Get Premium
Dark mode theme is available exclusively for premium users. Learn more about the benefits of subscribing.
No fees, cancel anytime.
Dark Mode 
No fees, cancel anytime 
then open in external browser
and click "Open in External Browser" 
A canon event is a transformative moment that redefines you as a person. It can range from heartbreak to triumph—the loss of a loved one, a promise to get sober, or landing a dream job. Reddit user MisterBigDude asked the platform to share what divided their lives into a clear "before" and "after."
The answers painted a vivid spectrum of human experience, showing that we're both similar and different, each on our own path. We never truly know what lies ahead and must keep learning and striving. It sounds banal, but what is there to guide us through the ups and downs if not perseverance?
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Death of my 8.5 month pregnant wife and unborn child just two months ago. We were inseparable from when she was 18 until she passed at 33. Life changed a full 180 degrees.
Edit: Wow. The support on the internet can be beautiful sometimes. Thank you all so much ❤️❤️ To answer a few of the questions, we did two rounds of IVF, and it took three years for it to finally be “successful.” Her pregnancy was extremely rough, as there was rarely a day where she wasn’t sick but we were both so excited since we knew it would be worth it. Fast forward to October 2024, she is having bad stomach pains so we went to the ER. Almost immediately, they told us the three words that will haunt me forever - “There’s no heartbeat.” Tragically, this was the last thing my wife heard before she had to be intubated. And so, the nightmare began. She fought for 5 days, with family by her side. She ultimately passed from Sepsis, pancreatitis, leg infections, and finally full organ failure. She was an organ donor, but nothing could be saved.
Her funeral was beautiful, but it was obviously a near impossible day. The community all came together and supported me more than I could have imagined, and I’ll forever be grateful for that.
If you take anything from my story, please just pamper your wives, and hold your little ones extra tight.
Thank you all again, truly.
angelmomoffour62 11 months ago
My heart hurts for you. I know what it's like to lose a spouse and child. I am sorry...
Ace 11 months ago
Yes, I just lost my wife of 30 years, 3 weeks ago today. (No kids, unborn or otherwise). So my "After" is only just beginning.
Brian Droste 11 months ago
I am so sorry for your loss, I just lost my dad. Had the memorial today. (Dec. 27th).
Pollywog 11 months ago
I'm very sorry for your loss as well! Sending thoughts of strength and love! 💜
Load More Replies...
lindsaygerring 11 months ago
This is despicable why oh why do life shattering things like.this have to.happen.to.good happy loving true folk Sincerely I cant understand or.even.begin to.co template hiw the last 2 months have been for you but I jist hope ypu come.through this and.youre OK when you do all light love and hugs x
Felix Engeln 11 months ago
I'm currently in a train reading this and crying. We've lost our first child in the 7th month of pregnancy. It was horrible. I still only have a glimpse of what happened to you. I feel so sorry.
Jenna Kay 11 months ago
Oh Felix - Sending love. I miscarried many many years ago, and know how hard it can be. 🙏🏼
Load More Replies...
Daddy’s Girl 3 weeks ago (edited)
This truly breaks my heart for you and for her to die so young with her unborn child.
RELATED:
#2
The unfortunate ending to our first pregnancy a few years into marriage, around 5 months, after we’d excitedly announced it to everyone, we learned fetus was dead and breaking apart inside me, but there was no amniotic fluid and it wasn’t coming out on its own.
It seemed like no choice at all, to live or die, but that choice to live made me the enemy of 1/3 of my country who passionately votes to k**l me and any woman in that situation.
And now women are dying because of the way they vote, women who are in the same situation that I was, and they could not be more delighted, it’s exactly what they always wanted, and it’s hard to live knowing that.
When I tell my story, “conservatives” (the right wing in my country,) call me a baby-k**ler, they have for over a decade now, they don’t draw any distinction and can’t tell the difference. They are mad that I didn’t die, they didn’t change the law fast enough to k**l me.
I view all of them so differently now, 1/3 of the population can’t be trusted, they are bloodthirsty monsters, they don’t care how many of us die, they will never change how they vote.
HangryHangryHippo 11 months ago
Atrocious that besides her coping with her miscarriage she has to carry with the judgement of those brainless and heartless monsters 🤬. That legislation is not "pro life", women are effiing dying!!!
Sue User 11 months ago
But you never know. It could hace lived (MAJOR SARCASM). Its not even about abortion anymore. In half the counties in Idaho , there is effectively no obstetricians.
Load More Replies...
Felix Engeln 11 months ago (edited)
As a German i don't have the proper words in English. But I'll try. F*k these c*nts. Judging others thinking they now what some kind of god wants from us. No one aborts just for fun. It's a tough decision. And i know people who did it and they feel guilty even if they know it was the right decision.
Evan Connolly 3 months ago
If they feel guilty, perhaps they made the wrong decision.
Load More Replies...
Chris the Bobcat 11 months ago
The jesus contingent (as that's the majority of these anti-abortion freaks that liter this country) call themselves Pro Life, but where is that support once the child is born? Those same people would rather hoard their wealth rather than share it with unwanted children and those who genuinely do care about their wellbeing. Fvck the conservative right, fvck the jesus freaks and fvck anyone who strives to take rights away from others. Anyone who needs a book to tell them right from wrong is either a fool or a coward.
Laura Lawson 11 months ago
For those saying she could have just had a D&C, that wouldn't have been that easy. She was 5 months along, the process would have been very different from just dilating her cervix & scraping her uterus. She would have had to be induced or undergone a more major surgical procedure. This poor woman had to suffer much more than needed. A similar thing happened to my mother when she caught Rubella while pregnant. Her baby died & the hospital refused to help & she almost died from sepsis. Except that was in 1967, almost 60 years ago & it was uncommon even back then. It only happened because the only hospital was run by Catholic nuns. F*****g disgusting to be happening today.
Miss Kitty 11 months ago
I don't understand - miscarriages are not abortions, so this doesn't make sense.
Bette 11 months ago
I feel your pain and your frustration with the extreme uninformed right. My first son died before birth. Had we not been able to receive immediate care, he and I would have hemorrhaged to death.
Cecil 11 months ago
They have banned D&Cs in many states... unless the woman is actively dying. They have to wait until their health is at risk. It SHOULD just be a procedure but people don't believe miscarriages happen or would rather a few women die than all those babies (including those who have already died). It's completely nuts.
Load More Replies...
Joan Redemer 11 months ago
it is about power. There is no compassion. Those who make these awful laws hate women. If they can't control them, they are happy to see them die. OBGYNs are leaving Texas in droves.
