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" 
How To Ruin Your Entire Life: 35 Scary And Sobering Stories Shared By People Online
Interview With Author
It just takes a few quick scrolls through the week’s news to see how an entire life can be ruined in the blink of an eye. Sometimes it’s because of a bad decision. Other times, someone was in the wrong place at the wrong time. We read about people being maimed in freak accidents, dozens dying in unexpected attacks, or once-respected figures being suddenly locked up for crimes they were caught committing.
Yet, as much as we read about these tragedies and wasted lives, we often don’t think it’ll happen to us. And we hope nothing bad will ever happen to those we know. Someone was pondering this the other day, and decided to ask “What did someone you know do that ruined their entire life?” Hundreds of people came to the comments to share their stories, and Bored Panda has collected the most hard-hitting ones. Keep scrolling for some tragic and sobering reminders of just how precious life is, and how quickly things can change. We also had a very brief chat with the person who posed the original question.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
I know a lot of people who ruined their lives by having children. They ruined their children's lives also.
Bettye McKee 1 month ago
I am in favor of children but so many children have hellish childhoods with parents who should never have had children.
RELATED:
#2
She began doing d***s, which caused an underlying psychotic disorder to surface full force. She quit substances 2 months ago tho, and is doing better mentally with medication and help.
The person in question is me.
#3
A friend I made in my neighborhood when we were really young had a really troubled home life. He started drinking young and when he was 18 he was driving his friends back from a party, drunk, crashed the car and k*lled all 5 of his passengers, 2 of whom were his childhood best friends and 1 his girlfriend. He survived and got life in prison. He k*lled himself in his cell about 8 years later.
angelmomoffour62 1 month ago
Mÿ husband and 2 young sons of mine were killed by a drunk driver. So I know first hand the grief. It even killed our dog. Drunk driving is 100% preventable. Yes most times the DD either lives or doesn't get hurt. My life was forever changed that day. I was given a life sentence.
We all have random thoughts. Sometimes while we’re in the shower, sometimes while gazing into space, and sometimes even in the middle of doing something super important. Often we just let these thoughts run around in our minds, maybe we have a back-and-forth conversation with ourselves, pondering whatever strange thing popped into our head a few moments earlier.
r/RandomThoughts is exactly as the name suggests. A place on the internet where you can share your random thoughts with more than 809,000 strangers, many of whom will offer up their own answers to that niggling question that made its way into your mind. “Random Thoughts,” reads the page. “Unbeckoned, they pop into your head.”
#4
Got caught in a sting operation trying to have a rendezvous with what he thought was a 15 year old girl. His wife and kids weren’t too happy. Neither were his superiors in the military.
Michael Largey 1 month ago (edited)
One of my male high school classmates got caught exactly the same way with a 14 year old girl. He was a urologist and lost his medical license. Plot twist - back in high school he was openly gay.
#5
My best friend had to choose between saving his wife or unborn child, during a medical emergency. He chose his wife.
Both survived thankfully, but the decision f****d him up so badly he turned to alcohol. Lost his job, wife (although she still loved him, but understandably she couldn't be with him) and in August last year he died.
Such a sad ending for something that couldn't be helped.
Greyling Streets 1 month ago
I think turning to alcohol was actually the wrong decision in this story.
#6
She went back to her physically and mentally abusive ex-boyfriend to drink with him one last time before they parted ways because she never did like to leave any relationship, platonic or otherwise, on bad terms. It ended in a m*rder-s**cide. She was just a couple months short of her 20th birthday.
When someone called u/Fancy-Advice-2793 recently had a random thought, they decided to post it in the community. “What did someone you know do that ruined their entire life?” asked the Redditor. And hundreds of answers followed…
We reached out to the poster to delve a bit deeper into their mind and find out more about what was happening when that particular thought occurred. We wanted to know what prompted the question, whether they were surprised or shocked by any of the replies, if they personally know anyone who has ruined their life, and whether the thread or any of the answers have made them think differently about life...
