This 19-year-old man turned to one Reddit community after the entire world as he knew it felt like it was collapsing.

In an unexpected course of events, the young man discovered that his older sister Rose, with whom he grew up in an adoptive family, was not who he believed she was.

It all started when one day, “my friend offered me to take a DNA test to find some information about my heritage, since my sister wouldn’t speak of them much.” Among some interesting things the author discovered was the fact that he had an aunt with whom he agreed to meet.

When the two met up, the missing dots began connecting.

This 19-year-old is at a total loss after discovering his older sister was not who he thought she was

Image credits: Christian Erfurt (not the actual photo)

Image credits: Mufid Majnun (not the actual photo)

“The search for self is a very normative human experience,” a psychologist says about people who are in search of their biological origins

Image credits: Kelly Sikkema (not the actual photo)

With more people using commercial genetic tests to find family members and learn more about their DNA, turns out stories like this one are more common than we’d expect.

Psychologists argue that searching for one’s biological origins is a typical urge, and a deep desire to know about genetic history does not indicate that a person is rejecting the family that raised him or her. David Brodzinsky, Ph.D., a professor emeritus of clinical and developmental psychology at Rutgers University in New Jersey, believes that “the search for self is a very normative human experience.”

For biological parents, particularly those who gave children up for adoption, reunification often relieves guilt, uncertainty and what can be deep scars over the decision, Brodzinsky says. “It helps them to resolve what has been a really complicated bereavement process for them,” he says.

At-home DNA testing, which has been getting very popular lately, can reveal family secrets that nobody prepares you for

Image credits: Christin Hume (not the actual photo)

But while at-home DNA testing is easy and speedy, which is what makes it so appealing, the family secrets that emerge as a result of them can cause great emotional distress. New relatives, hidden stories and unexpected turns of fate can fall down on a person a little too suddenly—in a click of a mouse.

Psychologists say that in most cases, it’s better to talk to relatives and caregivers you can trust before you get the information you weren’t prepared for.

The 19-year-old later added this quick update

In a second edit, the author clarified some information about the whole situation

Image credits: Priscilla Du Preez (not the actual photo)

The author later added this update

Image source: MyLifeAreABrokenMess

And this is what people had to comment about this whole story

Some people questioned the credibility of the story

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