In a post that has gone viral, a 27-year-old Indian woman living in the US has sparked widespread conversation after revealing she wants to return to India due to emotional burnout, professional dissatisfaction, and a failed social life.
Taking to Reddit, where she posts under the handle nextDoorSoftwareDev, the woman shared that she has lived in the United States for the past six years and is now “exhausted from living here.” The post, titled “Thinking of returning to India,” has garnered over 219K views and hundreds of comments, many from people in similar situations.
She explained how her job has left her drained, alleging that it has been “abusing her immigration status” and putting her career at risk. “I worked at a job for 4 years and kept getting sidelined. Now I’ve been put into the ‘focus’ category. I’m too exhausted to even look for another job,” she wrote.
The Redditor also opened up about her mental health, revealing she’s started therapy and is on antidepressants. “I feel like whenever I try to build a life here block by block, everything just falls apart,” she wrote. She added that she is now considering returning to India to focus on her health and possibly pursue another degree or explore opportunities in another country.
Her candid account struck a chord with many. Some shared their own stories of returning to India after years in the US, with mixed feelings. One user commented, “Moved back last month after 8 years in the USA. It feels different, but no regrets yet.” Another wrote, “If India is home to you, you will never regret it.”
The post has ignited a larger conversation around the emotional toll of chasing the “American Dream” and the growing number of Indians reconsidering their long-term stay in the US, especially in the face of immigration challenges, professional burnout, and social isolation.