Laura Lawson 11 months ago
@whiterabbit, please do some real research because you obviously don't have a f*****g clue. This. Is. Happening. Every minute of every day. Doctors are refusing help because they are breaking this the law. And yes, there are people stupid enough to believe that even though a pregnancy is no longer viable, any type of intervention is killing your child, especially in the southern States. And it's people like you who refuse to believe what's happening right before your eyes that allow this to continue unchecked. Your last comment is incredibly hypocritical, considering you won't accept her right to think differently. Of course she accepts this but no one has the right to abuse & harass her because it either. Grow up & open your eyes!!!
Caro Ansaldo 4 months ago (edited)
My ex bofriend's cousin was "pro life", but she had an abortion when she got pregnant and didn't want to have the baby... most "pro life" people are so hypocrite, it sucks...
We got in touch with MisterBigDude and he was kind enough to tell us more about the roots of his now-viral post.
"At home one day, I was planning a trip and thinking about how it would be difficult (as all travel is) because of a physical issue I developed in my 20s," the Redditor told Bored Panda.
"That made me ponder how different my life was before and after that issue. I suddenly thought it would be interesting to hear from other people about events that had substantially changed their lives. So I wrote a quick post."
#3
Sobriety at age thirty-two. I turn seventy-two in two months.
#4
Living what I thought was a great existence. Happily settled, steady jobs, good friends. Savings. Decent cars. Wonderful son, and another on the way. A week away from getting married. All the families are happy.
Found out my partner had been cheating on me for years with multiple women (his job as a police officer allowed ample opportunity for f*****g badge bangers and for believable overtime).
Single mum life. Moved over 1000km away to go back to my parents. Living on welfare. No savings. A car issue/pet issue/health issue away from total disaster. No sleep. Not many friends. No job. Raised the newborn on my own.
Scary how life can totally upend in a morning.
MisterBigDude said, "Since r/AskReddit gets a ton of posts, I figured few people would see mine. I was shocked that thousands of responses poured in, and I continued receiving them more than a week after my post!"
"Of course, many of the posters wrote about deaths of loved ones. It was heartbreaking to read those entries. (I am in that category too, as my life changed a lot when my father passed away.) Health problems and relationship breakups were also among the most common topics of responses to my post."
#5
Having a traumatic brain injury (TBI). One moment I was me, then suddenly, was robbed of my own soul. Ruined my hopes, dreams, and motivation at age 26 in a mountain biking accident. 43, alone, and miserable now. Wear your helmets, though, folks. I'd be a complete vegetable had I not.
Donald 11 months ago
It doesn't take much to screw up your brain. I have had 4 concussions that I know of and it really has changed me, much less control over my emotions, almost constant brain fog and memory issues. Take care of your noggin, once your brain is damaged it stays that way.
LakotaWolf (she/her) 11 months ago
Yep. My dad fell off of a ladder when I was 18 and sustained catastrophic brain damage. He only fell 6-8 feet or so, but it was enough. He struck the back of his head. Several subdural hematomas. He lived, but was entirely disabled: bedridden, diapers, feeding tube, needed 24/7 care, etc. I spent the next 21 years as his caregiver. He died in 2021 after being barely above a vegetative state for almost two decades. My mom tried all kinds of insane "treatments" (stem cell injections, hyperbaric oxygen chamber therapy) but nothing helped his brain damage, of course. Hugs to you, my friend; I hope you are doing as well as you can be <3
Load More Replies... SuikerSpin 11 months ago (edited)
Bump my head into de back of my car. Because i didn't open up the trunk hard enough. Now I've got fnd. Sometimes i cant connect with my body. Like moving my legs, or talking, sometimes moving on its own..
Lee Banks 11 months ago
This is no way meant to take away from your pain, just maybe to give a little hope for anyone dealing with tbi. A dear friend suffered one random knock out punch that left him in a coma for months. The tbi took away so much. He was profoundly changed. He could barely read the masters thesis he'd been working on. It's taken ten years, but he's earned two other degrees, and has a promising teaching career. Still ñot the same, but he's hopeful again. Be well.
lindsaygerring 11 months ago
Wear your .....sprry the rest of the post isn't showing on my screen
#6
Before bariatric surgery i was almost 400lbs and in constant pain from my spinal arthritis. Couldn't walk more than a few feet before I started hurting. After bariatric surgery (and some physical therapy) im now 170ish and im still in constant pain from my spinal arthritis but its significantly less than before and takes a lot longer to build up to intolerable levels. I have a full time job again and i go hiking now.
Rosecat 11 months ago
Good for you. Let's show this to the "fat is healthy and beautiful" people.
María Hermida 11 months ago
Nobody with half a neurone really says "fat is healthy and beautiful". The thing is, unless you are speaking about your own body, your opinion is irrelevant.
Load More Replies...
Tom De Paul 11 months ago
Medicaid pays for bariatric surgery because it adds 3 to 5 years to your lifespan.
It can be tough to deal with the curve balls life throws at you. So, the global polling organization Gallup Inc. has been asking people how they are feeling for the past 18 years with its Global Emotions poll—and the good thing is that in 2024, the answer is a little less bleak than before.
The researchers surveyed more than 146,000 individuals aged 15 years and older in 142 countries about their positive and negative experiences over the previous 24 hours, and then gave each country four scores on a scale of zero to 100: two scores for how present or lacking their positive experiences were, and two more corresponding to the prevalence of their negative experiences.
Overall, the results point to a world that, despite its many worries, is more content than fretful. Global stress levels were recorded at 37%—the lowest since 2019.
#7
Getting treatment for my ADHD. My life took a whole 180 after getting on Adderall. Went from dead end job to being successful.
Joshua David 11 months ago
I started taking Adderall in 2020 but was off it in less than a year. Found out i really liked the speed high. Now I'm on prozac 10mg for almost 2 years and I'm a different person. I was very bad to myself but its taken a 180. Glad it was worth it for you but be careful everyone.
Tom De Paul 11 months ago
Congratulations to your doctor for thinking outside the box
Load More Replies... #8
The unexpected death of my daughter-in-law in January. She was just 40 years old. I had gone to bed sick that night and had turned off my ringer and alerts, so I missed the call from my son at the hospital. He had to walk home in the dark alone after she died in front of him. I'll never forgive myself for not being there for him or for her when she was in the hospital.
XenoMurph 11 months ago
My android phone has settings to turn off alerts at night, but you can choose contacts to be allowed through no matter what. Or to be allowed through after a certain number of attempts.
Sue User 11 months ago (edited)
At 60, i love that feature. Was a time when late night phone calls were source of fun, now they are harbingers if bad news
Load More Replies...
Nikki Gross 11 months ago (edited)
When I was still working there were 4 of us Lab Techs in an on call rotation for my lab. So, there would be a one week span during my rotation that I had to have my phone with me 24/7 to deal with questions from other Techs, but most of the time it was to go into work after my shift was over to do a Special for a hospital. Even when it wasn't my turn I still kept my phone turned up next to my bed, because all of my family and friends know that if you called me past 9 pm (2100 hrs) it better be REALLY damned important. Now that I'm on disability and awake at all hours it doesn't really matter anymore, so I get called at all hours of the day or night.
