How do I get a diploma as a 'drop out'?

I don't know what to do. I want to graduate with a normal diploma rather than a GED, but everything I search for is usually a GED. I'm only 19 right now, but I do turn 20 this year.

When I was a senior in high school, my mental health was doing horribly. I was having panic attacks, I couldn't be in the classrooms because I'd feel nauseous from the amount of people, I was beginning to self-harm, and I was just doing everything on auto-pilot. I had finished my first semester of senior year, and only needed the second one to graduate. But my Counselor was putting so much pressure on me that I just couldn't handle going to school without feeling sick.

I would've been able to graduate easily I feel if I had went to high school completely, but I wasn't able to. I had to skip sophomore year because my parents were fighting really badly. My mom went to rehab and my father was a truck driver, so he was never home for more than a day every week, meaning I had to take care of my two younger siblings (ages 6 and 8 at the time) and keep the house clean or else I'd get in trouble. They kept saying they'd enroll me, or that we'd move and I'd get enrolled a little late for 10th grade, but they never did and I just never got to go to 10th grade at all.

When I finally did get enrolled in school, I asked to redo 10th grade, but my Counselor said that I couldn't. She also told me if I didn't pass all of my classes with at least an A in every class, that I wouldn't be able to stay enrolled in that school anymore. I was still taking care of my siblings, still cooking and cleaning, and on top of that I had all of my classes to complete. I think I did pretty well for my Junior year with all of that pressure, but even then my social anxiety and depression were picking up terribly fast. My counselor and my parents were putting so much pressure on me that I almost tried to commit suicide.

My parents then took me out of school, even though I only had that last half of senior year to do. I don't remember how many credits I needed, I don't remember my SATs scores or anything, and I still haven't been able to get the therapy or medication I need. I haven't even been able to get properly diagnosed again after 6th grade. But I want to go back, I want to finish my diploma because I know I'm capable of doing it. I was always a 'gifted' child in school, so I know I'm not too dumb to do it.

I just don't know if I can. Is there some way I can get my diploma still, or do I really have to get my GED instead? Am I too late to try again?

I live in Indiana East Chicago if that helps at all. Is there maybe anything I can do here, a program or something to be able to get my diploma? Or is there really no way?

Submitted September 30, 2026 at 08:48PM by Vegetable_Drink8449 https://ift.tt/3DLmvte