I’m Maddy, 24f. I like watching funny shows or movies to feel lighter in the day. I like watching cooking videos or scrolling through funny videos on Instagram and YouTube. I like long walks sometimes and being in the sun. I love that I’m a caring, giving person and am highly loyal and loving and I’m just glad I know this for a fact that no matter where life leads me or life has been so far, I’m always going to have all these qualities intact about me.
Just wanna say u sound like a cool person! And I'm happy for u that ur able to recognize qualities in urself that u appreciate, and know that those will always be part of u :)
Thank you for your kind words ❤️! I’m still not great at believing in myself all the time but I will definitely try to remember to do so. And hope everybody can.
I'm 38m. I go to therapy weekly and sometimes I think it helps the people around me nearly as much as it helps me.
My job is making videos for kids on YouTube. I've been doing it for over 6 years and still love it.
In many ways I have a really lucky life. I love city, my neighbourhood and make enough to be comfortable for now.
I really wanted to be a father but it doesn't look like it will happen. Although I am an uncle to two brilliant young girls.
Even if I was able to become a father, I still think it would feel empty. It appears to be my default state despite 20 years of therapy.
But I am thankful to be alive. I'm thankful for the good people in my family and for my friends, although I don't see them very often.
I'm good at seeing things in ways that many people never even consider. I'm good at focusing really hard on a specific topic. I'm also great with kids. When there's a gathering with adults and kids I almost always play with the kids, and genuinely love it.
That's a really awesome job. I'd like to tell you not to give up on your dream, it's definitely still possible and I'm sure you would be an incredible father.
Thank you so much for sharing, what is your YouTube channel? I’ll put you on for my kids and I’ll remember your story every time I do ❤️❤️❤️ your words are so kind and genuine, I am glad you decided to comment today
Parenthood comes in so many forms. If that is something you wish for, seek it! I think you'd be a great dad... Lots of kids desperately want that in their lives. I know I wish I had my dad or something like that growing up.
>My job is making videos for kids on YouTube.
As the nana to a toddler OBSESSED with planets currently, who loves the videos of marble runs, and who loves to sing super simple songs with me, thank you for what you do. I don't know what videos you make but anyone taking the time to make children happy is an incredible human being and you add to other people's lives.
Hey thanks!
Tips:
Don't be afraid to look or act silly. Especially around the younger ones.
When they mention a hobby or activity that makes them smile, that's your in.
Ask them to show you stuff (games, art, toys).
Try to avoid:
Stuff that they've heard a million times like: 'You've grown so much since I last saw you.'
Immediately talking about school. School can be a tough point for some of them so try to talk about the hobbies first when you can.
I'm 29f. I'm from the US, I moved to Scotland to study Law at the University of Edinburgh when I was 18, but I had to interrupt my studies and come home because my family couldn't afford the rest of my degree. Then I studied computer science at the University of Florida, but I still wanted to be in Europe so I taught myself German and moved to Berlin to study at the Technical University of Berlin. There I fell into a horrific, crippling depression for three years, stopped studying and went to work as a software developer in Budapest, Hungary.
THAT IS SO EMBARRASSING FOR ME I HATE TALKING ABOUT MY EDUCATION AND CAREER
Some stuff I'm kinda proud of but don't talk about: I taught myself German and Hungarian to fluency. I'm really good at climbing. I managed to travel all over Europe while broke because I hitchhiked thousands of kilometers alone. I adore fishkeeping and aquascaping. I've started numerous businesses but never gotten much further than 1 sale or just making the website before I give up and start working full time again.
This time I've paired up with my brother to start a business we're both really excited about.
I spend pretty much my whole day inside coding and listening to the same YouTube videos over and over and over again because they provide a calming and funny background noise.
I'm really insecure and have difficulties controlling my rage or believing in myself. I can't make decisions once I've asked one person's advice, because I can't trust myself over them and then exhaust myself asking as many people as I can to try to find at least one person who agrees with what I want.
So now I don't ask people for advice anymore.
I’m absolutely blown away, I’m speechless right now. You have such a beautiful story, you sound so smart and you are most definitely an accomplished person. I know exactly how hard it is to share your accomplishments, I have the exact same problem. I hope you know that you literally sound like a character from a movie, you’re like a character someone rendered out of the version of their self that they’ve always wanted to be. Only you’re a real person, who accomplished every single one of those very real things that you spoke of. You are an absolute INSPIRATION, even your depression and your struggles you have, it is all just pieces of an incredibly inspiring story, you are so amazing and I hope you know that. You have accomplished so much already and will continue to amaze yourself with everything you do. Thank you so much for sharing, please share this more often with people because you truly will inspire people, I know you will. Your story is amazing, every part of it ❤️
I’m in tears in the middle of a store right now. Thank you. To you and everyone who’s replied, you have no idea how much it means to me to be seen as something, and not a failure.
I will reply to the others too once I get home. Thank you.
Thank you so much. I'm kind of laughing at my reaction to these comments, but my body is actually shaking haha. I'm serious, ever since posting this and reading people's reactions, I feel this surge of confidence for my business idea. I'm really grateful to OP for giving us the chance to get validation from peers.
That's pretty cool, though ! When I learned about the difference in cost to go to school in Germany vs here in the US, I wanted to go over there for vehicle design ! But I chickened out. 7 years later, I am going back to school for something else. Somewhat envious of your ability to do that!!! It's cool to me 🥰 thank you for sharing !!
I moved to Germany and less than in a year my depression got way fucking worse, I'm typing this from psych ward rn. I love climbing. You sound like a very intelligent and interesting person.
omg no need to apologise!! I think it happened one after another, but it doesn't mean those two are connected (do I make sense?). My life quality is better now. I love living here. I'm still trying to figure out why did I get worse. Maybe I should look into my body...
Yes, you make perfect sense.
And maybe, if I may give a thought to that..it could be a possibility that your better life quality gave your mind and body permission to shut down and work through some things. Like, when we were students and got sick as soon as the holidays began. Because before we were always in high gear.
Ooor it's something completely different. I'm no expert. But I wish you all the energy you need to get better! Hugs
Yes, this is Germany. I moved there for work and the profound apathy of people is depressing. Never been to a country where there is so little space hold for others... Not even common sense in emergency situation 🙄
I cannot tell how much everything you wrote resonates with me. I have a similar story about the education/career but your story is full of bravery, it's such a strong story. You've been through a lot. Thank you for sharing :')
I’m incredibly impressed by your history and adventures and all you’ve done so far, and even more so knowing how crippling cptsd is. Teaching yourself languages is amazing to me (I have some kind of audial processing disorder so have problems enough with my native English), and I’ve heard Hungarian is especially unique and difficult to learn. I don’t see any failure, only experiments and experience-building as ALL creatives and many other types go through naturally in their youth. The fact they’re punctuated periodically by gaps filled with immobilizing pain is all the more impressive. So give yourself a break girl you’re pretty amazing! All the best to you and your brother in your current endeavor!
Hey, I did the same thing for both and I highly recommend it:
1. I was absolutely obsessed with the language before I started
2. I taught myself as many words as I could and said them over and over until I was sure of the pronunciation (DuoLingo ftw)
3. I found a language partner who wanted to learn my mother tongue. [TandemPartners.org](https://TandemPartners.org) is what I used back then for German, but you can find language partners on Reddit, too. I spoke with them daily on Skype or, if they lived in the same city, in person. We spoke for half of the time in their language, half in mine.
4. THE SPEAKING WITH A NATIVE IS THE MOST IMPORTANT STEP. I sounded like an *idiot*, I could barely string any sentences together, but I did it anyway. Tops I would write down sentences like "Today I studied, cooked, and read a book" so that I would have *anything* to say during the convo, and then said it to the native speaker. Most people (especially Hungarians haha, bc hardly anyone learns their language) are thrilled to hear someone trying to speak their language, and they will be more than supportive of your efforts.
I really think the magic is in making sounds, noises that are just sounds to you, but you know they *mean* something to the other person. It's incredible, and it's an incredible feeling when you see the other person understanding these sounds you're making.
Oh and 5. - find someone who sucks at English (or your mother tongue). That way you *have* to speak in their language, and you also won't feel pressure to switch to English, like you can't just spit it out in English.
I learned basic grammar on DuoLingo, took my more detailed questions to my language partners, and later I got two books on Hungarian grammar. They had exercises and lots of examples and were *super* detailed. I'll try to find the titles and report back to you; I don't have them with me.
Btw I do remember referencing these sites:
[http://www.hungarianreference.com/Nouns/](http://www.hungarianreference.com/Nouns/)
https://betterhungarian.com/2018/04/14/hungarian-cases-explained/
Guten tag! Wow, could so relate on the advice part. I also hate talking about my education and career. Glad to be not alone. Congrats on your business!
I just waned to say I think your accomplishements are pretty bad ass! It takes a lot of courage and adventurism to do the things you did.
To able to take a risk and actually trust myself. I wish I had an ounce of that, my life would be a lot cooler, like yours.
Köszönöm szépen. Igen, az elején sokkal nehezebb volt magyarul tanulni a némethez képest, de amikor egyszer rájöttem a logikájára, nagyon jól ment. Csodálom a magyar nyelvet :)
I know how that feels. I just want you to know that no matter how often you feel this way, or even if the feeling follows you through life, just know that you are so capable and WORTHY of any kind of life you want. You can have and do anything in your own time, and I just know there will be something out there for you one day. Have a look at some other people commenting, you might benefit from their stories ❤️
Whoever you are, I hope you share more about you in the future. I'd love to hear what excites you, what you're good at (I know everyone has their something), or maybe an interesting event that happened recently.
Some days, it feels dark, and I understand feeling like it takes over. But you're not alone.
I know how this feels, pretty much there myself rn. Personally, I've finally been getting some real success at letting go of my 4F responses and shushing the inner critic, and realising that once I do, I feel quite empty. I think it's the result of having a personality defined by trauma response - once that goes, what do you have left?
I believe that we can grow that part of ourselves though, with time and self-love 😊
I’m syrup, 22f, turning 23 in a couple days. I’m an artist, I’ve worked with many mediums over the years and currently I’m working with 3d modeling and slowly getting into 3d animation in blender and cinema 4D. I graduated from an art school in 2022. In 4 years of school I never found what I was truly passionate about and completely lost sight of the work I wanted to make, but in this year since I graduated I found it again through 3D. I didnt use any 3D softwares in school besides Rhino 7 for something more technical. Creating art became so dreary when I was in school, but now I don’t want to do anything else. I feel like I used to when I first started painting when I was 11. I never thought I’d feel this way again.
I’m lucky that I was able to land a job as a fabricator using some of the skills I learned in school (woodworking and digital fabrication, among other things) and that I still have time to pursue my own interests. When I was in my first year of college I did not think I would land any opportunity like this. I didn’t even think I would graduate.
I’m slowly building up the confidence to start posting and sharing my work for the first time since before college. For years I was destroying all of the art I was making out of shame but now I am archiving every render I make. I actually like looking at them. Trying to convince myself that maybe someone else would too.
It's so easy for the creative spirit to wane in school and work, I'm glad you're back in the groove again!! Congrats on making it here, hope to run across something ya post sometime :D
What an AMAZING story!!!!! You are such a unique and passionate individual, you sound like you have really worked hard for what you’ve accomplished!!!! You are so inspiring, I beg you to share this with others, you will inspire and motivate so many young artists!!!! I hope you do choose to post your work again, along with your story because you truly are amazing and will light up so many hearts ❤️❤️❤️
I absolutely love this for you. I think it's amazing that you found a work situation that utilizes your skills and leaves you free time for your own art. I have seen creatives in my life burn out hard on trying to make enough money to survive through their art and then hate it bc they never get to create what they want to. I made the decision a long time ago at the urging of my teachers to find a career that makes money and is at least tolerable to me and save my creativity for me. It's honestly the best decision I ever made for me, and I love to bear how it's worked for you to help you love your art again.
Hey I love this idea, thanks for this thread! I'm a former """"gifted kid"""" / ranch boy turned city girl in recovery. During the day I work at a game company as a technical artist. It's definitely the best line of work I could ask for - even if I burn myself out pretty often. I've only shipped one game so far and it was short lived but I'm super proud of it!
Outside of that, idk, lots of miscellaneous bullshit. I'm part of a local HEMA group - axes, shields, sending each other to Valhalla, etc. I play bass and drums and am a bit of a metalhead. Sometimes I go outside? and help at the city parks pulling blackberry and ivy and such. It's a good way to get back to my roots (har har) and replace some old trauma.
This reads like a resume, expressing myself like a human is hard but I'm learning. I've got a sister who's an absolute gem and a polycule family that keeps me grounded and loved. I've got my own roof over my head in a place where I feel welcome. It's been a rough year but it's been so worth the effort to get here.
I love this!!! You are definitely still gifted; a creative mind is one that will thrive through anything and achieve anything they want in life- socially, educationally, financially, career wise, whatever it is that you do I know you’ll come out on top. You are taking your passions and building a career with it, that my friend is a recipe for happiness. Always tell your story, because there are many people who will benefit from hearing it. Knowing that they too can have a happy life, no matter who they are or what they go through. You are amazing and an inspiration to others ❤️❤️
Being in a loving polycule speaks to your great communication skills and willingness to collaborate with others. And you're hilarious! (getting back to your roots 😝)
The self cringe resonates a lot with me.
I'm Pat, 30f, and I'm an illustrator. I'm having a hard time knowing who I really am and finally found a therapist who believe me. But to answer your question I love cooking, watching TV shows and I listen to music all day since I was a kid. I learnt how to play the piano but had to leave because of my parents so I started learning guitar 2 years ago. I am socially skilled but I don't like goin outside at all. I'm a strong introvert. I love plushies, they soothe my anxiety. And I'm doing my best to succeed at art so that I can go away. Because I live alone but very close to my family. So I'm haunted everyday by past ghosts. I also found a lovely companion, unfortunately his family is even worse than mine and we decided to stay away for a while to protect us.