Anna Drever 11 months ago
We still have a landline, which I know is old fashioned. My cellphone ringer goes off at night but if anything happens to my elderly parents those who need to get hold of me can.
Tom De Paul 11 months ago
Of course it's her fault. Who else could possibly be at fault here? She didn't answer the phone. This isn't rocket science. Bored Panda will simply not blame a woman for anything.
40% of adults reported feeling a lot of worry; 30% reported physical pain; 26% said they were sad, and 22% were angry. But the positive metrics were higher. The overall negative experience index fell from 33 last year to 31—the same level it was before the pandemic. Over the day prior to the survey, 85% of respondents said they had been treated with respect; 71% said they were well-rested; 73% said they had felt a lot of enjoyment or had smiled and laughed; and 54% said they had done something interesting.
#9
My parents are wealthy boomers.
I had just had my first son, was working long hours at a car dealership and my wife was working as well. My parents never gave me anything. We had incurred some credit card debt, about 3k that was destroying me, I hated owing money. I asked my dad for some help (drop in the well for them) and he coldly said “no” and basically said figure it out. Over a couple years the debt increased because we were trying to survive.
I took a job across the country, pulled my family out of everything and we are thriving. All without their help.
They always quip that they never get to see their grand kids, well, sorry about it.
Nimitz 11 months ago (edited)
Lol, yup. My dad was a wealthy boomer and he used it to destroy my opportunity at university. Where I come from, if your parents made over $56k a year you couldn't get a provincial loan, you had to go private, and to do that you needed a co-signer if you were under the age of 26. He told me no way would he pay or co-sign (paying my total expenses would have been less than 5% of his net income) and to report my mom's meager earnings and leave him off the paperwork, or to get a job in the oil industry like him. I followed his advice. In my 2nd year he gave me a cheque for $500 and then reported me as a dependent. They immediately realized and revoked my loans ($20k) and scholarships ($6.8k) and sent a collection company after me. My payments were over $700/month at a time when minimum wage was $8.95/hr. Even working full-time I went bankrupt in less than a year and had to drop out. My entire future destroyed so my piece of s**t boomer father could save a little money on his taxes.
Alecto76 11 months ago
Mine did the same thing - I could not get a student loan because my dad made too much. But he refused to help me, a female, go to college. So I had to go out of state to a school that pretended that my parents' divorce was finalized - super lovely woman in financial aid. But I couldn't get the way cheaper in state tuition for most of college because he refused to stop claiming me as a dependent. He paid for my housing per the divorce degree - In Missouri, in the 90s - 150/month at most. He then proceeded to tell me for the rest of his life that he put me through college.
Load More Replies... Brian Droste 11 months ago (edited)
Tell them them that is on them for not helping you out financially when you needed it.
Michelle C 11 months ago
Sometimes you have to make known what you will and will not tolerate. I pray that they realize the consequences of their actions and repent!
Tom De Paul 6 months ago
And there are always a lot of very marginal nursing homes that don't have waiting lists. So there's that.
Load More Replies...
SkippityBoppityBoo 11 months ago (edited)
I've credit card debt atm and there's been a huge shake up with the benefits system here. I can't sort it all out until January. We're being swapped from ESA to Universal Credit. I've to fill in an online form but I need help with it due to my cognitive issues - my head injuries and having been severely ill with Covid, both at the same time. So I've been trying to get an appointment with Citizens Advice for help with this form, except it's been Christmas and now New Years. So gotta wait until January. So the credit card debt? I phoned them and explained everything. Everything from the benefits thing to still having to occasionally consult with solicitors due to my violent ex. I should be able to get free legal advice/help but I've not been able to get any appointments with one. It's been a hell of a lot over the past few years. Anyway, the credit card debt? The company is going to help me with it, as in I've been put on 'breathing space' right now and once I know what is happening with
SkippityBoppityBoo 11 months ago
My benefits etc? Then we can work forward from there, set out an affordable repayment plan. My best advice is? Be open and completely honest about your situation with all parties involved, and try to not let it overwhelm you. It obviously can and maybe will! But deep calm breaths because it can be fixable so long as you tell them all every single thing....... P.S? To those who judge someone for accruing debt? Sometimes drastic emergency life situations happen that you absolutely cannot plan for... And I really do hope that noone reading this ever ever finds out what those things are and everyone stays Safe.
Load More Replies...
Patricia Richardson 6 months ago
that s just plain nasty,i seriously cannot understand why”parents” do that to their children …..go nc..
p9ddzp7bg2 9 months ago
Have you ever thought that your parents’ decision not to help made you as successful that you are? You did it alone and should be proud of yourself, but don’t let those precious grandbabies miss out on their love.
Tom De Paul 11 months ago
Guess who never gets to see the grandchildren. But how is*3k debt so debilitating?
Carrie Laughs 11 months ago (edited)
Advice: guidance or recommendations offered with regard to prudent future action. Saying 'no' and 'figure it out' is not actually any kind of real advice. However, it gave the OP a better picture of their parent so it was probably all to the good anyway. Chances are that they'd have had to continue living on credit even with a gift or loan of 3k - it would have removed the debt but that was incurred in the first place because they were having to live beyond their current means. Better to upsticks and go somewhere which is affordable/better paid job. As for the grandparents... tough.
Load More Replies... #10
9/11/01. I was supposed to have been in the North Tower that morning. My 17 colleagues all died. Biz mtg was cancelled the night before, inexplicably.... .
Tamra 11 months ago
My husband was initially meant to meet with his team there, but the meeting was cancelled and he got routed to Canada at the last minute. A terrible, terrible day.
Xenia Harley 11 months ago
I lived in NJ at the time, and heard so many stories of people who were supposed to be in the towers and last minute were not. It actually was amazing. Not that it wasn't a terrible tragedy, but people avoiding tragedy with just a twist of fate. Like a colleague had a friend who got into a minor accident on the Turnpike and watched from the side of the highway, as the towers were hit. He was supposed to be in there, at work.
Load More Replies...
Upstaged75 11 months ago
One of my best friends had literally just walked OUT of the tower when the 1st plane hit. (There's was a subway stop in it) She was on the bridge that connected the 2 towers. It took her 9 hours to walk home, but she was OK. I'm so grateful.
Maples Dad 11 months ago
There was no bridge that connected the 2 towers, they were connected underground and by the plaza.
Load More Replies... Nikki Gross 11 months ago
It's amazing how a simple twist of fate how someone can either be at the wrong place at the wrong time or should have been somewhere but wasn't and avoided a tragic event. I know people that were injured or killed and a few people that survived, because of a small reason they weren't in the Alfred P. Murrah Building on April 19, 1995 when the bombing happened that morning. I'm 47 and there are certain events, dates and times that have altered my life and that day was one of them. Until 9/11 the Murrah Bombing was the worst terrorist attack to happen on US soil and when 9/11 happened it was like being punched in the stomach. Disbelief that it was happening again and this time it was in a much larger city and on a bigger scale. Those were 2 events in my life that changed me and how I viewed the world.
