Your car insurance just lapsed because you didn’t pay the bill, and you have no idea how to get it reinstated. You do, however, know who to call -- the same person you hit up when you had to find a dentist or file your taxes or pick your major -- good ol' Mom or Dad.

Sound familiar? You’re not alone, according to Julie Lythcott-Haims. The former dean of freshmen at Stanford University just released her first book, "How To Raise An Adult." She believes many people in our generation are trapped in a state of arrested development. In other words, we don’t want to grow up -- and even if we did, we think we don’t know how.

The consequences of this state of mind extend beyond the fact that we still don’t know how to do our laundry and regularly find plates of nachos under our beds. According to Lythcott-Haim's book, young adults who are act like overgrown kids are at a risk for higher levels of depression and anxiety and are less likely to successfully land a job.

How did this happen, anyway? (Not the nachos. We know those are from the time we fell asleep watching cartoons.) Lythcott-Haims believes that at least part of it has to do with the fact that our parents may have done too good a job of raising us. We’ve been “overparented,” she says, and now have a hard time fending for ourselves as independent adults.

Breaking free of the cycle of depending too much on our parents isn’t easy, but it’s necessary if we want to live fulfilling lives. Seriously. There’s nothing awesome about living with your parents at age 30 -- no matter how good your mom is at doing your laundry.

So how do you get out of this rut? Lythcott-Haims shared the tips below with MTV News.

First, realize that you’re a little behind in the maturity game

“Recognize to say to [your]self, ‘Whoa, I sort of feel like I’ve got this arrested development. If I’m to be an adult, that really means having the wherewithal to fend for myself, and make my own decisions, and keep track of my own deadlines, and my own needs and I’ve got to start figuring that stuff out,’” Lythcott-Haims said.

One effective way of judging whether you’re a little to close to your ‘rents is to look at how often you contact them. If you’re experiencing “a real frequency of communication with mom or dad, like talking multiple times a day in your 20s,” it might be time to think about cutting the cord a little bit.

Understand how awesome independence is going to feel

It’s hard to work for something you don’t want, so it’s important to understand why you want to be self-sufficient. Having your parents take care of everything for you is kind of like eating candy for lunch; it might feel good for a fleeting second, but you’re not actually nourishing yourself, and you’ll feel crappy about it almost immediately. Self-sufficiency, on the other hand, feels incredible.

“You have to want it,” Lythcott-Haims said. “You have to believe, appreciate and really seize the philosophy that if I’m to live life, I have to live it myself. My parents love me. They gave me life, but I’m the one who has to decide what direction it goes and how to approach my life, my work, my relationships and my responsibilities.”

Take baby steps toward becoming a grown-up

If suddenly behaving like a fully-functioning adult seems totally overwhelming, that’s because it is -- especially if you’re coming off a lifetime of being hovered over and handheld. Don’t panic. Start small, Lythcott-Haims said: “Pick three things and do those three things and gain confidence ... Then pick three more things, and then slowly lengthen the leash away from Mom and Dad and strengthen that confidence.”

Accept that your lifestyle will be different when you’re on your own

That nice house you grew up in and all the awesome snacks that were in it? Those all cost money that your parents had to earn. When you make the decision to start supporting yourself, your life is probably going to get a little less cushy, and that’s OK.

“You’re probably not going to get the job straight out [of] high school ... or even college that’s going to allow you to stay in that community your parents live in," Lythcott-Haims explained. "You might have to live with a whole lot of roommates in a place that's not very nice, but [you're] earning your own keep [and] paying your own bills. This is the way you forge an adult life -- accepting that there’s challenge [and] there’s hardship, but banding together with a group of friends and earning your living."

Be OK with your parents disagreeing with you

“To be an adult human means being able to make your choices, make your decisions, and really, it doesn’t matter if your parents approve of it or not,” Lythcott-Haims said. “I’m not saying to go out and do cocaine and have all kind[s] of inappropriate, unsafe sexual behaviors. What I’m saying is that if you want to study ... journalism and your parents are saying, ‘How are you going to make a living at that?’ Don’t let that stop you. Instead say, 'You know what, you guys have raised me with good work habits and good values. I’m going to go try this because I believe in myself.'”

We guess this means we'll have to start buying our own toiletries and socks. Do they sell care packages at CVS?