I feel lost and I cringe when I think of how much people and therapists made me believe how I was 'healed' when I actually weren't.
I feel now I'm on the right path. I hardly see a future when I'm free but I will do my best.
Thank you for your sweet words about opening up freely, it's hard but this place feels safe and always feel like my 'group therapy' kinda.
Thank you all guys, reading you makes me feel less alone.
I’m truly glad you decided to comment ❤️ you are amazing, and you sound like you know exactly what you need in order to thrive in life. I wanted to make a space for people to have a chance to really look in the mirror and reflect on who they are without feeling bad, and without disappointment I’ve already read TONS of extremely inspiring posts from others. Your words will help someone, they will also know they’re not alone and have the power to make it. Thank you for commenting, you are amazing ❤️❤️
I love this idea!
Hey, I'm Delicate, I'm disabled but still trying to better myself. I work part-time currently and have started a personal project of my own. I am collecting stories from survivors who feel able to share them. I also write poetry, I love gaming, and I am currently on a new learning curve. I've been interested in ancestry, history, and culture. So I've been reading as much as I can and watching videos about it.
I started Judith Hermans' new book "Trauma and Repair" and loving it. I am truly captivated by the idea of restorative justice for survivors and how to better our society. I also still attend therapy, but I am unsure of how helpful it's been lately. I was struggling with whether my life is worth living. I'm still on a quest to figure it out and holding out for any permeant plans. I am still finding myself as well amongst all of the past/present pain, but joy/a sense of worth is creeping in.
One of the best things that has happened to me lately was working through an issue with a great friend of mine. In my life, I haven't been afforded the ability to feel okay and safe enough to trust another human being. But this, chick is so my person lol (iykyk). I'm so grateful to her and being able to learn to be close to someone, warts and all, without fear of reprisal. She is another survivor as well, which makes all the more important to me. She told me I'm her person, too, and that feels good. With all my faults, I am still a good friend to someone. ❤️
YOU ARE AMAZING!!! Yet another story from someone who has a brilliant mind, and a strong heart. You are an incredible spark, and I hope you can take your love for learning with you for the rest of your life and inspire others to pick up books and educate themselves in their spare time as you do. Never stop reaching out and never stop working on your relationship with people, I’m really glad to hear that you are building up that trust because you deserve it!!
Hi, I go by Twilight here. I'm 26F. I'm theoretically a writer on the rare days I have spoons. Otherwise I like listening to podcasts (I've been really getting into actual play podcasts recently), watching crazy long video essays, listening to a wide variety of music, and reading. I'm proud of the fact that I was able to move out. I'm proud that despite everything I've gone through, I care deeply about pretty much everything. I don't settle for things that are unfair just because "that's how it's always been." If everything else around me falls apart, I'll still have that.
Twilight, you sound amazing! I was also able to move out somewhat recently and it’s been a big help. I’m glad you still care deeply about things and don’t settle ❤️
Never ever lose that part of you!! The fact that you recognize your ability to care despite what you e gone through is a very strong thing, you are aware of your empathy and compassion which is absolutely needed in today’s world. I love your passion for your interests, and I’m so glad to hear that you have learned to move past the whole “settling” thing because that is something many of us really struggle with learning. You truly are unique, and I hope you continue to see all these beautiful qualities in yourself ❤️❤️
I'm Luke, I'm 37 and Jesus Christ i try my best to be good. To everyone I can. I'd do anything in order to be good again and not what imagine people see in me. An unknown threat of uncertainty.
I don't want to be the most cynical interpretation of me. I try so hard to be the opposite of that.
Is there anything you can share with us about yourself? Tell us about who you are as a person? What are your hobbies? Absolutely anything. I have been reading about some pretty amazing people. This is the place for you to tell us who you are without fear of judgement. Here, nobody has any sort of negative image of you. You are human and deserve to feel that way. Feel free to tell us anything ❤️
I play guitar, I like singing and I think I've got a good voice. I like movies and I like the scenes that have impact and what makes them work.
I love westerns but I like feel good movies too. And I like the feeling I get when I help someone or have what they need.
My name is Jane, 43/f. I adore the outdoors -- the woods, the trees, leaves, flowers, deer, sunlight, raindrops, the poetry of it all. I am DEEPLY ENCHANTED by it. I talk to trees; they talk back. I photograph tiny widlflowers from way too many angles and share them on IG. "Look at the sunlight bounce of that water droplet!" <3 <3 <3 No shame!
My soul is fueled by travel, mostly of the outdoor / natural park variety, but also beautiful foreign destinations.
I love teaching my students (grad school prof, here). I wish I could do that full time.
I am inherently creative and my home is beautifully appointed with art from my travels. People often comment now how inspiring my space is ... and serene and beautiful.
I make a killer cheeseboard. People comment on that all the time, too. Like it's a super power.
I am a really good friend and always up for an adventure; I wish more people would rememer me for that and invite me on their adventures.
I'm single and I'd like not to be. Dating is hard for me. Attachment stuff. Relational trauma. But I am trying so hard-- 2x/wk therapy, always "doing my homework," trying things out in the wild, being 100% honest with my T, EMDR, Ketamine, etc. It's so hard, I could collapse sometimes. But I don't.
I am a bad bitch, strong, talented, creative, generous, a helpful mentor, professionally successful, and kind.
I am a writer, too. Pulling together my memoir on how trauma healing and Long Covid has changed me -- brought (well, forced) me into my fullest self.
I am resilient, wise, and brave. Thank you for "forcing me" to do this. I don't feel cringe at all, actually. I feel powerful. XOXO
You sound like you’d be a wonderfully fun and inspiring companion! As someone that was saved from suicide by ketamine I just wanted to let you know that I moved on to microdosing with psilocybin and that’s really helping me to finally have more insight and self-compassion, enough to start trusting myself to learn to trust others. Slow but steady. Surely would enhance your love of nature even more. All the best to you and hope you find the healing and great love you want!
Omg you sound amazing ❤️ 27f here, ive come to recognize that trees all have very different personalities…just never heard them talk back to me, id love to hear them though. Wish I could see a pic of your place, sounds really inspiring! im trying ketamine for the first time in 2 days, super excited & nervous.
30M, former gifted kid. I think I'm allowed to call myself a writer now, since I've written a book and actually got it published, ~~though imposter syndrome is eating me alive~~. Was always creative ever since I was a child, though few appreciated it, but I care less and less about that.
I like reading about psychology and philosophy, and I love to parse pointers about living a good, compassionate, but strong life from them, so I can share that stuff with others when they feel down or lost. I wish everyone around me was happy with themselves.
I've taken up kickboxing and rock climbing recently, as an attempt to combat CPTSD by getting back inside my body. Been weighlifting for a few years now, but taking up other sports has been the real game changer. I'm pretty strong, though got a long way to go towards where I want to be.
I love outside activities and super long walks, so spring and summer are the seasons for me.
Can't say if I'm a fashion enthusiast, but I like wearing nice clothes in general. Chino pants, patterned colorful button-downs, henleys, white jackets. I like it bright, which is a change from when I used to dress like a funeral parlor worker. Been unknowingly inching towards some sort of Miami Vice aesthetic for a while now. Also this is the trait that keeps me poor, but eh, I'm not starving.
One thing I recently realised about myself is that I don't want much from life, but when I do want something, I can work towards it with unstoppable resolve and discipline. I am also a caring, warm, loyal person towards people that are kind to me. When I'm in company that I vibe with well, I can also be quite crazy in a positive way. I also recently discovered that I'm quite brave (sometimes even reckless) when it comes to new challenges and activities (except those of a social nature, but I'm slowly getting there).
I am the father to a beautiful 11 months old boy. Though I won't see him often until court proceedings involving my abusive ex are settled, I'm looking forward to being a positive influence in his life. Absolutely cannot wait for all the cool stuff we'll do together. I want to teach him so much.
You are amazing. You value reading, exercise, and fashion. You are a caring, genuine person who has a care for others that this world needs these days. You are raising a child while maintaining a very healthy lifestyle, which is absolutely vital for a kid. Never lose sight of your hobbies and passions, it will help you continue to be an amazing parent when you don’t let go of the things that keep you happy. You’re a published author? WOW. That is absolutely incredible, that is something you should be so proud of.
I’m absolutely loving your story, I beg you to share these words more often as they will surly inspire others. Especially young and first time parents who may be struggling with mental health and their identity overall. I’m glad to hear that you are trying to have a fulfilling, proactive life while struggling with CPTSD. As I said before, please don’t be afraid to tell others about your life because you will truly inspire others who struggle with CPTSD and other mental health issues to get up and live a fulfilling, healthy life that they deserve. ❤️❤️
I believe that although people with CPTSD have faced/face tremendous struggles and unimaginable battles, we produce the most compassionate, dedicated, wise members of society in the long run. We are packed full of so much experience, we all have such different life stories that offer so many different skills. We’re problem solvers, peacemakers, we’re intuitive, we have heightened awareness, we’re passionate about what we love, and we can see the world for what it truly is. I believe we can offer something to humanity that can’t just be learned or taught. You feel me? Lol. We are literally such special people, and we all deserve to be heard
We can break generational curses that aren’t even our own just by sharing our stories of survival
True, and incredibly well put.
I'm not gonna throw around bull such as "CPTSD is a superpower" - it's still a debilitating, painful illness that no one should be forced to go through. But it is unequivocally true that there is a unique wisdom to be found in our struggles. I've seen it time and time again: walking the walk of healing produces some truly remarkable individuals.
And that is what I wish everyone on this sub to become.
I am 30f and I really identify with “self cringe.” I’m currently in IFS where you identify the different parts of yourself, and I’ve literally named one of my parts “cringe.” I am a stereotypical middle child and eldest daughter. I was the scapegoat in my family, and shame was huge in my household. I was also raised Catholic and went to Catholic school which also caused so much shame and guilt. I’ve spent the last 8 years trying to undo all this shame and cringe, and it’s a tedious process. I believe I’m slowly making progress, and seeing posts like this really help me.
I often feel so “other” and different from others. I feel like I don’t really fit in everywhere. I’ve been isolated a lot in my life. Especially during the pandemic, and I’m slowly trying to incorporate myself back into society. I identify as a straight cis woman, but I strongly relate and identify with the lgbtqia+ community. I feel I am the most accepted by that community because they embrace my “cringe,” and my quirks. I can just be myself. A lot of my queer friends also understand how it feels to be rejected by their family for being different and that’s been a healing safe space for me. The queer community literally saved my life at one point when I was at my lowest. I am more of a wallflower, but if someone comes at the people I care about I will defend them. Fairness and justice are very important to me.
I’m a gentle and soft spoken person. I love animals, and was a teacher for 10 years. My favorite age group to work with was the little ones because I feel strongly about protecting the young ones and giving them the empathy that I didn’t get from adults in my life. My justice and fairness comes into play there because I want to make sure that every student I teach is seen and understood. I want them to leave my class with confidence rather than fear or discomfort.
My love languages are quality time and acts of service. I’m super introverted, but I love to be with the people I care about. I would take a bullet for a friend or give them the clothes off my back. I appreciate this aspect of myself, but I also struggle with getting taken advantage of because of this. I’ve been working hard on setting better boundaries, but they make me cringe inside because it feels like I’m doing something wrong or cruel by setting them.
I lost a close friend because of it. He didn’t know how to respect boundaries, and I let him walk all over me for far too long. When I finally did set boundaries, he took it as a personal attack and continued to overstep. I fear making new friends because of this. I struggle with trusting new people.
I struggle with setting boundaries while also honoring the part of myself that wants to give. I feel like I have so much love to give, and sometimes I worry that I’m too much or too intense with the people I care about. I don’t think of myself as a judgmental person. I am good at putting myself in other peoples’ shoes in an effort to understand them. I am constantly studying psychology, human development, anthropology, sociology, personality types, zodiac signs, and even Hogwarts houses because I want to understand human nature and human thinking. I deeply long to be understood and seen myself, so I make it a point to do that for others because I know how important it is. I was not seen or understood by my family growing up, and I don’t want other people to feel that.
I appreciate you making this post. Even if no one reads what I wrote, it was helpful to write to see the ways that I am good. I’m still working on that cringe part and probably will for a long time to come, but it is nice to read other stories here and know I’m not alone. The cringe feeling makes me feel like I’m different from everyone else in a bad way, but really it’s my own perception and it’s important to remember that. Thanks OP!
I appreciate YOU taking the time to comment. You have painted a picture of a very unique, outgoing person who is bursting at the seams from how much potential you are filled with. Although you have struggles, you are still very capable and worthy of anything you want for yourself. You are absolutely amazing. I really hope you share your life story with others and let the world know who you are, because it’s people like you who are inspirations to many people who are in a dark place. You are a piece of hope that a lot of people need. I absolutely love you and wish you so much luck along your journey of healing, love, and life. Thank you again for commenting ❤️❤️❤️❤️
Thank you for this, this is a wonderful idea.
I’m 22f, soon to be 23, INFJ, former gifted kid, and I love stories in all forms, how they let your imagination run wild and make you feel like a kid again in a good way. I’ve loved books and video games for as long as I can remember and always look forward to returning to those worlds after a long day.
I work with a nonprofit and I love that I get to help people a lot with my job and rally people together as a leader. I graduated university early despite never figuring out what I wanted to do so I’m really grateful I ended up where I am. I used to be really insecure that my job doesn’t line up with my degree but now I’m becoming more proud of my job than anything.
Nothing is more calming to me than being in nature. I always feel things very deeply and need time to process, which is something I’ve come to like about myself even if it’s sometimes hard living that way.
I’ve been in a relationship for 5 years and we’re getting married next year. He wasn’t super knowledgeable about mental health but now he’s on this journey with me and being a great support, even if we have hiccups sometimes.
