[MagicalRealist]

Originally Posted by Jarreddo

I'm just wondering, where do I go from here? Almost all of my job prospects(retail, fast food, MAYBE a warehouse or other manual labor job if I'm lucky) seem like they'll distract me and stress me out, and basically just keep me from improving the rest of my life.

Only if you let them.

And is hanging out at home, barely getting by, and dealing with crappy roommates helping you improve your life at all? Or is it just filling time? Do you have some sort of goal or dream for the future in mind, or are you just drifting?

Get a job--any job. It will give you the experience to help you get another, better-paying job. It will also give you the money to move out of your current living situation, and into something better. And if you don't have a burning desire to do any one particular thing, even low-paying jobs can redeem themselves--by showing you what you don't want to do; by giving you a chance to meet new people who might be helpful; and, at the very least, giving your day some structure.

As for work being a distraction from self-improvement, that's nonsense. If anything, getting out in the world and interacting with people and having to assume some responsibility is where you'll learn the most about self-improvement. You can read about self-improvement all you want, but until you've put what you've read about into practice, and done so under a wide variety of conditions, all that reading is pretty much useless.

If you want your life to improve, you have to take action. Lots of people have come from poor backgrounds, with little education, and made something of themselves. They succeeded because they didn't dwell on all the things they didn't have; instead, they focused on what they could do to get what they wanted, and they did it. Look at any hole-in-the-wall Asian restaurant run by recent immigrants. Chances are, the owners didn't even speak English when they got here, and maybe they don't speak a whole lot even now. But they managed to get the money together and get the permits lined up and open accounts with suppliers and open their own restaurants and deal with Immigration and culture shock and the ever-present language barrier--which is pretty damned impressive.

If the range of actions you could possibly take right now is limited, go with the one that will at least represent a step forward, however small, unimpressive, and possibly even unappealing it might seem. Do not stagnate. Do not move backwards. Go forward. And given your current situation, I'd say a fast-food job is a step forward.

Has anyone here ever actually been dirt poor and on their own?

Yes. That's why I'm kicking your ass.

How do I build a life from scratch with no raw materials?

You do have raw materials. Just reading your post, I can see that you're young, you're (probably) healthy, you're (probably) a citizen, you speak and write English well, you're literate, you're reasonably intelligent, and you still have a roof over your head, an Internet connection, and (very likely) a phone.

Trust me; you have a hell of a lot more raw materials than a lot of people out there, including a lot of people who are successfully taking steps to improve their lives.

What is holding you back is your idea that there is something else you need in order to move forward with your life, when the truth is you don't. You have what it takes to get some sort of job that will provide you an income. And no, it probably won't be the kind of job you want, but would you rather be flat broke and homeless in a couple of months? And yes, the job may indeed suck, but it's not forever. It will just be a brief stop on your way to getting your life on track.

A big part of personal improvement is taking full responsibility for your own life. That means taking whatever action is necessary to improve your life, rather than making excuses or placing blame. Stop focusing on what you don't have and start paying attention to what you do. Move forward.