Michelle C 11 months ago
Agreed. I still remember that day vividly and am grateful my family didn’t lose anyone knowing we could have been among those grieving the losses of family members and friends. I also know someone whose friends lost someone…. That’s the kind of event no one can ever truly forget, no matter how hard a person might try. 💔
Anna Drever 11 months ago
My sister and her husband (we’re kiwis but they live in Oz) were doing the touristy thing and went up the day before. I think, from memory, it was weather related as the actual day was forecast to not be such a good view so they went when they did. I’m so thankful on their behalf but so sorry for those who lost loved ones. We knew they were in the area and until we knew they were safe we were worried as you can imagine.
"It is hard to say what helps people navigate such transformations," the author of the Reddit post said about the replies. "Many of the respondents were obviously still struggling to handle the effects of those big life events. I wish I did have magic advice that could bring them peace, but anything I could say would sound like an empty platitude. Everyone grieves and heals in their own way, on their own time."
"I feel that my post did give many people a chance to work through some of their grief by writing about it and sharing it, even for an audience of internet strangers—some of whom wrote very supportive replies to those posts. That's one example of the positive potential of social media," he added.
#11
I have two events really, but I’ll just mention the big one.
In junior year of college, when I was 20/21, I developed very unusual symptoms of insomnia, intense muscle soreness, slow movement, and a shaking right hand. After months of seeing different specialists, testing different medications to see if they helped, and finally a lumbar puncture, I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.
This fundamentally changed my life moving forward. I finished college and went to grad school immediately afterwards, but the fallout of the emotions and intense feelings of isolation caused me to leave. I later worked as a research tech for 4 years, and finished my PhD last year after 5.5 years of doing grad school again. I achieved that goal.
It’s been almost 13 years now, and I can’t say that any day since I started showing symptoms has been a “good” one compared to before. I have to deliberately move my feet and hands so as to not drag them, trip, or drop or spill something. I’ve gotten very good at it, but it’s exhausting. Everything is day-to-day. It’s also psychologically isolating, since almost nobody can truly understand or relate, while it’s also ended relationships when I told them about it.
But I try to keep positive, and look forward to something better coming in life.
Lyone Fein 11 months ago
Having a physical disability that ages you prematurely is emotionally and psychologically debilitating, in addition to all of the exhaustion involved. I empathize with you.
#12
My second marriage. It was like I had been sleepwalking for 50 years until I met my wife. I can't imagine life without her.
Edit: I'd like to thank everyone for your comments. I showed them to my wife, and she was very moved. She said that I am the most precious thing she has in her life, and now I'm crying. ❤️.
When it comes to practical advice, Stephanie Moulton Sarkis, Ph.D., N.C.C., D.C.M.H.S., L.M.H.C., the author of Gaslighting: Recognize Manipulative and Emotionally Abusive People—and Break Free, suggests these ten ways to cope with big changes:
- Acknowledge that things are changing;
- Realize that even good change can cause stress;
- Keep up your regular schedule as much as possible;
- Try to eat as healthily as possible;
- Exercise;
- Seek support;
- Write down the positives that have come from this change;
- Get proactive and work preventatively;
- Vent, but to a point;
- Back away from social media.
#13
Starting at a alternative high school a month into my freshman year. It was a therapy intensive school and I’m telling you I’d be in JAIL if I hadn’t gone there. They saved my life.
#14
Life turned upside down 5 years ago. Sudden health challenge almost took my life, had me in ICU for 3 weeks, in hospital for 2 months, and out of work for almost a year. 6 weeks after returning to work, covid hit, my family was among the first to have it in my area. Luckily came through OK, but wife had it pretty bad. As life was returning to normal a year later, my kids’ high school was the site of a mass shooting - 4 of their friends k**led that day.
I often question if my near death experience 5 years ago really resulted in my death, and I’m living in some alternate reality.
Life is precious - live each day you have to the fullest.
cerinamroth 11 months ago
I nearly died when I was 10 and my hold on life has felt so tenuous since then that I‘ve often wondered the same thing.
KamaboCo. 11 months ago
Same, my head almost split open without anyone around when I was six. Didn’t feel anything for some reason, but I’m fine now.
Load More Replies... Jenna Kay 11 months ago
Reading this made me have an epiphany. I nearly drown as a child. I remember the water above me and the beautiful sunlight streaming down, the serenity of it, soft joy ... I have never felt that at peace since. I struggle with depression and anxiety, take meds to sleep ... food for thought.
Lowrider 56 11 months ago
I was in a car wreck many, many years ago. Two people died and I was hospitalized for 2 weeks. I've always wondered if I died too. No, I was not driving. The driver basically walked away from the accident.
#15
My best friend taking their life.
We were both 17 when he decided that he had enough of life. I spoke to him the day prior while my family and I were on a road trip to see him and other family. He came from the foster care system, and knew that when he turned 18 the next month, he would be homeless. What he didn't know, and something that still haunts me, was part of the reason we we're coming to visit was because my parents wanted to adopt him... I didn't tell him on that phone call, because I wanted to surprise him.
He took his life the next day, early in the morning. We arrived at 11:43am.. we saw the police and mortician at his foster moms home. She told us what happened. They didn't let me see him.
That was 14 years ago. I still wonder if things would've been different, if I would've just told him that we wanted him to be part of our family.
Ever since then, while I have many friends, I have never had a best friend again.
That was the day that I lost my rose colored glasses.
Michelle C 11 months ago
On the off-chance you read this, it’s not your fault. You couldn’t have known and I’m so sorry to read of your loss.
Kelly Scott 11 months ago (edited)
THIS is why I hate those forced-birth people. Because they always say you can give your baby up for adoption, totally ignoring the fact that most people only want newborn, white babies that have no health problems. The rest of the babies and kids get put in the foster care system and many times when they age out at 18, they're thrown out into the street, stealing and selling d***s and/or their bodies to survive. There are only so many permanent homes for foster kids and every time you bring a new baby into the world to be adopted, it knocks one of the other kids out of a permanent home - the hard way.
María Hermida 11 months ago
People who are thinking of committing suicide are often very good at hiding their intentions. We cannot read minds, we can act with the best intentions and still fail. It's NOT your fault, OP. The threat of homelessness was part of his decision, but the real responsibility here is the system and the foster families that throw kids away like garbage the minute they turn 18. It's so cruel. I don't know why he was in foster care (his parents died?were in jail? abandoned him?) but the feeling of rejection is usually unbearable. He needed professional help, there was nothing you could do.