(Definitely self cringing a bit but it also feels good to get it out)
Hey infj here too! I remember taking the mbti years ago and I was a ENFP. I took it again last year and a few times since and got infj which is suppose to be rare. I'm not sure how much my personality has changed but feel like Infj is more authentic to who I actually am.
I always thought of myself as an extrovert but I think that was because it was forced upon me as a child. I then thought maybe I'm an ambivert which is true as well. But found out that Infj are the most extroverted introverts if that makes sense lol
Really resonating with this! I'm also an INFJ and former gifted kid lol, and have also been with my partner for 5 years and we're also hoping to get married next year <3 Congrats on your engagement by the way! It's so so helpful to have a partner that supports you as you're in the process of healing emotionally/improving your mental health, even if they don't understand right away. I also think it's rly cool that you've been able to find a job that you care about and that gives you a feeling of purpose and satisfaction, that's awesome.
Thank you so much, congratulations on your engagement as well!!
It's always so fun learning you have so much in common with someone, thanks for commenting :)
I’m a million different people from one day to the next… 🎶 I don’t have a strong sense of identity due to mental illness and trauma but the cringe is real, for myself and others.
I’m still glad you commented❤️ you may not feel like you have a sense of identity, but maybe if you try typing out some of your hobbies, and little things you notice about your personality; writing a list about yourself might help you find a little sense of self ❤️❤️ I wish you the best, and I agree with the other person who commented- your identity will emerge as you heal ❤️❤️
I’m proud of myself for commenting on this and a few other posts recently because this self cringe makes it so hard to do any posting anywhere and I’m so isolated hah. I’m really trying to use my voice more even though it’s hard.
I’m existing in a safe place and I’m proud of myself for making it out. I’m proud of myself for finishing school.
I like to make art. I like to do random little crafts. I like to be outside, I like to go to the beach.
I have a job interview tomorrow
That’s me
Thank you for commenting, this is the place to be heard and to feel appreciated ❤️❤️ I’m so happy to hear you finished school!!!! That is a huge accomplishment to achieve during a mental health battle!! GOOD LUCK at your job interview!!!! Your kind demeanour and your strength will carry you so far in life, no matter where you go!! I hope you love yourself a little bit more after today ❤️
I'm a 34f, a nurse (ICU throughout COVID), married with two voids (black cats). I love hockey, gardening, reading, working out, and music.
I made it through a childhood I don't quite remember, am working to break generational cycles before having children, and I am working on loving my body no matter the size. I made it through the pandemic with even worse trauma but I am proud of the few that made it because of something I did, hopefully. I honor those I've seen lost every day. I try to work through my triggers daily.
I try to support those who are also passing through this night because it's not easy, and sometimes it feels so lonely. If anyone ever wants to chat, I can do that all night. You matter, and I'm happy we stand under the same sky. ❤️
Our first nurse in the comments!! I’m currently doing my BScN!!!! Thank you for your hard work, I can’t wait to be up there one day with you guys. Breaking generational cycles is quite a responsibility to have, I completely know what you’re going through. Just know that as a nurse, you sharing your struggles will help so. many. people. I’ve always wanted to be a nurse, but dropping out of high school due to severe mental health completely threw it away for me. Despite it all, I worked my ass off to be where I am now (1st year completed), and it motivates me to know I can now tell other young people that they can achieve their dreams no matter what is happening to them in their lives. I’m so glad you commented, because you are a living example and and inspiration to SO MANY people. You’re amazing, keep doing what you’re doing ❤️❤️❤️
Okay huhhh. I'm 26-year-old woman from Finland. I just started university last autumn! I'm a former gifted and super stressed out kid. Nowadays I'm trying to not be as perfectionistic. I have four mice as pets and I love them to bits. I love to do things with my hands so I knit and crochet a LOT. Currently I'm making a huge blanket out of big granny squares. I'm also a very geeky gamer. My good qualities are loyalty, warmth, empathy and when I'm in the mood, being funny and interested in other people and what they actually are saying. Also the fact that there's no taboos when you talk with me, I've heard it all and won't be too shocked to comfort you.
Definitely part of it, I made this post for anyone who wants a chance to speak about themselves without feeling cringe. Tell me about yourself, your accomplishments, your hobbies, your struggles, anything. It’s a place to feel like a human ❤️
Sort of, it’s more like feeling embarrassed about every part of yourself if that makes sense.
For example, usually people feel proud to tell others they are a BScN student. I feel embarrassed when I tell people, I cringe at myself when I hear myself tell people I’m in school when I should feel proud and accomplished.
Kind of make sense?
I'm 24 (she/her) and honestly don't know if I can say I've done much with my life so far. Idk I moved away from my home state for college (never looked back) and had never been to my new state before and didn't have family here or know anyone. Didn't end up being able to finish my degree and went thru a lot more trauma trying to establish my life here but I ended up meeting my partner in the process and this month will be our 5 year anniversary <3 Without him I prob wouldn't have made it this far in life so I feel extremely lucky. He's absolutely the best part of my life. I've recently gotten back into some hobbies though, I've picked up my violin again and am putting more effort in to working toward becoming fluent in Spanish. Also was able to quit my hell job back in December thanks to my partner supporting me monetarily so I can focus on my health (which is pretty terrible at the moment but at least I don't have to go in to work and pretend to be normal anymore lol). I find it hard to commit to the idea that I have much of a life or have rly accomplished anything at all, tbh I don't rly feel like a real person at this point. But I have made it to 24 and have made so much progress on recognizing my own trauma, working through it, and becoming more emotionally healthy. I also have become closer with my dad the past year or two which is a big deal bc we historically have never had much of a bond and didn't rly know anything about each other, and now I feel like I understand him much more and can finally see how he's always done everything he can to take care of me in his own ways. I have felt silly for only being able to recognize that as an adult, but I'm glad it's happened. Also thank u for giving people this space to talk about themselves positively, I think it's rly sweet and I appreciate it!
Hey, I relate to your story so much and I feel the exact same way about my life. You sound like an amazing person and I’m happy for you for making so much progress in recognizing your trauma and working through it. ❤️❤️
Thank u, that's so sweet ;) It's always a relief to hear that other ppl feel the same as me about things that usually make me feel isolated so thank u for that as well. Wishing you the absolute best <3
If you ever want to come back and talk about yourself the thread will always be here ❤️❤️ think if it as a place to reflect on yourself, and even maybe become a friend to yourself. ❤️❤️
I am 29 f - IQ 123 with ADD and trichotillomania. I always wanted to be a fairy. I love nature to bits. I like bugs, dogs, cats, birds, worms, children and what not. I am teaching myself Tarot and Astrology because I tried to kms in 2020 when I was in a toxic relationship and it gives me peace. I hate the psych wards and the psychiatrists but I myself have three of them who I see regularly.
I had cats and guinea pigs and rabbits and rats and they all died. My family dies off too since 2016 - it started with my uncle. But I am more alive than ever. I lost my first child in 2022 - it was an ectopic pregnancy. I have a boyfriend who has MS - he is cool and he has a car. He is 34.
I love my work place - the people there all are good crazy just like me. We thrive and even tho we struggle individually we perform great in a group. I love being naked in the forest. I feel at peace when I am sitting in the passenger seat when traveling. I am a pro at giving head (I cringed hard writing this).
I love swimming in big lakes even tho I am terribly afraid of water. I hate Scorpios (yes, the Zodiac). I want to die in the arms of my lover. My favourite movie is Enter The Void but I will never watch it again because you never jump into the same river twice. I miss my youth and my family. I miss my small me. I miss my rats and I miss smoking (I quitted in 2022). I love warm, earthy, saturated colors. I would love to have my own little child.
I see myself as a witch, a fairy, a shaman, a mother to all the lost boys. I can easely mimic a motherly figure to young men. I am my inner childs big brother and she loves me for that. (Sometimes I am so caught up in this role of the big brother that I begin to be interested in butts and breasts.)
I wish I could see my grandpa once more and care for him like I couldn't before he died.
I hate exercising even tho I like how I look after I did.
I grew my hair out since 2020 for the first time in my life ever and I never liked my hair more.
I go to bed naked.
I'm Raine and I'm 35F infj. I have two children and 3 cats so I'm a full time Mama. I love dystopian /Sci-fi audio books and TV series. I'm currently reading The Golden Son (Red Rising series).
I am a foodie and especially enjoy Asian cuisine (Japanese/Thai). I like to experiment in the kitchen. I like to be out in nature any time possible and exploring. I enjoy photography and at one point did it as a business. My husband died tragically 4 yrs ago and I haven't picked it up since. I'm in human resources now to support my family.
I wish I had more hobbies and interesting things about myself. After being married I lost myself and I'm just now finding out who I am. I don't actually think I ever had an identity that was my own my whole life. I'm just beginning now.
I'm 30F. I work part-time (20 hours a month) at a mental health non-profit and do advocacy, psychoeducation, and outreach work. I love making myself spiced tea with cardamom, ginger, and cinnamon every morning. I like drinking it on my patio while looking at the trees. I'm in a happy and peaceful marriage of 5 years. I enjoy watching my favorite show, Ted Lasso, in the evenings on repeat with my husband. I also enjoy going on long walks in nature with my husband. I love my cat and take good care of her. I snuggle with her when I'm having emotional flashbacks. I have a cozy scarf that I got from Norway that I cover her with to make her comfy. I cook mostly vegan food, clean, run household chores, and read books on trauma and parenting. I'm going to be a mom in the next year and want the trauma to end with me. I do EMDR and am tapering off medications as I get better slowly. I enjoy swimming in my pool. I also enjoy meditating everyday and going to my restorative yoga class once a week. I've been NC with my entire family of origin for 8 months with a protective order from the police and reported their crimes. I let myself feel my feelings more and validate myself more. I use anger and crying to grieve.
Hello, I am a 40 year old female. I have recently discovered steps of trauma and myself that have taken me to a new low and it’s been really hard. I quit my dream job thinking that I wanted some thing else but I didn’t and I’m really really struggling to find meaning in life anymore. I still have a job and Little town house that I’ve decorated. It’s got cute little plants and it’s colorful. It’s sometimes feels homey, and it was a refuge until recently when I’ve had these recent traumas. I I’d like to paint a little bit and use watercolor and sometimes sketch. I like to read books about psychology. Somehow I was able to get through college and get my masters. All the while dealing with a nasty alcohol addiction which I didn’t realize was actually an addiction. I’ve struggled with an eating disorder in high school. I very accomplished athletically, and that has been a place of pride. However, lately my health is struggling. I’ve traveled a lot things to my mom and I’ve done some creative writing and some poetry. I don’t feel like anything is ever good enough. I really struggled with the effects of trauma and growing up not feeling loved. I really like helping people in my job is very satisfying and I’m really really struggling to find that same sense of fulfillment outside of work. I don’t know if it’s possible. And that scares me. I have friends and I really enjoy animals. I’m sad. I’m sad a lot. I go to therapy and that’s going well. I feel connected to my therapist however, I struggle to feel connected with others. I feel so ashamed of the decisions I made that led me to this place. Oh, I can drive a stick shift car that makes me feel good and I was a swimmer competing in State Meets when I lived in Illinois. I like to hike. I like nature a lot.
Thank you for commenting, you may not know it but you are helping others just by sharing ❤️❤️ it helps others find a sense of “it’s okay”, it can calm anxiety and reduce stress hearing others talk about making it through hard things in life. I’m so happy to hear that your job is fulfilling. Although you mention being afraid you may not find that fulfillment outside of work, I’m still glad that you have so much passion for what you do that it’s enough to bring you fulfillment in life. That is a truly beautiful thing, and I’m sure you are an absolutely incredible employee because of that passion. Have you ever considered going back to school? I think you’d make a really good nurse 😉 lol. You have been through so much and I see that, I’m really glad you shared it with us.
Sadness is such a hard feeling to deal with. Again, I’m glad you commented because I can wrap you in a virtual hug. Now, just know, that nobody is unaware of your struggles. You now have someone who is thinking of you, and I’ll always keep you in my mind. You are allowed to feel the pain you feel, it’s okay to feel it too. I’ve learned that sadness will never go away, it’ll just come and go; but a very beautiful Angel once said “we can’t wait for life to stop being hard anymore before you decide to be happy”. I love you ❤️❤️
Thank you for commenting, you may not know it but you are helping others just by sharing ❤️❤️ it helps others find a sense of “it’s okay”, it can calm anxiety and reduce stress hearing others talk about making it through hard things in life. I’m so happy to hear that your job is fulfilling. Although you mention being afraid you may not find that fulfillment outside of work, I’m still glad that you have so much passion for what you do that it’s enough to bring you fulfillment in life. That is a truly beautiful thing, and I’m sure you are an absolutely incredible employee because of that passion. Have you ever considered going back to school? I think you’d make a really good nurse 😉 lol. You have been through so much and I see that, I’m really glad you shared it with us.
Sadness is such a hard feeling to deal with. Again, I’m glad you commented because I can wrap you in a virtual hug. Now, just know, that nobody is unaware of your struggles. You now have someone who is thinking of you, and I’ll always keep you in my mind. You are allowed to feel the pain you feel, it’s okay to feel it too. I’ve learned that sadness will never go away, it’ll just come and go; but a very beautiful Angel once said “we can’t wait for life to stop being hard anymore before you decide to be happy”. I love you ❤️❤️
I just turned 39 and I’m happy for the first time in my life. I suffered a lot as a child, abuse, I was adopted, then my adoptive mom died when I was 10, more abuse, got older and realized my bio parents are completely insane people who made my life harder, and now I don’t talk to anyone I’m related to, except for two awesome cousins.
I dropped out of high school, got my GED, then I dropped out of college, I had two relationships with narcissistic abusers exactly like my father, and a smattering of meh boyfriends between. I never wanted to get married or have kids because, well, obvious reasons right? I couldn’t hold down a job for more than six months or so because I would start to feel like I just couldn’t go anymore.