#7
I took d***s and ran around on a roof. Then i fall down from 15meters, now paralyzed and using a wheelchair for the rest of my life. 9 years ago.
#8
Knew a guy who I saw get into a bar fight and when the other guy was down on the floor, he kicked him square in the temple with his steel toed cowboy boot and k*llled him. We jumped on him and held him until the cops came. Currently doing life in the state pen.
Bettye McKee 1 month ago
Bar fights often become deadly. When you're drunk, inhibitions and rules go out the window.
#9
I discovered the existence of social media...
DaisyBee 1 month ago
I deleted all social media in 2022, and never looked back (idk if boredpanda counts tho). I’ve been so much happier and not as stressed out. I worried I’d feel a sense of being out of the loop, but the absolute rot that is on social media nowadays reminds me that I’m not missing anything at all. Whenever I feel the urge to download one again, I watch the social dilemma on Netflix 🤣
While the person behind the question was kind enough to reply to our request for an interview, they weren't too keen on saying a lot. And of course, we didn't want to push them or pry any further.
What we did manage to find out was that the person had decided to pose the question because they were curious to know whether anyone had "lost everything" due to gambling or using illegal substances. "Some of the answers aren't shocking," they said, citing the fact that illicit substances and gambling "ruin lives."
When we asked whether they were willing to answer any of the other questions we'd put forward, they replied, "Not really, unfortunately."
#10
My husband was out one night with his work colleagues. They were at a bar, having fun and stayed out late. His boss used the valet to park his brand new really expensive BMW. For whatever reason or another, the valet and my husband‘s boss got into an altercation. My husband‘s boss is a 6’7 Kenyon who for a long period of his life was a professional rugby player for Kenya. The valet driver was maybe 5’5 and just an average person. My husband‘s boss told the valet driver to meet him outside so that they can finish their altercation in a street fight, he turned to walk towards the door of the restaurant, and the valet driver pulled brass knuckles out of his pocket and bashed his skull in. He was in a coma for months. He’s now paraplegic cannot speak. Cannot feed himself. And lives in an assisted living facility.
#11
A guy, who worked maintance at the hotel i worked at, tried to ambush and m**der his wife (who was filing for divorce). He stabbed her four times, but she survived. He is currently in prison.
#12
Guy I know got drunk with his brother one night and they were screwing around and he climbed the ladder on one of those electrical transformer towers , got too close to the cables and the arc fried him. He fell about 60 feet (was already dead though) and his brother watched the whole thing happen. He tried to perform CPR or whatever but it was no use, apparently his glasses and clothes melted to his skin too. From what I understand his brother struggled with alcoholism before that happened and I can only imagine its worse now.
Kitty Smith 1 month ago
This might have been his rock bottom wake up call. Good god I hope I never go through this.
While the person wasn't comfortable discussing the topic any further, their post did result in an extensive thread of very eye-opening, sobering, and at times, sad and tragic true stories. Many serve as a reminder that we only have one life. We should live each day like it's our last. Do the things that make us happy. But at the same time, be careful, gentle and not reckless.
Feel free to go to the comments below and share your own stories of how someone ruined their life in the blink of an eye. Or tell us how these posts have left you feeling, and whether you look at life any differently after scrolling through them.
#13
My step dad. He was more like my real dead and raised me. He had a midlife crisis, divorced my mom out of nowhere, started dating someone my age, they broke up and he became a closet alcoholic and it gave him cirrhosis and pancreatic cancer that he never told anyone about and never got treated- he died on Father’s Day.
Before all of that he was the VP at a successful tech company and was the brightest, funniest, most talented person I ever knew.
#14
My uncle forced his child (my cousin) at 13years old to help him m*rder a woman that lived next door to them.