Tom De Paul 6 months ago (edited)
Wait. Friend: I don't know what to do. Next month I'll age out of foster care and will be homeless. OP: While I know my parents will adopt him preventing his homelessness I LOVE surprises, so I will not attempt to alleviate my best friend's depression. Oh, he'll be fine. Friend: kills himself. Did I get anything wrong in my retelling? No? Then yes, his s*****e is your fault. Surprise!
Mel Colley 11 months ago
Did you read the ops story in full? Think before you act.
Load More Replies... #16
We'll have to see, but it might well be this semester's papers turned in by students. I teach writing at the university level, and the papers were SO awful and so many students SO apathetic that I just can't even imagine doing this job anymore.
I can point to one single paper that broke me.
I actually had a real breakdown and spent last week in a crisis stabilization unit. It is TERRIFYING to watch education ebb like this, and to see students not participating in their own lives. I do not expect people to love writing, but at least be *present* in your own head! The entire system is dumbing down, which means that the American people are dumbing down too.
CanadianDimes 11 months ago
As someone who who teaches in HE, society has really fũcked up by making a university education the default for what comes next after high school. It’s not for everyone and I don’t mean it shouldn’t be accessible for anyone who wants a university education (it should be, including financially accessible). Too many young people go without really wanting to or without being ready for it yet. Other options, such as trade schools or apprenticeships are considered less prestigious, which is stupid and short-sighted.
Bored Sailor 11 months ago (edited)
My son right out of high school knew he wanted to be an electrician, so applied with the union, second time he got picked up. They only offer twice a year. Apprentice, school paid by union, paid to work and working hard does matter. Started getting Journeyman pay before even finishing courses. At 23 he bought a two story house. Trades are highly under rated but highly needed, that person fixing power everywhere is not a college grad or does not need to be.
Load More Replies...
Rick Seiden 11 months ago
My son was working on a PhD in Spanish Language Arts. He went in loving it. Then he taught Spanish 101 too many times, with too many kids not being present like OP talks about, and he wanted out. Unrelated, his landlord pissed him off enough for him to pay for a legal service for advice. The lawyers he talked to got him thinking. So he left the PhD program and now he's in law school.
Bette 11 months ago
In most of Europe, university costs a fraction of what it does here. In addition, after formal schooling students are required to perform civil, social or military service. I think it provides a broader perspective of life.
Dr Jimmy 03 11 months ago
I only teach part-time, but I fight back against the "dumb-down" at every opportunity.
V'Ann Wagner-Brent 9 months ago
True. I teach at the high school level. Every kid is so low and every curriculum is so simplistic.
#17
My son developing a terminal disease that we had no idea about.
He just turned 3, but the last year and a half has been a ride we never knew we would be on. Up until almost 2, he developed normally and was just the happiest little boy. In early 2021, he was diagnosed with a rare terminal genetic disease called Krabbe Disease after losing all of his abilities like walking, crawling, and even sitting up on his own in a matter of weeks out of nowhere. We ended up at the children's hospital of Pittsburgh to try to get him a stem cell transplant to prolong his life. They told us that without it, he would pass away by the end of the year, but if he got it, he may never be able to move or possibly even breathe on his own. That was the most stressful 24 hours of my life. He has gotten the transplant, can still somewhat move his arms and legs, and has the greatest smile you'll ever see, and he knows he is loved so much. We tried to get him in a gene therapy clinical trial, but he had an antibody that excluded him. Now, we are just hoping for a miracle to happen.
He has a page called Prayers for Arthur, hope for a cure that we use to spread awareness and celebrate his life ♥️.
Enuya 11 months ago
I know many will consider it cruel but I wouldn't try to prolong my family member's (or my own) life, knowing that they'll never be self-sufficient or at least able to live somewhat "normal" life. It sounds unnecessarily cruel to all parties involved.
Agat 11 months ago
I agree with you, and I don't think it's cruel. I think it would be cruel to make someone live like this.
Load More Replies...
Lyoness 11 months ago
For everyone saying they wouldn't prolong their child's life, I put this in a comment but need to say it again: Please don't ever assume you know how you would behave if it was your child. Until you've been in that situation you don't get to judge their actions, nor do you get to tell them to move on. It's their kid and their choice. Yes, I'm being harsh, but that's because it's wrong to make statements like this when you haven't been there. I know this because I have. So don't judge please.
Upstaged75 11 months ago (edited)
Oh no. That's a horrifying disease! And it's not among the standard newborn tests. If caught when they're an infant the child can usually be saved.
#18
Getting hit by a car.
Woke up in the hospital a month later with casts on my legs, many fractures, and a damaged brain. Spent most of a year in a brain injury rehab hospital, fortunately recovered well, and returned to my life.
Though it was a bit different.
That was almost 18 years ago. So far, so good.
DennyS (denzoren) 11 months ago
Damn, i can't imagine what that would have been like to wake up too.
#19
Our daughter died, which brought about the death of my husband. I sold our house and moved back to my home city. It's hard being a widow, but I have her Chiweenie, who's the biggest lovebug ever.
lindsaygerring 11 months ago
Wow sorry lady be strong eveb though it's tough ypu gutta live for you now in their memory I.wish you.wellness and happiness
#20
I used to think it was the death of my father when I was 11, but now it’s the death of my brother when I was 36.
Losing a sibling is surreal because you realize that they are like an external hard drive of your childhood. They were the only one that would have remembered this or that, or could correct the story, or topped it with something even crazier that you both shared. Losing them is like a compartmentalized, instant onset Alzheimer’s where some of your most cherished memories get wiped from the earth, never to return.
If your collected memories are all that you truly are, then I simply cannot claim to be the same person after his death.
Smeghead Tribble Down Under 11 months ago
That's a really beautiful way to describe a sibling. I wish mine was more like that. He claims to remember nothing about when I was born even though he was 9.5 at the time. He wanted a brother, not a sister, so he sort of ignored me :/
Xenia Harley 11 months ago
Same. My sister is a horrible person. NC was the best choice I ever made.
Load More Replies...
Erin Van Atten 3 months ago
I can feel the love for their brother through their words. My brothers are both developmentally disabled, and while I can have a conversation with them, it will never be fully reciprocal. I'm just happy I have young parents, they fulfill that role for me and we're really close.
Lowrider 56 11 months ago
I was the oldest of 4. All my siblings have already passed away. Not one of them ever reached the age of 50. I miss them everyday.
Babynursemissy 11 months ago
My husband lost his father AND his oldest brother when he was 12. Like, the day after he turned 12. And he wasn’t allowed to go to the funerals. I really think that is why he’s so emotionally stunted to this day. And he’s 65.
#21
Lots of them but covid is the biggest. Before covid, my commute to work was over an hour. Now i work from home.