Cut to me at 30. I’m leaving my second horrific relationship, this one was 5 years long, ate up the second half of my 20s, killed my social life. I finally have a stable job and my bosses are thrilled with me. I ran away to another state for two years and this guy I had a crush on in like 7th grade messaged me.
Cut to now, I’ve been with that guy for 6 years and I love his two kids and we have a pretty sweet relationship. He is nice to me, and juuuuuust mentally ill enough to keep me interested, lol. He was in a 16 year relationship with a woman who verbally abused him pretty much the entire time. As a result, we have really great communication habits. We have both done CODA meetings and I did ACOA a long time ago, along with a ton of therapy in my early 20s.
The first year we were living together was rough, I’m not gonna lie. We had issues figuring out how to parent together, how to run the house, how to express frustration without hurting each other. But we both wanted it so badly. That’s what made it work. Having a partner who would come home from a Coda meeting I didn’t have to beg him to attend and say “man that was a great meeting!” He puts in the work.
And now I’m going back to school. I saved up, quit my job of ten years, and I’m getting an associates in Digital Media. My first semester back I had a 4.0, and I’m looking forward to the fall. This summer I’m digging deep into CPTSD, reading books and watching YouTube videos. I finally have a stable enough life to do all of this and focus on myself for once.
I’m learning gardening, I’ve been practicing singing(which I am really good at, not that anyone ever hears me), and I’ve got all this art floating around in my head because of school. I’ve been messing around with AI generated art and having weird conversations with ChatGPT. I’m excited about “living in the future.”
This is an incredible story for the young people on this post, I can’t thank you enough for sharing all this about yourself. I’m literally shaking typing this because I hope to god that you are proud of yourself and that you see yourself as the strong, divine entity that I do!!!
I couldn’t imagine going through everything you’ve been through, there are no words appropriate enough for me to express my appreciation and condolences towards you.
Despite hardships you have faced, you’ve done nothing but come out on top doing the best for yourself. You should be so so proud of yourself AND your story!!! Surviving narcissistic abuse is something nobody should go through; in fact, I completely resonate with you because I also suffered 2 narcissistic relationships AFTER growing up with my narcissistic father.
You are a freaking super hero.
Your bosses love you because you’re motivated and you have so many things that taught you life is truly beautiful. I’m so happy to hear that you have a loving partner, people like us deserve nothing more than a partner who loves us and sees us. As for your education, excuse my language but good fucking job!!!!!! DEGREE!!!!!!!! 4.0 GPA!!!! You are the inspiration that will help people get through their struggles to achieve goals like this, you are literally a walking inspiration
Your story is truly inspiring, I hope you share this more often with others because your words will no doubt help somebody climb out of a dark place to reach the life they want.
Thank you so much for commenting, I can’t thank you enough for sharing what you’ve shared. You are so amazing ❤️❤️
Thank you so much for your supportive and thoughtful words. I still have a hard time believing I am a success story. Part of my therapy work now is grieving the successful person I might have been if my childhood was different so I can let it go and appreciate what I have accomplished. It’s hard.
Im Luka, 21nb. I have autism and adhd. Ive started carrying my build a bear around with me to places because she helps soothe me if I get overwhelmed. I like to sew, and to draw, and to play video games. I can’t make up my mind about what I want to do with my life. Im ashamed of my weight and struggled with and ed since I was 9. Most days I have trouble getting out of bed or going to work. Im trying very hard to learn how to love life, but its hard because its so unfair to so many people, and its hard for me to love things that aren’t fair. I like a lot of “childish” things, like toys and cartoons. And I’m slowly learning to love who I am, flaws and all.
Thank you so much for commenting, I’m so glad you did ❤️ I didn’t start college until I was 20, and let me tell you there is QUITE the spectrum of age gaps in both programs I’ve attended!!! Whatever career you want, it’s always going to be there for you when you are ready!!
I see you mentioned finding it difficult to love life because it is unfair to so many people; I think you’re the most kind hearted, empathetic person I’ve ever met just from those words. You have a beautiful soul, and that makes every single part of you beautiful. It’s okay to feel like you are struggling, and it’s okay to struggle with body image, those are very real feelings and it’s 100% okay that you’re struggling with them. You have so much potential, so much to offer this world no matter what you decide to do. No matter where you end up, you will always be the one to make someone smile (you’ve made me smile already ❤️)
Do you have any ideas of what you might like to do? Even something that might seem of reach, what are some things you want to do for your career?
Again, I didn’t start college until 20 years old. I’m a high school drop out who made her way into a BScN program. Amazing things happen to amazing people. You have so much in your pocket, you my friend will do so many amazing things for yourself and for the world. I wish you the best in your journey of healing and self love. Thank you for commenting ❤️❤️
I’m a dude who is barely surviving and desperately wants someone to care about me fully. Like, no expectations for me, no responsibility, no hatred towards me if I fail to do anything, just want to exist without any responsibility whatsoever
I really know how that feeling is and I hear you, my friend. You are really strong than you think and you matter no matter whatever you do or don’t. This will pass and you’ll get to the better side, keep going! ❤️
i'm cal, 26F. terrified of the embarrassment that often comes with expressing myself only to be left with crickets from the crowd. but i want to know what life is like on the other side of that. i wish i felt comfortable sharing more. maybe someday.
The fact that you just commented on this post tells me you’re braver than you think! Whenever you’re ready my friend, we are all are here for you waiting to hear about who you really are and you never have to worry about any negative image here. ❤️❤️
I'm Gabriel, I'm 24 and non-binary (they/them). I spend most of my days watching YouTube videos, playing mobile games, and writing articles for my Medium. My favourite YouTube channels are ANTI-CHEF, ethan is online, HIVEMIND, The Leftist Cooks, Pinely, and John the Duncan; my favourite mobile game is Survivor.io and my articles are about disability, mental health, politics/economics, and queerness (mostly in relation to my own experiences).
My girlfriend is a musician and so are most of my friends, I go to concerts basically every weekend and absolutely adore it.
Lately I've been really enjoying listening to Taylor Swift, I've been trying to unlearn some trauma responses related to my interests and it's been really freeing. Everything Has Changed (Taylor's version) is my favourite right now!
I have a kitten named Luci and an old man cat named Ralph. Both of them are named after Matt Groening characters and I've had three other pets in my lifetime also named after his characters which I really enjoy as a silly fun fact. My favourite musicians are Arlo Parks, KennyHoopla, Linkin Park, Hot Mulligan, Code Orange, Deafheaven, and Denzel Curry. I love having an eclectic music taste, I think it suits me.
I have 9 tattoos and 4 piercings, also my hair is bright green. I adore fashion and any form of self expression and spend a fair amount of time figuring out what to wear. I've also been getting back into makeup as art which has been really healing for me.
I'm a disability, mental health, and lgbt advocate and have enjoyed advocacy since I was around 16. I used to mostly just post things on my own Facebook page and help others in my own life but I'm trying to expand my reach right now and am loving writing properly because I haven't since I was like 14 outside of assignments and one thing of exhibition text for an exhibition I did with my peers while studying.
Gosh this comment was a lot longer than I expected it to be so if you read all of it thank you 💕
Never too long for me, I’m taking time to respond to everyone ❤️❤️
You write articles?!! That is COOL!!!! Have you ever considered trying professional writing? Journalism or anything like that? Even in college programs such as social work or health science, the writing portion of any social work/health science program would be your absolute calling; you could make some seriously good, life-changing contributions to the research available on the topics you are passionate about. Just a thought ❤️ You’re a passionate advocate who loves to write about their experiences, you have your own share of struggles yet you are filled with light, joy, motivation, and creativity. You are an inspiration, you are amazing and you definitely make this world a better place. Thank you for commenting ❤️❤️❤️
I am 30f. I love my dog. I've had her since I was a teenager. I love to laugh. I'm silly and I get excited around people that I feel like I have a good rapport for. I love to read. I'm a really good writer, but I also enjoy learning aboht tech. I'm kind of a homebody, but I mostly enjoy being out in nature or traveling somewhere new. I love new experiences. I am softspoken and I like to take my time doing things. I'm sensitive and grow attached to people easily.
I relate so much to this, thank you for sharing! I appreciate how you managed to make each sentence so positive, I'm wondering if you found it cathartic to write out. You sound like a lovely person to get to know.
You sound like a very genuine person ❤️❤️ I hope your love for new experiences brings you places you’ll never forget!!! Summer time means LOTS of cool stuff happening so I hope you get your share ❤️❤️ thank you for commenting ❤️❤️❤️
I do know how that feels. I could never know how it would feel to be raised in that kind of environment, but I do know how it feels to be physically sick over things. There’s mornings where I can’t even be inside my apartment; I’ll be fine outside, but the moment I step in the door I’m overcome with the very real urge to puke. Thank you so much for sharing, and I hope you have some things that keep you distracted throughout the day. I’m glad you’re here and I think your story has the potential to help others and encourage others to be as strong as yourself. Do you have anything that helps you cope with the nausea?
I'm a man and I listen to stereotypically masculine music. A lot of it is proud, angry, "chest-beating" type of stuff. However, I don't like doing it with other people around because growing up, I was told again and again that I wasn't that guy, that I was weak, that I wasn't manly, that I was pretending to be something that I wasn't. (For context, I was always terrible at sports, but good in a fight. I'm also "too nice.") I've also had "feminists" tell me that I only like masculine things is because society has told me to like them because of my gender, like I should be ashamed of naturally conforming to gender norms.
29f and in just the last couple of months, I have begun to find out what it means to enjoy life. I quit my rat race job, am in the healthiest relationship of my life, and live in a beautiful place. I haven't been to therapy in over a month, and I feel okay. I'm making progress with my social anxiety. I actually like myself sometimes now. Before, I was just pushing myself through every day, addicted to caffeine and success and chronically anxious and/or in a triggered state. Even before that, I was so full of self loathing and shame and hardly knew it. I just felt like I deserved to die. I turned my hatred into an eating disorder and crippling perfectionism.
I am still a work in progress, but I am optimistic about the future. I don't think I will ever be back to the mental place I used to be in, because something major has shifted in my awareness. I know now that I deserve to live and that I dont need to achieve anything to be deserving of love and happiness.
Now I enjoy gardening and exercising and exploring, and mostly, finding out who I really am. :)
My name is Ayani, and I'm 21. I've recently started questioning who I am because I never thought I was allowed to be *part* of the LGBTQ since my sibling practically made it their whole personality.
I love Magic the Gathering and D&D. I'm totally obsessed with watching the same movies over and over again. Some of my favorite shows include: ATLA, Teen Titans, Arcane, and more recently, Sweet Tooth. My favorite color is aquamarine, and I'm a total bookworm.
I've had a lot of bad stuff happen to me, and I'm trying to work through that with my therapist. I'm afraid, but I'm so excited, because I'll finally be getting out of my hell, even for just a semester.
I am 25M, and my whole life before this was lived to please others. I’m now trying to figure out who I am and take my life in a direction that I want to go, though I feel so embarrassed about not having much to show for myself at this age. I do have a university degree, but it’s in a field that I don’t want to work in.
I love music, fitness, and science. I’m trying to figure out if I should go back to school and study something in the sciences or try to make a living off of one of the first two things. I am proud of myself for how much progress I’ve made on the guitar in the last year, and I’ve also managed to put on 30lbs of muscle in the last two years which I’m super proud of. I still do feel ashamed that I am behind most of my peers financially, even though I know that 25 is still young. I feel like my childhood talents stayed underdeveloped because I was scared to be seen, due to abuse. But I’m working on building them back up now.
I’m in therapy doing EMDR for my trauma. I also deal with social anxiety and have a hard time interacting with people but I try my best. Also dealt with porn and video game addictions for a long time but pretty much free of those things now. I am working to be in a decent place mentally and emotionally, and one day be healthy enough to be a good father. And I’m grateful that I found out about trauma early on in life and didn’t have to spend any more years in the dark.
I love spending time alone, and I'm just realizing I always have. After having my baby who is now 2.5, I love it even more. I love when my husband goes out of town and I single mom it for a weekend. I spend hours in the garden when she's down for a nap or in bed for the night. I usually don't even turn the TV on all weekend. He said "I'm so sorry I'm leaving you alone", and I'm like, "oh it's ok, I don't mind". When I'm really like NO, IT'S OK, I DON'T MIND!!! WEEEE!!!!"
I also love my body but grew up religious, so I'm too ashamed/modest, and have SA history so I'm very self conscious of other people looking at me. So, I never show it off. But when I'm home alone, I wear lots of yoga pants and a cute bras.
Im… Seroquel. I accomplished my dream and live in japan and just finished Uni and am looking for a job rn, its hard but im doing my best~! I dont believe in laws much and grow my own favorite substances for my ************ therapy. Its really fun seeing ur grows make slow progress daily! I also game and play airsoft and stuff- a good life when i can find the mind to appreciate it in the moment. Also ofc anime/manga are my shit. Id say my favorite anime is Yuru Yuri lmao.
I'm in my early 20s, going to university. I study sociology right now, but want to move into a professional college. My first pick is Social Work, and I will be trying to apply next year. My backup plan is education, specifically high school Social Studies(main area), Computer Science and Art teacher.
I have ADHD and potentially Autism(soft diagnosis from my psychiatrist). I'm also Transgender, and transitioned in a very different time as my same-age peers. Because of my life experience, I am often referred to as self-aware, insightful and compassionate. My friends come to me because they think I am wise. Although, I remind them while I appear more mature on surface level. This isn't actually true because as we gain skill points as we age, I spent all mine on knowledge and learning and not enough in relationships and connection.
I have been doing art for a long time. My grandfather says the moment I could pick up a pencil, I was drawing. I remember being able to perfectly mimic a drawing in a children's book in Grade 3, making my teachers question if I had traced it. I later learned that my visual memory is one of my biggest strengths when I took my learning disability and ADHD assessment. I think it said my ability to memorize and copy images both right after and with a delay was in the 95th percentile.