#15
I knew a guy who wanted to be a navy seal his whole life
Did everything he had to do to look good for the program
Joined up, went thru basic and all the other requirements to qualify for seal training, I mean years of work
Got drunk in Guam on a training detail and beat his Commanding Officers a*s when he tried to get him to return to barracks
Dishonorable discharge before he even finished training.
Feel free to go to the comments below, and share your own stories of how someone you know ruined their life in the blink of an eye. Or tell us how these posts have left you feeling, and whether you look at life any differently after scrolling through them.
#16
Woman I know seemingly happily married with kids.Her husband was a really stand up guy. She met a man in a bar ( her husband was there with her) and she fell completely head over heels for this other guy just like that. Within minutes her marriage was over. Long story short the other guy turned out to be a real bag of do do. He was a very charming man and everyone liked him but he was secretly a drunk, a thief and a mega manipulator. Over time she lost everything including her health.
Pandaodboredem22 1 month ago
I like that AI thought the post was referring a stand up comedian 😂
#17
A month ago, I read a female Redditor who shared about how her life completely changed for the worst after getting a facial injection‼️It wrecked her nerves and now her condition is permanent and she regrets horribly and she is more miserable than ever.
I know it’s not funny but seriously, all of it comes with major risks and be careful what you wish for 🤷🏻♀️.
#18
Texting and driving. She died. There was a whole creepy thing around town cause the way they know she was texting was an intact phone found in the wreckage with a message half typed out in the middle of a sentence saying she was X minutes away and something she wanted to do with them when she got there. Creepy s**t.
#19
Guy had it made with corporate sugar mama. He took care of the kids, and could travel the world and do mostly what he wanted. Cheated with multiple women, and ended up getting one pregnant. Lost his wife, friends, kids hated him. Last I heard he was living in a basement, working odd jobs.
His ex-wife has recovered, feels sorry for him and will invite him to holidays.
#20
Drinking with depression. My brother sh*t himself. Now he's on my shelf in a container.
Sky Render 1 month ago
Apparently defecating in one's pants makes you fit in a container on a shelf now. Or perhaps that was needless censorship that had multiple words that it could have meant. We may never know, but I like the first option better.
#21
Knew a lad who had the maintenance contract for multiple franchises of a large, well known take away/fast food chain.
He made a small fortune doing little more than just making phone calls. Threw it all away by having an affair with on me of the franchisee's wives, his wife found out, left him, took their son, then he stole 40k from the wife of the franchisee, and got banged up in prison. F*****g idiot.
#22
Please read through the whole thing before judging.
While I was recovering from a surgery, I stayed at a relative's house and a stray cat used to come there everyday. One day it stopped. I became mental and searched for it but could never find it.
So I adopted a kitten once I recovered and returned home.
I have a personality disorder and was raised with no communication with animals and have barely seen anyone having a pet. So after I adopted a kitten, I would beat myself up if I couldn't rescue any kittens I would see anywhere. So I started rescuing. I'm not equipped to do it. Instead of trying to manage stuff, I took loans to feed them.
The cats didn't even stay and despite my best attempts at keeping them indoors and spending money spaying and neutering them, a lot of them ran away. So I'm in deep debt and without a steady job. I made the mistake of relying on the loans.
Edit: I don't regret rescuing any of those kittens. I don't live in the kind of place where there are shelters and people are aware of species appropriate diet and stuff. So even the kind hearted people don't feed them properly or care that much. I only regret relying on the loans without caring about the long term issues it could cause.
Bartlet for world domination 1 month ago
I would take out a loan for the cat in the picture, though. I'd probably name it Not The Actual Cat.
#23
There is a judge in my state that after about 1 year into her term, got recorded doing a racist rant saying the n word and ended up having to resign. It became world news and she was absolutely dragged through the mud. People still don’t want to be associated with her. There is also a prosecutor that was taking kick backs from people doing pretrial diversion programs. The fbi tapped his phone and raided the DA’s office. Now he’s been federally indicted and faces many years in federal prison.
