household, it makes more sense to learn how to keep a household first. Learning to keep a household will not only help the people doing you a big favor, but will help you learn important skills that will help you keep your first job. Don't worry about getting your hands dirty--a lot of employers consider that to be a big plus than a minus.

"Keeping a household" means

1. Paying your bills on time

2. Making sure your house is not a holy mess.

3. Getting along with your neighbors.


I'm going to be honest: I think you should find a job before you get your own place.

In case it isn't clear, I'm suggesting helping out more with the household chores where you currently live. Not moving out right now.

^^^ Yep...that's sensible advice.

Hi yanish,

I'm not sure what advice to give.
I will pray for you that things improve.

In MN also but no experience of mental health services here and can't offer any anything beyond encouragement. Best of luck to you.

I'm not in MN so I really don't have any experience with any of those agencies (and I live in a state where state resources are basically a joke) but I would consider getting some sort of counselling in the Twin cities. I personally don't think that St. Cloud has a very strong support system locally from what I've experienced (I have extended family in the Fergus Falls area of MN which isn't too dissimilar from St. Cloud) and I suspect that the local counselling services might not be as good as the cities. Don't get discouraged if you don't have good luck in St. Cloud; sometimes you have to go to a more powerful source of help in life.