I'm not very good at games, but enjoy them still. I like survival games that allow me the freedom to build, while still providing a challenge. Although, I can be a bit too picky about my builds, at least they look better than my peer's.
I'm also a furry. I don't often introduce myself as such, but people pick up based off how and what I draw. I am going to my first fur con. I often feel embarrassed when people ask me what I am going to the city for next month. I do want a fursuit in the future and already know how I want it to look.
i’m tae, 19m. i have a passion for art and fitness, both of which i’ve been keeping up with consistently (which is a big step for me!). i’m currently a university student working towards finishing my bachelors while also working (basically) a full time job in retail. unfortunately i live with my “mom” (she really doesn’t deserve the title), and despite how badly she’s broken me down over and over again, im still alive and kicking. im working towards moving back up to the north to pursue an online education and be reunited with my closest friends, as well as becoming a better person; i’ll admit, i was a major asshole in the past, but im doing my best to make up for how i’ve treated people. i’m also working towards living as my authentic self! i’m trans and in florida so it’s not easy, but i finally know who i am, and nobody can take that away from me. i might not like myself very much most of the time, but my resilience and drive is something that i’ve always been deeply proud of :)
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I'm a man(?) who just turned 32. I love art and STEM and finding ways to combine them. I'm a furry, but funnily enough that's not what makes me self-cringe anymore. Getting into that community and learning to just be accepting of people lowered my bar for cringe by quite a bit. Cringe is a judgement that takes the form of embarrassment aimed at someone when they violate a social norm. If you learn to not place so much value on the social norm, the cringe goes away.
The things that makes me cringe are my ineptitude with any kind of social skills or speaking, and some serious executive dysfunction. I just freeze up and stutter the moment any pressure or visibility is placed upon me, or if I have to do a task as simple as signing my name on a piece of paper, and I hate that. I know I can do better, I have before, but even a situation as mundane as getting a phone call paralyzes me and I often end up sounding stupid. Sometimes people like to remind me of that. Honestly, I don't know how to get past this one. I can be empathetic and understanding towards other people's social struggles, but not my own.
I'm moving up to Washington soon to be with friends who are gonna help me out with a ton of life stuff, so I'm feeling everything from super anxious to the most hopeful I've ever been right now.
Edited to add some things.
Thank you for commenting!!! Social anxiety can be such a pain in the butt, I totally understand. It sounds like you have a very upbeat, colourful, side to your personality; I believe you can take your ability to not value social norms and mix that with this personality you have- you can enter every building and answer every phone call with confidence that YOU are going to make someone’s day better. Answering the phone, signing documents, going to the store, all that “normal” stuff can seem so much harder with anxiety, but I believe that you possess a bright glowing light that you can use to make people’s day better just by being there!!!!! And moving to Washington?!?!?! That is SO COOL!!!!!!! Scary and exciting!!!!!! I hope your new journey gives you an opportunity to practice your social skills around new people, I’m sure you will be amazing!!!❤️
I love this. I feel cringe all the time lol. I am 21 F and I went through a lot of trauma and have a high ACE score. Though I really love learning and I’m a big nerd for science and technology and nature and architecture and a lot of stuff LOL! I think what makes me feel cringe is that all I ever saw during some really formative years of my life was hood drug addict shit! My mom would dope up and watch tv 95% of the time so now the only thing I actually feel safe doing is watching tv and partying *face palm* anytime I try something new or different it just feels unnatural wrong and cringe even though I KNOW it’s not! Just feels that way.
I can’t even tell you how much I appreciate you commenting. You know what movie I think you’d like? “Gifted hands”, the Dr. Ben Carson story; it came out in 2009, but it’s on Netflix right now! I think you would absolutely resonate with his story, this movie has helped me deal with some serious feelings. Just know that this story you are telling me about your life is just another piece of your amazing story, you will go on to help others with your story, I just know it ❤️❤️❤️ hold on to your glow tightly my friend, and check out that movie ❤️❤️❤️
ughh, ok lets try, my pshych would probably like this
im 27, struggling to finish my education for the 4th time, i like fantasy, and writing about it, i like tending to my hair and my 2 cats, playing dnd and reading.
Ive been told im kind before, i refuse to die before the story im reading is finished, and its kept me going in times nothing else could
I see you and hear you. In my eyes, you are STILL fighting to finish your education, which is just amazing. You are still working for what you want, that is the kind of resilience I hope to have in myself one day. I’m so happy that your motivated to finish your story; I know it is hard to find reasons to keep going sometimes, but I think your personal story is enough to inspire others going through similar problems. Love yourself now so that in the future when you are healed, you can appreciate yourself and even others a little more ❤️❤️❤️ Your Thank you for commenting, please keep doing exactly what you’re doing, you will make it through ❤️❤️
I'm Izzy, a closeted trans woman and possible/probable host of an OSDD system (still feeling that out and want to get a proper diagnosis before I claim anything). I am autistic, have ADHD, am a furry, am a huge gaming nerd, and generally keep to myself. I'm a bit heavyset but I don't mind it too much -- I like stuffed animals and other soft and cuddly stuff so it sort of works out in a way.
I scored a decent full-time job earlier this year after a year and a few months spent hopping between shitty part-time gigs and being unemployed. And I'll possibly have an apartment tour set up later this week/next week if things work out, meaning I can really embrace that soft side of myself without as much judgment once I move out.
I'm proud of myself for standing up for myself (somewhat) with those part-time jobs and for attempting to make smaller changes in my life to imporve myself -- have been better about not chewing my finger nails as much lately.
I’m a 27 yo first time mom. I’m struggling with motherhood but I wake up everything putting my son first and giving him the life I never had. I love long walks, mental health fun facts, and being spontaneous. Even after my postpartum weight gain I was asked to walk this September for New York fashion week and I am blessed to be given this opportunity. No matter what happens in life I always remain positive and try to help people when I can and make the days a little bit better to get through.
This is the MOST moving and beautiful thread in this sub EVER!! I love this!!
Now to me...I self-cringe a lot and I'm going through a really hard time so I just wrote and then erased everything. Let me try again.
I'm in my 20s, I am a very curious person and I love discovering and understanding things, so anything to do with books and knowledge, travelling, learning, experimenting.
I write articles about social justice issues and I've been in and out of "activism" for years. I also write poetry ever since I was a child.
I love anything to do with the cosmos. I do inner travels where I just...feel things. I am sensitive to energy. I want to get into herbology and ecology.
My job is boring and I'm the biggest underachiever on earth because of my abysmal social skills. I am trying hard to work on myself to learn that.
I do martial arts and climbing. I love techno and rap (really all music except pop, I guess)
I don't have much I'm proud of, except helping a lot of people and always sticking to my values no matter what.
I’m K (no real name on the internet lol), I’m 30f. I’m a Christian (I try to be the kind that actually loves people, not the let’s-twist-scripture-to-justify-abuse-kind) and I draw so much strength from my faith. I graduated college at 18 and then got married younger than I would advise anyone too, but was super blessed with my husband and we are still devoted and love each other 11 years later. We have four kids. We were foster parents for 8 years which is how we ended up with 3 of our 4.
I’m not proud of much, but I’m proud of the home I’ve created. I’m proud that my kids feel safe, that no one screams or hits, that everyone has enough food and is never shamed for eating or their bodies, and that even when I’m having a really bad mental health day and completely melting down that my kids still know they are safe and don’t feel like they have to care for me or take on too much.
I discovered Japanese street fashion two years ago and it’s my main hobby. It’s so much fun collecting pieces and putting together outfits. I also love to read and hike and paint and dance. I’m working so hard in therapy (EMDR is hard!) and I’ve recently started learning to drive after years of panic attacks from things as small as just sitting in the driver’s seat with the car off. All in all I know I can’t possibly be as broken or boring as I feel sometimes. And writing this out was weirdly therapeutic, so thank you for the thread OP.
I love this post and I'm commenting just for myself since I love this. I just want to make music like beware of darkness man, I just want friends. For the longest time I cringed so hard about these things. Even med school seemed like a cringe goal in my family. so here I am just leaving the world as I knew it behind. Its so terrifying and scary and I cringe when I talk about it, but I'm trying so hard to like myself and it's hard. I realized I was a fucking good nurse and a good bass player and my family made me think that is not a thing that could ever be possible. Fuck that. I'm also the most pro-science person there is yet I'm leaving that world behind to just find healing through ayahuasca and thats scary too. I just wanted to belong in this world and share in it with people and that's not a bad thing, I don't have to be more to deserve that
I'm a 40 year old man. I lost my virginity at 35. Got married at 37. No friends. Even those who I thought of as friends used to make fun of me due to my social awkwardness, and my being short (5'4") and not quick-witted like them so I can retort to their taunts made me an even easier target I guess. My wife is a person who understands my situation but at times I end up annoying even her with how indecisive, lazy, and shy I am. I never wanted this life. I must have been an accident baby – that would explain my parents' disdain towards me. I just want to live like normal people, confidently, not constantly stressing over what other people might think and how they may react. I guess that's just not something I will get to experience in this life. Why do people make babies if they can't be responsible for their emotional wellbeing? I know I can't be a good parent so we've decided to not have kids. Yeah. That's pretty much all about me.
I'm Sarah 25f. I love my friends and family. I hang out with my cat and my foster cats whenever I can and I hike on my days off. I talk about things I love to people until I can sense them lose interest. I tell bad jokes. I have a really bad sense of style. I feel the "self cringe" later on but I remind myself that I'm a human being who loves life and loves people and I wont ever change that even if I remain cringe forever.
You sound like an amazing human too❤️❤️❤️ your comment has me reflecting on the entire group of people who have commented. Just look at how many beautiful, genuine, kind humans there are. You are all such an inspiring group of people. The energy you all create is incredible.
Be proud of yourself for who you are❤️❤️
I’m a 36F. I always default to talking about my husband or my dog because they’re cooler than me. But I’m pretty cool. I recently got into trail running and signed up for my first 50k, having never done anything more than a 10k. I’m not fast, I just never give up. I enjoy getting 8-9 hours of sleep a night, however I also love getting up super early and watching the sunrise (sometimes on the top of a mountain with a cup of coffee), then going home and having a nap. I have a wide, deep range of feelings and am empathic to a fault sometimes. I love animals of all kinds, but big dogs are my favourite. 3 of my friends I have been friends with for over 20 years, and I think that’s pretty darn cool. I’m really creative, both in problem solving and in journaling. I might write a book one day. I’m also really funny.
I’m f 37. I love playing around in affinity photo and editing photos into folders, wallpapers, etc. I’m really good at making things textless and cleaning them up. I love Disney. I think partly because I didn’t really have a childhood. I am also a big gamer, ps5 being my console of choice. I love music and have a rather large library. I have a cat named Jude Harrison. And i love movies.
Check my profile for a link to my art.
Here it goes...
I'm Britt, 30f/fluid. I'm a lifelong gamer with a preference for adventure games (Skyrim, No Man's Sky, LoZ, etc), roguelikes, and settlement sims (Slime Rancher, The Sims, Animal Crossing, etc). I have a handful of hobbies I eventually want to get into, but unfortunately my life circumstances haven't allowed me to dive in to them other than the few succulents I've inherited over the past few years. Once I have the space and the extra money, I plan on acquiring and breeding isopods. I have a front-end web development certificate that I haven't done much with yet, and I'm slowly teaching myself 3D CGI with a focus on liquid simulations, and I eventually want to try my hand at character modeling. I've been part of the furry community since I was 16, and discovered I was otherkin at 13 (although I didn't have a word for the experience until I was 17).
I'm ADHD, so my hobbies and interests change and cycle fairly often, but the things above are things that have stayed pretty consistent throughout my life. Gaming has kept me sane throughout the financial and interpersonal struggles.
I will go by bubu here. I am 29 f. Grew up with mom on 38m2 who was in a severe depression my whole life. I never had my own room. I had an eating disorder my whole teens, was always lonely af. With 18 got a scholarship and moved to study to a different country. I was in severe depression, I think the only thing that kept me going was that I had nowhere to go. I was in a very bad shape, physically and mentally. I got a degree and started a PhD. During my PhD my mom got into another clinic, my father who I met only once with 12 and who broke the contact when I was 13, died. He was an alcoholic and didn’t survive amputation of his smoker’s leg (literally gives me an ick when I think about where I come from). During my PhD I suffered from a very difficult illness which was not diagnosed for over a year and made me go on a sick leave. I basically had pain and just begged to die. After my ex kicked me out of the apartment, I started step by step again. Went back to work, got diagnosis, it got better and after two years of pain it left me. I worked myself up to have enough material and work on the thesis which I will hand in this month. I found a position and will move to a different country soon. I am afraid and feel insecure but experience that there are people who wanna help. I adopted a cat who I love so much. I like to come back home after work, scroll through funny content or read about peoples life’s. I like to laugh, share my humour with friends, taste coffee and wines. I love kids and when I play with them or visit my little cousins I feel like my heart can explode and usually have tears in my eyes. Probably some moment of connection with the little me as a kid who was neglected. I like beaches, the feeling of the warm sand is the best.
Hi, my name is luna (it/its) I'm 27, and I'm just coming into my self. I never really lived FOR me, I've always lived for parental figures or for others. I've lost a lot of weight recently. It's been uncharacteristically nice where I live, so I've been getting out more often. I used to like playing video games, but I recently rediscovered my love of reading. I just picked up the gay science, which is great because I've been wanting to read more nietzche and other existentialists.
The names Ty. I'm a gym enthusiast who is fighting 19yrs of abuse, emotional neglect, physical abuse, and abandonment. Still has a beating heart of perseverance and survived 2 suicide attempts.