#24
Bought an expensive house with a mortgage they couldn't really afford.
Sky Render 1 month ago
That happened to a LOT of people in the US during the subprime mortgage crisis of the mid-aughts.
#25
A guy who was on the track to the perfect life. He was a prefect when I was in like 7th grade and we were on our annual music ensemble rehearsal getaway. The upper choir which he was part of had their own little house which had a glass ceiling.
On the third night my room in the main house was woken up because of the commotion going on outside. Abulances, teachers and other students all in PJs and confused.
Turns out the prefect got drunk with a few friends, then climbed onto the glass ceiling and crashed through it.
He had permanent nerve damage, got sued and had this dream job refused (working for the police).
So, don't drink and climb around on glass ceilings 🙃.
#26
A lot of sad stuff in these comments. i'm gonna keep it light. i used to work with a teen that got "F**K YOU" tattooed on his knuckles.
#29
Have kids with the wrong man. Oh, and do no research about the chances of having more autistic children after the first. Or research on autism. All of my aunt’s kids have high levels of autism.
and for some reason, she fell pregnant recently and wanted to keep it (she is not in a comfortable position). The universe said no; she miscarried.
Love her, but watching her willingly make choices that ruin her life is just... exhausting. can't help but pity her kids who are definitely not receiving enough care for their autism (like therapies, established routines, etc.).
Chris the Bobcat 1 month ago
I get it, but as someone with autism, I wish people would quit making it sound like a fvcking death sentence. There are plenty of us out there who lead good and satisfying lives.
#30
My ex used to be an elite basketball player. Had the chance to play for the country. Too bad I lost him to d***s.
#31
My mother birthed me. That was the beginning of the end.
Sky Render 1 month ago
Pesky mortality, why must you be a curse upon 100% of things that are born?
#32
My youngest brother got clean from m*th after his girlfriend had their son. They got married. She, on the other hand, couldn't kick the habit and eventually pulled him back in. One night, apparently his m*th was laced with something and he went off about her second baby being a "demon baby". It got heated and he grabbed a decorative sword to shoo her away and it scratched her stomach (literally a scratch). Police arrived and arrested him. She did not want to press charges but the judge gave him 5 years in prison. He was given no leniency and did the full time. That second baby... Let's just say, she looked nothing like him, including skin color.
#33
It isn't always a big dramatic event. I've seen a lot of people have terrible lives because they are in denial, arrogant, or stubborn. Unwillingness to even think change is possible makes people not evolve and live gets more complex with time, usually, so they can't adapt and become more and more unhappy. And it can be a totally solvable problem! But if you refuse to engage with it or put full effort into fixing yourself? It will be a problem forever.
Depressed Lesbian(she/they/he) 1 month ago
As a person suffering from depression and trying to recover from self harm that’s getting worse- don’t do it, even if you’re curious. One day, you’re staring at the knife longingly, and before you know it, you have too many lines in your skin. Anything else healthy- read, bike, watch a show, call a friend. It will destroy you, and it quickly becomes habit.
#34
A mate of mine tried to stop a guy attacking their girlfriend.
He got stabbed in the groin and bled out.
#35
The most basic answer probably. D***s.
What do you think ?
Amy Lee 1 month ago
I'm surprised gambling isn't on the list. This is becoming a huge problem with the betting companies being able to advertise during all sorts of sports games. The target is always clearly young men.
Offbeat Quinoa 4 weeks ago
I watch a couple “live tv” channels on Amazon prime, so I get commercials, and 9/10 of them are betting apps. It feels like those kind of games are everywhere all of a sudden.
Load More Replies... Depressed Lesbian(she/they/he) 1 month ago
I’m so surprised self harm isn’t here. I still suffer from it, and I try to get help, but some days, it doesn’t feel worth it. It’s easier to get help when you’ve just started than when you crave the burning feeling. In a way, I think it’s easier to get addicted to- it’s free, and it’s infinite. Don’t do it- no one desserves the pain I’ve put myself through. No matter what you think, you deserve to feel happy and comfortable in your skin. If you are suffering, tell someone. Anyone. Don’t bottle it up and let it consume you like I have. It’ll destroy you.