HangryHangryHippo 11 months ago
COVID brought a lot of bad things. But also demonstrated that are jobs that can be done perfectly WFH. I tried for years to make a case about that to my bosses (great people BTW, but I've been by their side since day one and took care of a lot of different jobs) but no dice. Suddenly COVID hit and was no other way forward than WFH. And the company survived thanks to it.
Enuya 11 months ago (edited)
Working from home is/was the worst thing that happened to me because of COVID. I have peoblems with finding friends or maintaining a social circle and meeting other people in the office gave me at least some semblance of social life. I used to complain about my office and co-workers a lot but I HATE working from home and I'd give everything to work from office again. (And yes, I do try to change a job but it's not easy in my area.)
Load More Replies... Upstaged75 11 months ago
The best thing that came out of Covid! Working from home has changed my life. I have severe anxiety and always struggled with the having to get dressed up/pack lunch/commute part of my job. Having to only focus on doing my work is SO much better for me.
ENSJ 11 months ago
The second lockdown in my country caused me to finally break down in my CSR job and end up in psych. It's been downhill from there, with low paying jobs, depression and ideations I will not mention here. 2019 was the last year I thought I was improving and actually saving up and buiding something. Now I know I'm going to be stuck doing dead-end jobs until I unalive myself (no way am I going to live through retirement being poor, I've enough of it during my work years)
Biytemii 11 months ago
It was one of the only upsides of covid For me. Me and my husband traveled An hour and a half each way to work everyday From Pennsylvania to Jersey City area. The traffic used to be so bad in the morning we'd have to leave like an hour earlier After covid there was zero traffic We would leave at the same time and get there so early for no reason We finally got used to no traffic and it took us half an hour (at least) less each way At least everyday. We were managing a 7-Eleven at the time and it was two people during the day and two people at night Because it was Jersey so we needed one to pump gas one to run inside so it was a 12-hour shift plus the ride. Apparently we were essential Because you know, gas station. But I'll tell you people were absolutely crazy. I was never so worried about being robbed in my life At that store.
Niamh_ie 11 months ago
Covid gave me breathing space to realise what was important. I was furloughed and thankfully a great support network. I rediscovered how much I liked walking and hiking and had lots of time to discover what was on my doorstep. I now work a job I mostly love (I'd still quit if I won the lottery) and wfh.
#22
Senior year of high school.
Nobody cares about what happened to me, but I will be brief and say it dramatically scarred me. I have not been the same man since, I have not forgiven the perpetrators, and I will definitely say that it is the “before” and “after” Time of my life, between being happy and be miserable.
Dnd Panda (she/them) 11 months ago
From op/reddit: “ I was treated miserably throughout high school, I was falsely accused of a crime, I was wrongfully committed to a psychiatric ward, I was raped, the crime was covered up, my good name was smeared by my principal, and I just haven’t been able to land on my feet since it happened 17 years ago.”
Load More Replies... Kira Okah 11 months ago
He has summarised an outline of what happened in another comment, it's horrific, giving caring hugs to him: "I was treated miserably throughout high school, I was falsely accused of a crime, I was wrongfully committed to a psychiatric ward, I was raped, the crime was covered up, my good name was smeared by my principal, and I just haven’t been able to land on my feet since it happened 17 years ago."
GhostlySnail (she/her) 11 months ago
Thank you for giving us the context but wow that is awful. :(
Load More Replies... Michelle C 11 months ago
I get that; my adolescence changed me permanently as well and I still remember the exact moment as though I am in the chair where I sat then right now.
lindsaygerring 11 months ago
Dude .. it takes.joq long it take.bw strong.head down stay focused you gonna come.good
#23
Carjacked at gunpoint - within six months I left my dead end job and got out of a loveless marriage. Life's too short.
HangryHangryHippo 11 months ago
Glad to hear that OP was able to flip a horrible traumatic experience into a better life!
lindsaygerring 11 months ago
It is too.short good for ypu hope everything's great for you now.
#24
Death of my dog.
Lorraine Woollands 11 months ago (edited)
I have lost five dogs over the year, each hurt like hell and still cry for all of them
Brandi VanSteenwyk 11 months ago
I have learned, over the years of losing my canine kinders, that the pain and grief is equal to the love you had for them and the joy they brought to you. Considering how great my love for each and every one of them has been and the unconditional love and joy they brought boundless, I know ahead of time that their loss will be devastating. But if lessening the pain requires diminishing the love and joy, forget it. I'll let the memories get me through.
S Bow 11 months ago
Exactly my philosophy, grief is the price we pay for love and it's worth suffering the pain to have the joy they bring to my life.
Load More Replies... 
Kent Fletcher 11 months ago
It's always hard when it happens. We've had to say goodbye to 7 dogs over the years. It's always a sad time, but we know we gave them good lives, and we made each other's lives better.
OneHappyPuppy 11 months ago
This one hits home. I've already commented this but someone poisoned my dog a week ago. He was only 3,5 years old but it feels like a lifetime, he was such a good boy
#25
The Navy. I was 19 and a dumb when I joined. I was 40 and a different kind of dumb when I left.
#26
My cancer diagnosis.
Nikki Gross 11 months ago
December 2017 and my life has been f****d up since then. F**k Cancer!!!
BrownEyedPanda 11 months ago
Same. 2015. Being faced with your own mortality changes your view of life, even in remission.
#27
When my life completely imploded and in the span of 3 months I went from married with a cool job to separated, jobless, homeless, with skin cancer. Everything changed and I’m NOT that guy I was before that time.
#28
An autoimmune disease. An incurable debilitating disease. I was 32.
Hazel Sage 11 months ago
My Lupus diagnosis came at 18. Honestly, getting my ADA parking badge was a lot more influential.
Rinso The Red 11 months ago
Chronic RA here, they ALL suck and often times the meds are ineffective or the side effects are almost worse than the condition itself.
Anna Drever 11 months ago
Got fibromyalgia over 20 years ago. Some studies say it’s not autoimmune and others disagree. Either way it sucks donkey b@lls.
Leg less In Minneapolis 11 months ago
My lupus came at 14. I am now 57 and a permanent nursing home resident. This is no way to live. But take heart the new research is finding out what causes them so we can finally fight them.
#29
Having kids. It's such a change from being a 20 something to be responsible for someone else that is so helpless.
Kelly Scott 11 months ago (edited)
Then please, BE responsible for them. Teach them, supervise them, discipline them, love them, make them happy they were born, and make us appreciate seeing a well-behaved and happy child for a change, unlike all the other feral animals out there running around with their uncaring parents.
BrownEyedPanda 11 months ago
Anytime I hear a child/teen say, "My parents don't care where I go/when I come home/if I smoke/drink," it's the first four words that tell me where the fault lies. Parents: for God's sake, the last thing a kid needs is a 30-something homie. Before you can be their pal, you have to be the PARENT.