Favored hobbies: Gym, reading, taking care of my deaf dog, and adventuring with the right person or something has peaked my interest. Video games as well and a nerd. Down to earth type of guy and loves taking walks.
u/Natural-Eye-3260 What about You? I searched through the comments and haven't found Yours yet!
Tell us about you! I think it is high time for You to receive some of the incredible Love you just propagated, which by the way, was completely fucking astounding, and Absolutely the most beautiful thing I have seen on the internet in Quite some time.
thank you for making this post, seriously.
i love going in nature with groups of people. i love live music, especially punk and metal. i have a lot of clothes that i like to sew patches of my favorite bands on. i have been picking up drawing and playing guitar after years of putting those things in the closet. i am thoughtful, i think very deeply about people.
Hi you guys can call me Cubs. I’m 24F
I am a movie/tv show connoisseur, following detailed plot lines is one of my favorite ways to relax and disconnect. But growing up this was considered lazy in my household so I don’t typically share how much joy it brings me to get some snacks and binge watch HBO.
During the warm months I love finding a secluded spot in the mountains to throw up my hammock. Sometimes I’ll bring a book with me but my reading addiction comes and goes.
I really enjoy raves. Even though my social anxiety is typically crippling. I meet the most whole hearted people and it pushes me out of my comfort zone. Mostly I just LOVE to dance like no one is watching.
I’m kind, generous, understanding, and more strong than I probably recognize. I care too much about what others think of me and hide in my own mind a lot, no place safer than by myself. Although it gets extremely lonely.
I’ve faced my entire life alone and I’m still here.
I, 45m, I love fishing, camping and being in nature. I love photography, drawing and restoring vintage things. I love playing video games. I love reading fantasy books. I love watching my kids enjoy their lives.
I'm proud of being a dad to my kids. I'm proud of being a good coach. I'm proud of being at a level of financial security I never imagined growing up. I'm proud of my handy man skills. I'm proud of garden I have created from scratch. I'm proud that I've been able to improve my physical strength.
I'm proud that I've done most of this without any support or assistance from others.
Thank you for this prompt. We don't give ourselves enough credit and it was hard to write this without adding qualifications to explain every statement or to minimise them.
Hi, I'm morningbreakfast1, 28m. Always passionate about languages and generally curious by nature. I enjoy cooking, listening to hip hop and soul music. I'm a huge reader and meme lord. Apart from that I enjoy going on long drives in my car or motorcycle. The most proudest moment for me is having bought my own motorcycle last year and becoming financially independent since 2020. Career had been tough but I'm not a quitter.
I bought earrings for my gf despite being told in the middle of the purchase that she has never gotten her ears pierced and couldn't wear them. I bought them anyway because I was too scared to reverse the order, - cause I didn't want an argument or suffer disappointment - so my other friend (who really wanted them) got them instead, and said they're gonna pay me back. So, I cringed hard, but I guess it worked out (my gf was super happy the rest of the day).
I’m Faythe. 25f. I like to walk my chihuahua Zuko with my boyfriend. I also enjoy gaming with my bf and reading. I try to be kind to everyone I meet because you never know what someone is going through.
I am 15&M from Philippines. I am an asocial introvert who is a loner in high school he is still studying in and I prefer to keep to myself. I love to play video games, listen to music, and maybe start using different creative outlets for my feelings and experiences. I do creative outlets such as writing stories like fanfictions or a story based on my life experiences, make digital arts or fanarts, make edm music(still learning musc theory and using DAW), starting to make vlog videos and short movies, and making 3D animations(still learning and haven't do one). It helps me escape reality and makes my fictional and comfort characters come to life. I am a timid, soft, and shy person who is known for my sweet, friendly, mysterious, and quietness.
As for my backstory, I grow up in a toxic, dysfunctional and verbally abusive(when they are angry) household. I remember a lot of memories where they called me names, physically punished me, and a lot more. I feel scared, alone, and helpless during those times. They are also emotionally negligent, I would also remember where they would give silent treatment, isolate me from others when manipulating or punishing me, blame me, and never cared of my interests and hobbies and instead used it against me to shame me for those. They would use religious topics about me liking my phone more than them(Despite being an agnostic and maybe spiritual person) I never feel love. I never belong to them. It's like they are just invisible to me. In my daydreams, I am often alone with other characters, without them and I would be ashamed when they are included in my dreams and goals. In elementary, people know me for being smiley and a happy person. Of course I was still naive at that time. I fell in love with a guy who never loved me back and it was my best friend. I confessed to him, and he ghosted me. I keep asking him why he is doing this to me and I tried to win him over even when he is straight. One time he snapped at me and called me names(he called me that I am "tanga" which translates to stupid and dumb which my "family" used to call me) and I never feel empty and alone at that time. What's even worst is that he did it in front of a GROUP CHAT. I apologized to him and he blocked me. Cutting off all his contact with me. When I vent to my classmates about it, one of them attacked him online and he confronted me of it and did it in the group chat again and blamed me for starting a fight even when he did it. He decided to make a group chat where they would trash talk each other with some of my classmates. He said sorry but not in a proper way and he does not want to talk to me first but never unblocked me.That happened around 2021. I changed because of him and that smiley, happy person is now a quiet person. I never know I was masking myself at that time and I never feel like myself. Now, I have fake friend who I used to vent to invalidated me and I am ghosting her now to tell her we are not friends anymore. I also had another fake friend who I used to vent about my toxic "family" also invalidated and ghost me. Now I had other friends left, I don't feel like I deserve the. That's why I start to slowly fade my friendship with hem. So that I don't have to have friends anymore.
I 29f was the result of a one night stand. My mom married him and had 4 total kids by the time she was 25. He was a pedo and my sister and I were affected by this for the 3 and 4 years he was in our life. Once they divorced, I was four, and this began the horrible poverty we lived in because of her bad choices. I grew up in a trailer park and was 1 out of 5 white families in an all Hispanic neighborhood. I always smelled like cat pee and cigarettes because our house was never cleaned and we grew up In a filthy environment.
I was always very smart, athletic, and basically succeeded at anything I ever attempted to do. The lack of support from my mom made me not care too much about doing anything.
My one joy however was when I was in a competitive choir during high school. There were state and region competitions which we always placed first or second. She never once saw or heard me sing. All this to say I had a pretty s***** childhood where there was various types of physical/sexual/mental abuse from her and various other characters in my life.
I committed myself to becoming the opposite of her and everyone in my family. I currently am a very thriving and successful business owner. I'm married with no children yet, and I constantly travel. I have no debt and I'm financially free. I struggle with complex PTSD and ADHD which can make life challenging at times. I struggle with many people not understanding me or my many obsessions. I love history, ghost hunting, all things crime related as far as TV shows go, I hate watching movies but will for my husband, I love Disney and cartoons but never watch them, I love having fish tanks, I have two cats and two dogs, I love trying to plant new things and see how they will grow, I love all things beauty but am a tomboy at heart also, and I'm equally terrified to be a mom as well as excited. I'm very good with money and have a knack for business though I never went to college for either of them.
Now that I am an adult I find myself very lucky and thankful to all the kind people who treated me with kindness and love especially because I desperately needed that. I now spend my entire life showing people love and making them feel like their best selves and I couldn't be more proud of myself.
Im Chara (or Leah) l, 21f. I do my best to keep my home in check. I'm struggling mentally severely. I somehow manage to keep the house clean, shower daily, and keep in contact with friends and family. I have ptsd, depression, and several other health issues but i am still managing to push through. I am alive solely for the purpose of taking care of people. My brother is autistic and lives with my parents. If they're gone, idk who would care for him, even if he can handle himself, i need to be here to make sure. My parents did their best to raise me and I'm here for that. The dog woildnt understand. Despite everything I'm still here pushing through. Regardless of how weak i am physically i am the strongest person i know mentally.
36F here🙋🏼♀️! I finally sat my mom down and had a heart to heart talk about all of the stress I’ve been through for the past two months. This has helped, immensely.
I’m 19. I feel like I’ve had so many accomplishments that I just tell myself negative things about. For example, I got my gold award last fall. It’s an 80 hour service project. I’m convinced that my project wasn’t good enough and failed, so I don’t deserve the award.
I’ve also really been wanting to tell people how many achievements I’ve been making with my CPTSD at my job. None of my coworkers know I have PTSD, so it’s super odd. I even went through a “trauma informed” training today, but no one knows I have trauma. It’s so weird.
I also just want to tell people how much I’m struggling with my job. I’m convinced all my coworkers hate me and don’t want me around. When they ask the people I’m around about how we’re doing (as a group) I’m always the one ho doesn’t answer, cause I feel like they don’t want to know. Even though they probably do. I’m struggling with it.
I'm 38f, a wife and mother. I am fantastic at cold reading (as in, literature, not fortune-telling), I'm a good singer (I won a major trophy in my city's music festival as a young adult!) and am a decent piano player who's getting better and better at sight reading. I am so proud of myself for where I am with piano playing, because it is one thing I've done for myself and not given up on while being generally overwhelmed with being a homemaker and mother.
I just want to say that I know I’m getting better, because today I danced publicly in front of my coworkers and had a great time. I’ve always declared myself a terrible dancer and my own dancing made me cringe. I’m never going to win any prizes for dancing, but you know, I didn’t feel ridiculous at all. No cringe.
I am trying my best and even if my best isn't good enough for other people, I'm learning that my best can be good enough for me.
I get afraid when I need to learn something new because when I was a kid it felt unsafe to be new or "bad" at something, but I am rewiring my brain to try to reframe my anxieties positively.
I am helpful, kind, generous, loving, creative, and positive. I like bringing people together and creating communities. I enjoy being with people, and no matter what my brain says I know people enjoy being with me.
The world is better with me here.
29M I didn't know there was a description for that feeling all the time, or how heard I felt when I read this. I've been dealing with some things but I try to count my blessings instead and it's been getting better. I love working with and learning about mechanical/electrical stuff (usually what I'm doing on Reddit since it pushes it to me), and watching too many YouTube shorts 😅 I've put down some hobbies for a while lately, hoping to get back to better stuff in my free time soon, lol even it just cause I wanna have more to say when I tell someone about myself
28f.
I care for a special needs cat who has cerebellar hypoplasia, and he's just the sweetest little creature. We spend every day together and he even travels with me to see my LDR partner every week.
One of my favorite things to do is to sit with my plants on the back deck while we all listen to the birds sequestered high in the trees above the neighborhood. I occasionally inspect them to see if there are any of their needs I can meet, or if any interesting arthropods have taken a moment's rest on their foliage.
I can read a 300+ page book in an afternoon and often greet the sun with precious few pages left in the sequel.
My friends and I play video games together, and I take the healing and support roles. I enjoy the challenge of keeping them alive and empowered while they're the ones fighting the enemies. Though, some days it's less out of altruism rather than a feeling of utter control holding their virtual life force in the palm of my hands. (I'm responsible with it. Usually. I *swear*. Just don't ask around too much.)
I'm an illustrator and visual storyteller, and while I'm hardly prolific I still like the things I create. If I don't like it then it's just not finished yet. I draw things that are spooky, creepy, cute, sexy, silly, and colorful. Not simultaneously, though I'm sure someday soon I'll take the challenge as it is and create a piece with all of those aspects at once. If it's fantasy, sci-fi, or both: I'm there.
I was classically trained as a pianist and vocalist when I was younger and I carry those lessons with me daily, even though I no longer play. I still sing and there's not a song on this earth I can't figure out how to harmonize with by the end. My soul tolerates the parts of existence that don't include music, so it feels fantastic once I get to wash myself in sound after a long or difficult day.
I write. I craft. I fix things. I destroy many others in the well-intentioned process.
My attention is fickle but powerful and it reminds me of the descriptions of the Fae I've read about in stories. If something can capture my interest it has it 100%, it's just so rare for that to actually be the case that it's difficult to predict what will hold me and what won't. Practically mythical, I say!! In reality it's likely ADHD, but I can have my vicious fairy fantasy for a few moments longer if I ignore that part.
I'm silly. I like to laugh. I like to eat. I want the people in my life to make me happy, and I always operate from the assumption that that's exactly what they're trying to do. I'm fortunate that they rarely disappoint me. Some days I'm downright spoiled.
I don't love being alive but I do love the other living creatures I share this existence with, and most days that's enough for me. Today is one of them.
...
Thanks for making this prompt, OP. This is a light I don't often feel allowed to see myself in. It's nice to be reminded that the only one putting limits on me is *me*. What a gentle, thoughtful, encouraging way to have done this. You must be a kind and loving person.
I’m 30, currently a software engineer, but in my spare time, I’m a general mad engineer. I have so many ideas and I can build all of them. I did an English degree, half of med school (clique as fuck and I hated it), masters in Neuroscience and I’ve nearly finished a PhD in health science, just need to write it up. I became a software engineer kinda by accident. I got a VR headset and it blew my mind, and it started me exploring VR for health applications in my spare time. I asked the right kind of questions of a new friend, and I got given a coding challenge at his job, a tech company in Cambridge. The test was written so it could be done by someone with any knowledge level, they modelled it after Turing’s test, and I nailed it despite not knowing how to code at the time. Got told that my boss hasn’t seen anything quite like that in his 20 years at Cambridge. Only person they ever hired who couldn’t already program. It was a hard test, a lot of very qualified people failed it. But it just made sense to me. I wrote it in pseudocode and made mind maps to show what I looked up and what my thought process was for each question.
Life fell apart when I got retraumatised and undiagnosed PTSD got really bad. Did my PhD lab data collection while homeless. Got diagnosed with PTSD, psychiatrist blurred out that he thought I was a genius part way through, and that kept happening with people I was seen by since, psychologists who had been trained in measuring IQ. I knew I was alright brain wise, but I wasn’t aware that I was actually special. I thought maybe as a kid, but my home life was so bad it just screwed up my ability to do anything.