LakotaWolf (she/her) 4 weeks ago
I think there probably were posts talking about self-harm on the original Reddit thread that BP skimmed these posts from, but the BP author(s) chose not to post any of them. I honestly don't understand sometimes how they choose which comments to add to their listicles. But - I completely agree with you about self-harm. I suffer from it myself as well - no one in my family understands the "why": sometimes focusing on the pain is the only thing that shuts my brain up and stops the bad thoughts and feelings, if only for a bit. I do an unusual form for some reason - I rip at my toes until they're a bloody mess, and sometimes rip at my heels/soles of my feet until they're shredded and bleeding - and then it hurts to walk for days (good times.) I do worry I'll get an infection in one of the open wounds at some point - but "knowing" the risks doesn't mean one can "just stop" self-harming. I hope you're doing as well as you can be, my friend. <3
Boop the Snoot. Pound the Paw. 1 month ago
A Venn diagram including d***s, alcohol, lack of good judgement, lack of self control - particularly related to anger and sex - and hubris could diagram every one of the situations on this list.
Amy Lee 1 month ago
I'm surprised gambling isn't on the list. This is becoming a huge problem with the betting companies being able to advertise during all sorts of sports games. The target is always clearly young men.
Offbeat Quinoa 4 weeks ago
I watch a couple “live tv” channels on Amazon prime, so I get commercials, and 9/10 of them are betting apps. It feels like those kind of games are everywhere all of a sudden.
Load More Replies... Depressed Lesbian(she/they/he) 1 month ago
I’m so surprised self harm isn’t here. I still suffer from it, and I try to get help, but some days, it doesn’t feel worth it. It’s easier to get help when you’ve just started than when you crave the burning feeling. In a way, I think it’s easier to get addicted to- it’s free, and it’s infinite. Don’t do it- no one desserves the pain I’ve put myself through. No matter what you think, you deserve to feel happy and comfortable in your skin. If you are suffering, tell someone. Anyone. Don’t bottle it up and let it consume you like I have. It’ll destroy you.
LakotaWolf (she/her) 4 weeks ago
I think there probably were posts talking about self-harm on the original Reddit thread that BP skimmed these posts from, but the BP author(s) chose not to post any of them. I honestly don't understand sometimes how they choose which comments to add to their listicles. But - I completely agree with you about self-harm. I suffer from it myself as well - no one in my family understands the "why": sometimes focusing on the pain is the only thing that shuts my brain up and stops the bad thoughts and feelings, if only for a bit. I do an unusual form for some reason - I rip at my toes until they're a bloody mess, and sometimes rip at my heels/soles of my feet until they're shredded and bleeding - and then it hurts to walk for days (good times.) I do worry I'll get an infection in one of the open wounds at some point - but "knowing" the risks doesn't mean one can "just stop" self-harming. I hope you're doing as well as you can be, my friend. <3
Boop the Snoot. Pound the Paw. 1 month ago
A Venn diagram including d***s, alcohol, lack of good judgement, lack of self control - particularly related to anger and sex - and hubris could diagram every one of the situations on this list.
You May Like These 2-Sentence Horror Stories Will Send Shivers Down Your Spine 35 Rich People Who Proved They Don't Understand How The Real World Works “I Feel So Grown Up”: 40 "Old Person" Habits People Laughed At Until They Tried Them
Inga Korolkovaite
Mantas Kačerauskas
Mindaugas Balčiauskas
Related on Bored Panda
![Dad Of Two Asks, “Am I The [Jerk] For Leaving My Date At The Bar After She Insulted My Kids?”](https://www.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/bar-kids-date_wide-Cover-67d277766e3ca.jpg)