#30
Breakdown caused by OCD in 2021 that left me actively planning my end. Almost went through with it but my parents surprised me with a puppy, and that puppy saved my life. In a much better, stable place now with that puppy still by my side, but I’ll never be the same ever again. No one really tells you that - that you might survive the attempt (or near attempt) but something in you ***still*** dies, and that part of you is just carried with you for the rest of your time, like a scar on your heart (or brain, whatever).
Kira Okah 11 months ago
I also had a mental breakdown, 2017, mix of stress and OCD. I have not yet recovered, there are zero therapists here that work with OCD and autism. So it's just me, my partner, and my mother who helps when she can. Something inside you does indeed die, I am much more anxious than I ever was before, and much less likely to be adventurous, it still hurts.
#31
When I lost my partner. It completely changed my perspective on time, relationships, and appreciating moments while I have them. It left a permanent mark on how I approach life.
Lorraine Woollands 11 months ago
When I lost my partner I thought that I wouldn't be able cope with life. I had never lived alone before, always with parents or partner. I was 57 years old, I even tried to end myself. But I have surprised myself discovered that I am stronger than I thought, and I even found that I like being on my own,with my little cat.
#32
The death of my infant son. The way my heart shattered and the way my whole being was traumatized by losing him so suddenly and unexpectedly is the most distinct before and after feeling. I feel like I can see the change in me from photos from just right before he passed where everything in me was happy and calm and there was that sparkle in my eyes of pure happiness with my kids. Then after, you can just see sadness, even years later when I’m happy and smiling, you still see the pain and sadness that lingers over and misses my boy everyday.
But the way I was changed by being his mama is a very distinct before and after, too. I just love and miss him so much.
#33
Before: My bio parents died in a car accident when I was 13.
Middle: I landed with a Mormon foster family. That went about as well as you'd expect.
After: I escaped the Mormons at 19 and have thrived ever since.
#34
My husband’s murder. I went from being a career driven mother of 3 with a (mostly) stay at home husband to single mother of 3 taking care of….everything. Lots of things changed in my life, some obvious some not. I’m a completely different person living a completely different life now.
HangryHangryHippo 11 months ago
Many many hugs to OP. My FIL (well, he never got to see his child and me getting married) was killed 7 years ago and our lives and never been the same since. It was very hard even if my partner and their two siblings were already adults and living by themselves... Can't imagine how hard it is for her ❤️🩹
#35
Trying to take my own life. I had a number of them in late teens to early twenties. One came close enough that I lost consciousness and went into respiratory arrest. Paramedics saved me.
After that, initially, I was angry and more lost than ever. Slowly I began to work on me. Left a poisonous relationship. Left collage which was a major source of stress/hurt and pursued a career that I was passionate about. Spent time fixing the things about me I found ugly or toxic and reworked my morals and ethics.
Slowly improved, and over many years I became someone I am now extremely proud of. Have a partner that I adore, a career I love, and an overall positive outlook on life and my future.
And it all stemmed from a point where I nearly lost everything. Sometimes your worst moments give you the most room to grow.
Side note, I’m a Paramedic now. Irony is fun.
#36
Admitting I'm an alcoholic.
KatSaidWhat 11 months ago
I'm admitting to myself I am. Unless you have money in the UK, the NHS are reactive rather than proactive when some like me is not a full blown alcoholic. I want to prevent that and I am not letting god take the hit on this either.
Donald 11 months ago
Sometimes it is worse to be in the grey area when it comes to Alcoholism. Its not so bad that your life is outright ruined, but its bad enough to have a serious negative impact on your health, relationships and career. I've been there and I'm rooting for you. Its not easy to get sober but it will change your life for the better. Much love, kick that habit in the a*s!
Load More Replies... Pandemonium 11 months ago
Step 1 down good job! Wishing you the strength for the next steps. You will thank yourself as you face the challenging days ahead.
Michelle C 11 months ago
Admitting to addiction is the first step to getting help. Good luck, OP!
#38
Death of my father.
Michael Largey 11 months ago (edited)
Me too. Mine died suddenly of a brain aneurism leaving a wife and five children, the oldest 14 (me). We were plunged into poverty. He had worked for a quarter century for a large corporation. When my mom asked when we would start receiving his pension, she was told "Sorry, m'am, the employee has got to live to collect their pension." That was perfectly legal at the time util they passed one of those "intrusive government regulations" the rich and their pimps complain about.
#39
The Death of my middle son. Life has not been the same since.
#40
My father's relapse into chronic alcoholism when I was 8yo (9? the memories fade). Absolute living hell until he died when I was 14 tbh.
#41
My drive down the west coast of Africa at 25. Changed everything forever.
#42
Meeting the man of my dreams and it being reciprocated, the passion, intensity and heat between us, my body temperature went up around him we were magnets,
Blew up my life, and made me re-evaluate everything, we didn't make it but still glad I got to experience it.
Bette 11 months ago
Yeaaaaaaaaaaah I think that is called twin flame. I had one of those. I read somewhere that you will have many loves in your life, but one will haunt your life forever.........he does.
Xenia Harley 11 months ago
Same. It absolutely shattered me for many years after.
Load More Replies... #44
Death of my ex-wife. I had suspected she was running me down, and lying to our children about me. She took her own life in 2020…my son was 20 and my daughter was 14.
It’s completely changed my relationship with my kids, especially my daughter. I’ve heard countless times, “Dad I (we) had no idea.”.
#45
Covid. I was so blinded by the love I was in with my wife only to find out she faked covid to f**k my friend. May they both rot in hell.
#47
My best friend attempting to take their life. We were in college and we shared an apartment together, one day I come home from class and he's dead in his room. I had to deal with the police, paramedics, medical examiner, notify his family and our mutual friends, I had to move out of the apartment and clean out all of his stuff, find a new place to live, all of that fell on me. I had help of course, but that's a lot for a grieving 21 year old guy in school full time and working part time. That was the switch that flipped in my head to trigger the full blown alcoholism/addictive tendencies that were definitely there but hadn't reared their ugly head yet. Almost 15 years later and I'm still struggling with that particular demon.
#48
My wife and I suffered a miscarriage at 22 weeks. We birthed our deceased child and did the entire labor routine in the hospital. It was impossibly difficult with details I wouldn't wish anybody to ever experience. We gave our child the respect it deserved and asked the hospital to not tell us the sex.
Months later, our obgyn gave us the documentation regarding the tests performed on our child to allow us to understand the "why" behind the miscarriage. The first sentence read, "the deceased is unquestionably male".
It ruined me. I've always wanted a boy to share my life experiences with. I'm now a proud father of two girls but will always remember my dead son.
I'll never be the same and can't help but wonder, daily, what my life would've been like if I never knew.
Since then, I feel like everyone around me is birthing sons. I look at every ungrateful father with his son in public and think how envious I am.