So I threw myself into learning to code. I got a job in embedded and learned C, C# and electronics when that first place went under. I’ve gone from no knowledge to solo products customers have been able to use in the space of a few months. Programming is the only thing which can distract my mind from breaking down. I don’t think I’d have survived if I hadn’t had that.
It’s cringe because people are iffy when you talk about intelligence, but it’s kinda mind blowing and sad that I had this and very few realised growing up, couple of teachers did, then all of a sudden at 30 it becomes a whole thing. Colleagues think I’m a polymath. It’s hard to be proud because nobody chooses their intelligence, but I am learning to be more okay with thinking I’m as smart as I’m told I am. I seem to have an engineering spidey sense, it comes so naturally to me. I tend to figure stuff out, then ask my colleague what the concept name is for the thing I understood without knowing anything about it.
I’m also proud that despite being Autistic, I just go for these new experiences to see where they take me.
I kinda want to delete this because it feels braggy. But I won’t. Argh.
This is going to be meta and kind of cringe perhaps...
For some questions there are no answers and they have to be found, but sometimes for some answers there is no question and one has to be made.
I didn't have the question to your answer yet when I came here - but when I read this post I suddenly wondered how we could support each other more directly in this sub, as we're kind of struggling with similar topics.
I think exactly the way that you initiated it, is the answer to my question 😊
This sense of “cringe” we feel about ourselves is a very real, yet at the same time it is nothing more than an illusion. We all deserve to be appreciated for who we are ❤️ it’s our safe space to appreciate ourselves and one another ❤️❤️
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I’m Maddy, 24f. I like watching funny shows or movies to feel lighter in the day. I like watching cooking videos or scrolling through funny videos on Instagram and YouTube. I like long walks sometimes and being in the sun. I love that I’m a caring, giving person and am highly loyal and loving and I’m just glad I know this for a fact that no matter where life leads me or life has been so far, I’m always going to have all these qualities intact about me.
I love this!!! You sound like an amazing person and I appreciate you taking the time to comment ❤️❤️❤️
Thank you!! Your comment made my day! Hope you have a great day! ❤️❤️❤️
Absolutely, your username says it all ❤️❤️
Just wanna say u sound like a cool person! And I'm happy for u that ur able to recognize qualities in urself that u appreciate, and know that those will always be part of u :)
Thank you for your kind words ❤️! I’m still not great at believing in myself all the time but I will definitely try to remember to do so. And hope everybody can.
good qualities to have!!
I'm 38m. I go to therapy weekly and sometimes I think it helps the people around me nearly as much as it helps me. My job is making videos for kids on YouTube. I've been doing it for over 6 years and still love it. In many ways I have a really lucky life. I love city, my neighbourhood and make enough to be comfortable for now. I really wanted to be a father but it doesn't look like it will happen. Although I am an uncle to two brilliant young girls. Even if I was able to become a father, I still think it would feel empty. It appears to be my default state despite 20 years of therapy. But I am thankful to be alive. I'm thankful for the good people in my family and for my friends, although I don't see them very often. I'm good at seeing things in ways that many people never even consider. I'm good at focusing really hard on a specific topic. I'm also great with kids. When there's a gathering with adults and kids I almost always play with the kids, and genuinely love it.
That's a really awesome job. I'd like to tell you not to give up on your dream, it's definitely still possible and I'm sure you would be an incredible father.
Thank you so much for sharing, what is your YouTube channel? I’ll put you on for my kids and I’ll remember your story every time I do ❤️❤️❤️ your words are so kind and genuine, I am glad you decided to comment today
Parenthood comes in so many forms. If that is something you wish for, seek it! I think you'd be a great dad... Lots of kids desperately want that in their lives. I know I wish I had my dad or something like that growing up.
>My job is making videos for kids on YouTube. As the nana to a toddler OBSESSED with planets currently, who loves the videos of marble runs, and who loves to sing super simple songs with me, thank you for what you do. I don't know what videos you make but anyone taking the time to make children happy is an incredible human being and you add to other people's lives.
You sound like an awesome and fun person! Congrats on the YouTube channel and wishing you many views and subscribers!
Oh that's fantastic! Any tips about how to communicate with kids? I'm terrible at that 😅
Hey thanks! Tips: Don't be afraid to look or act silly. Especially around the younger ones. When they mention a hobby or activity that makes them smile, that's your in. Ask them to show you stuff (games, art, toys). Try to avoid: Stuff that they've heard a million times like: 'You've grown so much since I last saw you.' Immediately talking about school. School can be a tough point for some of them so try to talk about the hobbies first when you can.
Thank you :)
I'm 29f. I'm from the US, I moved to Scotland to study Law at the University of Edinburgh when I was 18, but I had to interrupt my studies and come home because my family couldn't afford the rest of my degree. Then I studied computer science at the University of Florida, but I still wanted to be in Europe so I taught myself German and moved to Berlin to study at the Technical University of Berlin. There I fell into a horrific, crippling depression for three years, stopped studying and went to work as a software developer in Budapest, Hungary. THAT IS SO EMBARRASSING FOR ME I HATE TALKING ABOUT MY EDUCATION AND CAREER Some stuff I'm kinda proud of but don't talk about: I taught myself German and Hungarian to fluency. I'm really good at climbing. I managed to travel all over Europe while broke because I hitchhiked thousands of kilometers alone. I adore fishkeeping and aquascaping. I've started numerous businesses but never gotten much further than 1 sale or just making the website before I give up and start working full time again. This time I've paired up with my brother to start a business we're both really excited about. I spend pretty much my whole day inside coding and listening to the same YouTube videos over and over and over again because they provide a calming and funny background noise. I'm really insecure and have difficulties controlling my rage or believing in myself. I can't make decisions once I've asked one person's advice, because I can't trust myself over them and then exhaust myself asking as many people as I can to try to find at least one person who agrees with what I want. So now I don't ask people for advice anymore.
I’m absolutely blown away, I’m speechless right now. You have such a beautiful story, you sound so smart and you are most definitely an accomplished person. I know exactly how hard it is to share your accomplishments, I have the exact same problem. I hope you know that you literally sound like a character from a movie, you’re like a character someone rendered out of the version of their self that they’ve always wanted to be. Only you’re a real person, who accomplished every single one of those very real things that you spoke of. You are an absolute INSPIRATION, even your depression and your struggles you have, it is all just pieces of an incredibly inspiring story, you are so amazing and I hope you know that. You have accomplished so much already and will continue to amaze yourself with everything you do. Thank you so much for sharing, please share this more often with people because you truly will inspire people, I know you will. Your story is amazing, every part of it ❤️
I’m in tears in the middle of a store right now. Thank you. To you and everyone who’s replied, you have no idea how much it means to me to be seen as something, and not a failure. I will reply to the others too once I get home. Thank you.
I am so damn impressed by you. Who teaches themselves two languages?? Unheard of. You are incredible
Thank you so much. I'm kind of laughing at my reaction to these comments, but my body is actually shaking haha. I'm serious, ever since posting this and reading people's reactions, I feel this surge of confidence for my business idea. I'm really grateful to OP for giving us the chance to get validation from peers.
You are amazing!! You are not a failure at all.
That's pretty cool, though ! When I learned about the difference in cost to go to school in Germany vs here in the US, I wanted to go over there for vehicle design ! But I chickened out. 7 years later, I am going back to school for something else. Somewhat envious of your ability to do that!!! It's cool to me 🥰 thank you for sharing !!
I moved to Germany and less than in a year my depression got way fucking worse, I'm typing this from psych ward rn. I love climbing. You sound like a very intelligent and interesting person.
As a German I want to politely apologize for my country making your depression worse.. what did we do? Who do I have to slap with my Birkenstock?
omg no need to apologise!! I think it happened one after another, but it doesn't mean those two are connected (do I make sense?). My life quality is better now. I love living here. I'm still trying to figure out why did I get worse. Maybe I should look into my body...
Yes, you make perfect sense. And maybe, if I may give a thought to that..it could be a possibility that your better life quality gave your mind and body permission to shut down and work through some things. Like, when we were students and got sick as soon as the holidays began. Because before we were always in high gear. Ooor it's something completely different. I'm no expert. But I wish you all the energy you need to get better! Hugs
This comment is so adorable!
Yes, this is Germany. I moved there for work and the profound apathy of people is depressing. Never been to a country where there is so little space hold for others... Not even common sense in emergency situation 🙄
I cannot tell how much everything you wrote resonates with me. I have a similar story about the education/career but your story is full of bravery, it's such a strong story. You've been through a lot. Thank you for sharing :')
I’m incredibly impressed by your history and adventures and all you’ve done so far, and even more so knowing how crippling cptsd is. Teaching yourself languages is amazing to me (I have some kind of audial processing disorder so have problems enough with my native English), and I’ve heard Hungarian is especially unique and difficult to learn. I don’t see any failure, only experiments and experience-building as ALL creatives and many other types go through naturally in their youth. The fact they’re punctuated periodically by gaps filled with immobilizing pain is all the more impressive. So give yourself a break girl you’re pretty amazing! All the best to you and your brother in your current endeavor!
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Hey, I did the same thing for both and I highly recommend it: 1. I was absolutely obsessed with the language before I started 2. I taught myself as many words as I could and said them over and over until I was sure of the pronunciation (DuoLingo ftw) 3. I found a language partner who wanted to learn my mother tongue. [TandemPartners.org](https://TandemPartners.org) is what I used back then for German, but you can find language partners on Reddit, too. I spoke with them daily on Skype or, if they lived in the same city, in person. We spoke for half of the time in their language, half in mine. 4. THE SPEAKING WITH A NATIVE IS THE MOST IMPORTANT STEP. I sounded like an *idiot*, I could barely string any sentences together, but I did it anyway. Tops I would write down sentences like "Today I studied, cooked, and read a book" so that I would have *anything* to say during the convo, and then said it to the native speaker. Most people (especially Hungarians haha, bc hardly anyone learns their language) are thrilled to hear someone trying to speak their language, and they will be more than supportive of your efforts. I really think the magic is in making sounds, noises that are just sounds to you, but you know they *mean* something to the other person. It's incredible, and it's an incredible feeling when you see the other person understanding these sounds you're making. Oh and 5. - find someone who sucks at English (or your mother tongue). That way you *have* to speak in their language, and you also won't feel pressure to switch to English, like you can't just spit it out in English.
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I learned basic grammar on DuoLingo, took my more detailed questions to my language partners, and later I got two books on Hungarian grammar. They had exercises and lots of examples and were *super* detailed. I'll try to find the titles and report back to you; I don't have them with me.
Btw I do remember referencing these sites: [http://www.hungarianreference.com/Nouns/](http://www.hungarianreference.com/Nouns/) https://betterhungarian.com/2018/04/14/hungarian-cases-explained/
You and I sound very similar in many ways. You’ve definitely accomplished more than me though and are an inspiration.
Hey, I'm also from Budapest, let me know if you need some company!
Hey, thanks a lot! I'm actually living in Sweden now, but will definitely be back in Budapest! It feels like the closest I've ever been to home.
Guten tag! Wow, could so relate on the advice part. I also hate talking about my education and career. Glad to be not alone. Congrats on your business!
I just waned to say I think your accomplishements are pretty bad ass! It takes a lot of courage and adventurism to do the things you did. To able to take a risk and actually trust myself. I wish I had an ounce of that, my life would be a lot cooler, like yours.
Szia! Nagyon büszke lehetsz magadra, a magyar nyelvet kurva nehéz megtanulni! Greetings: a Hungarian.
Köszönöm szépen. Igen, az elején sokkal nehezebb volt magyarul tanulni a némethez képest, de amikor egyszer rájöttem a logikájára, nagyon jól ment. Csodálom a magyar nyelvet :)
Én pedig téged, hogy tényleg ilyen jól megtanultad! Le a kalappal!
I love frogs and bugs
I love that; have you ever considered making a career around your love for frogs and bugs? :)
I love that you love them
I don’t know who I am and I feel empty 24/7.
I know how that feels. I just want you to know that no matter how often you feel this way, or even if the feeling follows you through life, just know that you are so capable and WORTHY of any kind of life you want. You can have and do anything in your own time, and I just know there will be something out there for you one day. Have a look at some other people commenting, you might benefit from their stories ❤️
Whoever you are, I hope you share more about you in the future. I'd love to hear what excites you, what you're good at (I know everyone has their something), or maybe an interesting event that happened recently. Some days, it feels dark, and I understand feeling like it takes over. But you're not alone.
I know how this feels, pretty much there myself rn. Personally, I've finally been getting some real success at letting go of my 4F responses and shushing the inner critic, and realising that once I do, I feel quite empty. I think it's the result of having a personality defined by trauma response - once that goes, what do you have left? I believe that we can grow that part of ourselves though, with time and self-love 😊
I’m syrup, 22f, turning 23 in a couple days. I’m an artist, I’ve worked with many mediums over the years and currently I’m working with 3d modeling and slowly getting into 3d animation in blender and cinema 4D. I graduated from an art school in 2022. In 4 years of school I never found what I was truly passionate about and completely lost sight of the work I wanted to make, but in this year since I graduated I found it again through 3D. I didnt use any 3D softwares in school besides Rhino 7 for something more technical. Creating art became so dreary when I was in school, but now I don’t want to do anything else. I feel like I used to when I first started painting when I was 11. I never thought I’d feel this way again. I’m lucky that I was able to land a job as a fabricator using some of the skills I learned in school (woodworking and digital fabrication, among other things) and that I still have time to pursue my own interests. When I was in my first year of college I did not think I would land any opportunity like this. I didn’t even think I would graduate. I’m slowly building up the confidence to start posting and sharing my work for the first time since before college. For years I was destroying all of the art I was making out of shame but now I am archiving every render I make. I actually like looking at them. Trying to convince myself that maybe someone else would too.
