As a drummer, how does a guy like Max Roach suggest melody on untuned instruments? I thought of him as a melodic drummer independently and it seems that’s the universal opinion of him.

Some advice. I’ve been putting the pieces together for years and tidied up a few things personally and I’m doing great, but I’ve been where you are in life.

Number one is that you’re not happy with yourself. Happiness has to underpin any kind of success, be it professional, romantic, whatever. Don’t even think of dating right now. Put in the work on yourself.

People who just give “hakuna mutata” advice like “just be happy”, “just be yourself”, “unhappiness is a choice” – yes, being happy is very simple, but it’s as achievable to an unhappy person as being high is to a sober person. All I can say is that happiness is a mindset and you’ve got to learn to think differently. Thinking of yourself, of others. SSRIs may help.

You’re not unattractive at all except when you were heavily into drugs (reminded me of myself c.2006). You’ve got a lot going for you and you’re not undateable at all, but again, you need to focus on yourself for the foreseeable future. There’s no shame in voluntary celibacy.

You need a new job. Are you still working at the movie theater? Apply to a local big-box or wholesale store. They’re always hiring, it’s easy to climb the ranks if you’re motivated, you perfect your social skills with coworkers and customers, and they don’t care about your past at all. If you’re a felon you just get put on overnight. I make less where I am than where I was but this is about the most fulfilling job I’ve worked in years, only the pay sucks.

Get a formal autism diagnosis if you want. If you’ve dealt with mental-health or drug or problems you likely know yourself very well, your strengths, weaknesses, and triggers; forwards and backwards. Being on the spectrum is actually awesome for introspection and knowing how your own mind operates, analyzing your thoughts as if they were signals in a computer. But I digress. Having a diagnosis is advantageous for work accommodations if you need that, and you could learn more about yourself. I’m saying this because you are 100% neurodivergent.

Have you tried ecstasy or DMT therapeutically?