I'm a proud father of two beautiful and smart girls, please don't get me wrong. I'm grateful and proud.
But I'll never forget my son.
Margaret Nupponen 11 months ago
My dad had four girls before getting a son. He always said that girls can do anything that boys can do.
Explore more of these tags
What do you think ?
Smeghead Tribble Down Under 11 months ago
Starting High school (Year7/age 12 here in Australia) Went from happy, fairly outgoing, straight-As, and having friends to being bullied to the point of suicide (teachers didn't care, family said I was overreacting, had no friends to confide in or back me up) withdrawn, nervous anxious, being physically ill every morning and crying my eyes out not wanting to go to school, and I believe this is where my now-crippling social anxiety was kicked off -_- I'm 44 now and still have no friends.
SnackbarKaat 11 months ago
Im so sorry to hear that... Being bullied is life changing. My mother told me it must be my own fault, being bullied. Ill never forget that
Load More Replies...
Weltschmerz 11 months ago
Mine was my dad's suicide. Was such an earth shattering event that I don't think I'll ever truly recover from it.
Crystal M 11 months ago
Hugs! I know exactly how you feel. My father completed suicide in 2000, even after 24 years it hurts every day.
Load More Replies...
Gavin Johnson 11 months ago
Before four attempts to take my own life. Depressed, anxious, lost a marriage ‘cause I was very difficult to be with. Then I ended up alone and lost. Ending up under the care of my local mental health crisis team. After a lot of meds and serious amounts of therapy I’m better but not better. It certainly isn’t as dark right now so I’ll count my blessings. If you are going through anything I recommend keeping on going, the journey doesn’t always have to have a destination or purposeful movement, just be and be kind to yourself, you deserve it.
Jenna Kay 11 months ago
Gavin - I could say so many things, but in short, we are kindred. I wish you hope and peace in your journey, contentment in the path, and enlightenment along the way. ❤️🩹 we can mend.
Load More Replies...
James016 11 months ago
Our son’s autism diagnosis. Even though we knew in our hearts he was autistic, hearing it from the specialist was still like a massive punch in the gut and it really shook us. We had to completely change how we were parenting him. However 6 years on from that day, he is thriving at school (his class are brilliant with him), practicing for his grade 2 piano exams and is generally a kind, happy, cheeky child. He is 10 today so he finally gets the digital alarm clock he has been asking for since June.
BookFanatic 11 months ago
Discovering the term "asexual." I spent 44 years thinking I was broken, utterly baffled when my friends would enthuse about their sex lives and experiences. Like, what was wrong with me? Nothing. Not a damn thing. So, so reassuring.
Donald 11 months ago
My best friends suicide 4 years ago. He shot himself a week before my birthday and it still feels raw in the weeks leading up to it. I would give anything to talk to him one more time and tell him that I love him, even if the outcome was the same it would bring some semblance of peace.
Trisec Tebeakesse 11 months ago
June 19, 2012. Went to the ER with self-diagnosed appendicitis. My doctor was actually suitably impressed. Woke up four days later missing half my colon and a stage III cancer diagnosis. A year of chemo; two years to get back to an acceptable state of living. So - that's a pretty clear line to the before time. Twelve years on, I still have lingering aftereffects. But it beats the alternative.
Rocket Surgeon 11 months ago
Getting Divorced. I decided then and there to never fall in love on a whim again. Now I've been married for 3 years to a woman I've been in love with for 15 years.
Smeghead Tribble Down Under 11 months ago
Starting High school (Year7/age 12 here in Australia) Went from happy, fairly outgoing, straight-As, and having friends to being bullied to the point of suicide (teachers didn't care, family said I was overreacting, had no friends to confide in or back me up) withdrawn, nervous anxious, being physically ill every morning and crying my eyes out not wanting to go to school, and I believe this is where my now-crippling social anxiety was kicked off -_- I'm 44 now and still have no friends.
SnackbarKaat 11 months ago
Im so sorry to hear that... Being bullied is life changing. My mother told me it must be my own fault, being bullied. Ill never forget that
Load More Replies... Weltschmerz 11 months ago
Mine was my dad's suicide. Was such an earth shattering event that I don't think I'll ever truly recover from it.
Crystal M 11 months ago
Hugs! I know exactly how you feel. My father completed suicide in 2000, even after 24 years it hurts every day.
Load More Replies... Gavin Johnson 11 months ago
Before four attempts to take my own life. Depressed, anxious, lost a marriage ‘cause I was very difficult to be with. Then I ended up alone and lost. Ending up under the care of my local mental health crisis team. After a lot of meds and serious amounts of therapy I’m better but not better. It certainly isn’t as dark right now so I’ll count my blessings. If you are going through anything I recommend keeping on going, the journey doesn’t always have to have a destination or purposeful movement, just be and be kind to yourself, you deserve it.
Jenna Kay 11 months ago
Gavin - I could say so many things, but in short, we are kindred. I wish you hope and peace in your journey, contentment in the path, and enlightenment along the way. ❤️🩹 we can mend.
Load More Replies... James016 11 months ago
Our son’s autism diagnosis. Even though we knew in our hearts he was autistic, hearing it from the specialist was still like a massive punch in the gut and it really shook us. We had to completely change how we were parenting him. However 6 years on from that day, he is thriving at school (his class are brilliant with him), practicing for his grade 2 piano exams and is generally a kind, happy, cheeky child. He is 10 today so he finally gets the digital alarm clock he has been asking for since June.
BookFanatic 11 months ago
Discovering the term "asexual." I spent 44 years thinking I was broken, utterly baffled when my friends would enthuse about their sex lives and experiences. Like, what was wrong with me? Nothing. Not a damn thing. So, so reassuring.
Donald 11 months ago
My best friends suicide 4 years ago. He shot himself a week before my birthday and it still feels raw in the weeks leading up to it. I would give anything to talk to him one more time and tell him that I love him, even if the outcome was the same it would bring some semblance of peace.
Trisec Tebeakesse 11 months ago
June 19, 2012. Went to the ER with self-diagnosed appendicitis. My doctor was actually suitably impressed. Woke up four days later missing half my colon and a stage III cancer diagnosis. A year of chemo; two years to get back to an acceptable state of living. So - that's a pretty clear line to the before time. Twelve years on, I still have lingering aftereffects. But it beats the alternative.
Rocket Surgeon 11 months ago
Getting Divorced. I decided then and there to never fall in love on a whim again. Now I've been married for 3 years to a woman I've been in love with for 15 years.
You May Like People Are Sharing The Things They'd Learned Too Late In Life, And These 51 Ones Are Eye-Opening 120 Life Is Short Quotes To Learn To Be In The Moment People Share 94 Things To Do While Young To Avoid Regrets In The Future
Viktorija Ošikaitė
Aivaras Kaziukonis
Eligijus Sinkunas
Related on Bored Panda