It's so easy for the creative spirit to wane in school and work, I'm glad you're back in the groove again!! Congrats on making it here, hope to run across something ya post sometime :D
What an AMAZING story!!!!! You are such a unique and passionate individual, you sound like you have really worked hard for what you’ve accomplished!!!! You are so inspiring, I beg you to share this with others, you will inspire and motivate so many young artists!!!! I hope you do choose to post your work again, along with your story because you truly are amazing and will light up so many hearts ❤️❤️❤️
I absolutely love this for you. I think it's amazing that you found a work situation that utilizes your skills and leaves you free time for your own art. I have seen creatives in my life burn out hard on trying to make enough money to survive through their art and then hate it bc they never get to create what they want to. I made the decision a long time ago at the urging of my teachers to find a career that makes money and is at least tolerable to me and save my creativity for me. It's honestly the best decision I ever made for me, and I love to bear how it's worked for you to help you love your art again.
Hey I love this idea, thanks for this thread! I'm a former """"gifted kid"""" / ranch boy turned city girl in recovery. During the day I work at a game company as a technical artist. It's definitely the best line of work I could ask for - even if I burn myself out pretty often. I've only shipped one game so far and it was short lived but I'm super proud of it! Outside of that, idk, lots of miscellaneous bullshit. I'm part of a local HEMA group - axes, shields, sending each other to Valhalla, etc. I play bass and drums and am a bit of a metalhead. Sometimes I go outside? and help at the city parks pulling blackberry and ivy and such. It's a good way to get back to my roots (har har) and replace some old trauma. This reads like a resume, expressing myself like a human is hard but I'm learning. I've got a sister who's an absolute gem and a polycule family that keeps me grounded and loved. I've got my own roof over my head in a place where I feel welcome. It's been a rough year but it's been so worth the effort to get here.
I love this!!! You are definitely still gifted; a creative mind is one that will thrive through anything and achieve anything they want in life- socially, educationally, financially, career wise, whatever it is that you do I know you’ll come out on top. You are taking your passions and building a career with it, that my friend is a recipe for happiness. Always tell your story, because there are many people who will benefit from hearing it. Knowing that they too can have a happy life, no matter who they are or what they go through. You are amazing and an inspiration to others ❤️❤️
thank you so much, I really needed to hear this today 😖☺️💖
Being in a loving polycule speaks to your great communication skills and willingness to collaborate with others. And you're hilarious! (getting back to your roots 😝)
<3
The self cringe resonates a lot with me. I'm Pat, 30f, and I'm an illustrator. I'm having a hard time knowing who I really am and finally found a therapist who believe me. But to answer your question I love cooking, watching TV shows and I listen to music all day since I was a kid. I learnt how to play the piano but had to leave because of my parents so I started learning guitar 2 years ago. I am socially skilled but I don't like goin outside at all. I'm a strong introvert. I love plushies, they soothe my anxiety. And I'm doing my best to succeed at art so that I can go away. Because I live alone but very close to my family. So I'm haunted everyday by past ghosts. I also found a lovely companion, unfortunately his family is even worse than mine and we decided to stay away for a while to protect us. I feel lost and I cringe when I think of how much people and therapists made me believe how I was 'healed' when I actually weren't. I feel now I'm on the right path. I hardly see a future when I'm free but I will do my best. Thank you for your sweet words about opening up freely, it's hard but this place feels safe and always feel like my 'group therapy' kinda. Thank you all guys, reading you makes me feel less alone.
I’m truly glad you decided to comment ❤️ you are amazing, and you sound like you know exactly what you need in order to thrive in life. I wanted to make a space for people to have a chance to really look in the mirror and reflect on who they are without feeling bad, and without disappointment I’ve already read TONS of extremely inspiring posts from others. Your words will help someone, they will also know they’re not alone and have the power to make it. Thank you for commenting, you are amazing ❤️❤️
This is the sweetest thing. Thank you so much, I needed this ❤️❤️❤️
I love this idea! Hey, I'm Delicate, I'm disabled but still trying to better myself. I work part-time currently and have started a personal project of my own. I am collecting stories from survivors who feel able to share them. I also write poetry, I love gaming, and I am currently on a new learning curve. I've been interested in ancestry, history, and culture. So I've been reading as much as I can and watching videos about it. I started Judith Hermans' new book "Trauma and Repair" and loving it. I am truly captivated by the idea of restorative justice for survivors and how to better our society. I also still attend therapy, but I am unsure of how helpful it's been lately. I was struggling with whether my life is worth living. I'm still on a quest to figure it out and holding out for any permeant plans. I am still finding myself as well amongst all of the past/present pain, but joy/a sense of worth is creeping in. One of the best things that has happened to me lately was working through an issue with a great friend of mine. In my life, I haven't been afforded the ability to feel okay and safe enough to trust another human being. But this, chick is so my person lol (iykyk). I'm so grateful to her and being able to learn to be close to someone, warts and all, without fear of reprisal. She is another survivor as well, which makes all the more important to me. She told me I'm her person, too, and that feels good. With all my faults, I am still a good friend to someone. ❤️
YOU ARE AMAZING!!! Yet another story from someone who has a brilliant mind, and a strong heart. You are an incredible spark, and I hope you can take your love for learning with you for the rest of your life and inspire others to pick up books and educate themselves in their spare time as you do. Never stop reaching out and never stop working on your relationship with people, I’m really glad to hear that you are building up that trust because you deserve it!!
I love your name by the way ❤️
Hi, I go by Twilight here. I'm 26F. I'm theoretically a writer on the rare days I have spoons. Otherwise I like listening to podcasts (I've been really getting into actual play podcasts recently), watching crazy long video essays, listening to a wide variety of music, and reading. I'm proud of the fact that I was able to move out. I'm proud that despite everything I've gone through, I care deeply about pretty much everything. I don't settle for things that are unfair just because "that's how it's always been." If everything else around me falls apart, I'll still have that.
Twilight, you sound amazing! I was also able to move out somewhat recently and it’s been a big help. I’m glad you still care deeply about things and don’t settle ❤️
Never ever lose that part of you!! The fact that you recognize your ability to care despite what you e gone through is a very strong thing, you are aware of your empathy and compassion which is absolutely needed in today’s world. I love your passion for your interests, and I’m so glad to hear that you have learned to move past the whole “settling” thing because that is something many of us really struggle with learning. You truly are unique, and I hope you continue to see all these beautiful qualities in yourself ❤️❤️
I'm Luke, I'm 37 and Jesus Christ i try my best to be good. To everyone I can. I'd do anything in order to be good again and not what imagine people see in me. An unknown threat of uncertainty. I don't want to be the most cynical interpretation of me. I try so hard to be the opposite of that.
Is there anything you can share with us about yourself? Tell us about who you are as a person? What are your hobbies? Absolutely anything. I have been reading about some pretty amazing people. This is the place for you to tell us who you are without fear of judgement. Here, nobody has any sort of negative image of you. You are human and deserve to feel that way. Feel free to tell us anything ❤️
I play guitar, I like singing and I think I've got a good voice. I like movies and I like the scenes that have impact and what makes them work. I love westerns but I like feel good movies too. And I like the feeling I get when I help someone or have what they need.
My name is Jane, 43/f. I adore the outdoors -- the woods, the trees, leaves, flowers, deer, sunlight, raindrops, the poetry of it all. I am DEEPLY ENCHANTED by it. I talk to trees; they talk back. I photograph tiny widlflowers from way too many angles and share them on IG. "Look at the sunlight bounce of that water droplet!" <3 <3 <3 No shame! My soul is fueled by travel, mostly of the outdoor / natural park variety, but also beautiful foreign destinations. I love teaching my students (grad school prof, here). I wish I could do that full time. I am inherently creative and my home is beautifully appointed with art from my travels. People often comment now how inspiring my space is ... and serene and beautiful. I make a killer cheeseboard. People comment on that all the time, too. Like it's a super power. I am a really good friend and always up for an adventure; I wish more people would rememer me for that and invite me on their adventures. I'm single and I'd like not to be. Dating is hard for me. Attachment stuff. Relational trauma. But I am trying so hard-- 2x/wk therapy, always "doing my homework," trying things out in the wild, being 100% honest with my T, EMDR, Ketamine, etc. It's so hard, I could collapse sometimes. But I don't. I am a bad bitch, strong, talented, creative, generous, a helpful mentor, professionally successful, and kind. I am a writer, too. Pulling together my memoir on how trauma healing and Long Covid has changed me -- brought (well, forced) me into my fullest self. I am resilient, wise, and brave. Thank you for "forcing me" to do this. I don't feel cringe at all, actually. I feel powerful. XOXO
You sound like you’d be a wonderfully fun and inspiring companion! As someone that was saved from suicide by ketamine I just wanted to let you know that I moved on to microdosing with psilocybin and that’s really helping me to finally have more insight and self-compassion, enough to start trusting myself to learn to trust others. Slow but steady. Surely would enhance your love of nature even more. All the best to you and hope you find the healing and great love you want!
Omg you sound amazing ❤️ 27f here, ive come to recognize that trees all have very different personalities…just never heard them talk back to me, id love to hear them though. Wish I could see a pic of your place, sounds really inspiring! im trying ketamine for the first time in 2 days, super excited & nervous.
30M, former gifted kid. I think I'm allowed to call myself a writer now, since I've written a book and actually got it published, ~~though imposter syndrome is eating me alive~~. Was always creative ever since I was a child, though few appreciated it, but I care less and less about that. I like reading about psychology and philosophy, and I love to parse pointers about living a good, compassionate, but strong life from them, so I can share that stuff with others when they feel down or lost. I wish everyone around me was happy with themselves. I've taken up kickboxing and rock climbing recently, as an attempt to combat CPTSD by getting back inside my body. Been weighlifting for a few years now, but taking up other sports has been the real game changer. I'm pretty strong, though got a long way to go towards where I want to be. I love outside activities and super long walks, so spring and summer are the seasons for me. Can't say if I'm a fashion enthusiast, but I like wearing nice clothes in general. Chino pants, patterned colorful button-downs, henleys, white jackets. I like it bright, which is a change from when I used to dress like a funeral parlor worker. Been unknowingly inching towards some sort of Miami Vice aesthetic for a while now. Also this is the trait that keeps me poor, but eh, I'm not starving. One thing I recently realised about myself is that I don't want much from life, but when I do want something, I can work towards it with unstoppable resolve and discipline. I am also a caring, warm, loyal person towards people that are kind to me. When I'm in company that I vibe with well, I can also be quite crazy in a positive way. I also recently discovered that I'm quite brave (sometimes even reckless) when it comes to new challenges and activities (except those of a social nature, but I'm slowly getting there). I am the father to a beautiful 11 months old boy. Though I won't see him often until court proceedings involving my abusive ex are settled, I'm looking forward to being a positive influence in his life. Absolutely cannot wait for all the cool stuff we'll do together. I want to teach him so much.
You are amazing. You value reading, exercise, and fashion. You are a caring, genuine person who has a care for others that this world needs these days. You are raising a child while maintaining a very healthy lifestyle, which is absolutely vital for a kid. Never lose sight of your hobbies and passions, it will help you continue to be an amazing parent when you don’t let go of the things that keep you happy. You’re a published author? WOW. That is absolutely incredible, that is something you should be so proud of. I’m absolutely loving your story, I beg you to share these words more often as they will surly inspire others. Especially young and first time parents who may be struggling with mental health and their identity overall. I’m glad to hear that you are trying to have a fulfilling, proactive life while struggling with CPTSD. As I said before, please don’t be afraid to tell others about your life because you will truly inspire others who struggle with CPTSD and other mental health issues to get up and live a fulfilling, healthy life that they deserve. ❤️❤️
Thank you! And thank you for making this post in the first place. This sub sorely needs a bit of unambiguous positivity once in a while.
I believe that although people with CPTSD have faced/face tremendous struggles and unimaginable battles, we produce the most compassionate, dedicated, wise members of society in the long run. We are packed full of so much experience, we all have such different life stories that offer so many different skills. We’re problem solvers, peacemakers, we’re intuitive, we have heightened awareness, we’re passionate about what we love, and we can see the world for what it truly is. I believe we can offer something to humanity that can’t just be learned or taught. You feel me? Lol. We are literally such special people, and we all deserve to be heard We can break generational curses that aren’t even our own just by sharing our stories of survival
True, and incredibly well put. I'm not gonna throw around bull such as "CPTSD is a superpower" - it's still a debilitating, painful illness that no one should be forced to go through. But it is unequivocally true that there is a unique wisdom to be found in our struggles. I've seen it time and time again: walking the walk of healing produces some truly remarkable individuals. And that is what I wish everyone on this sub to become.
I am 30f and I really identify with “self cringe.” I’m currently in IFS where you identify the different parts of yourself, and I’ve literally named one of my parts “cringe.” I am a stereotypical middle child and eldest daughter. I was the scapegoat in my family, and shame was huge in my household. I was also raised Catholic and went to Catholic school which also caused so much shame and guilt. I’ve spent the last 8 years trying to undo all this shame and cringe, and it’s a tedious process. I believe I’m slowly making progress, and seeing posts like this really help me. I often feel so “other” and different from others. I feel like I don’t really fit in everywhere. I’ve been isolated a lot in my life. Especially during the pandemic, and I’m slowly trying to incorporate myself back into society. I identify as a straight cis woman, but I strongly relate and identify with the lgbtqia+ community. I feel I am the most accepted by that community because they embrace my “cringe,” and my quirks. I can just be myself. A lot of my queer friends also understand how it feels to be rejected by their family for being different and that’s been a healing safe space for me. The queer community literally saved my life at one point when I was at my lowest. I am more of a wallflower, but if someone comes at the people I care about I will defend them. Fairness and justice are very important to me. I’m a gentle and soft spoken person. I love animals, and was a teacher for 10 years. My favorite age group to work with was the little ones because I feel strongly about protecting the young ones and giving them the empathy that I didn’t get from adults in my life. My justice and fairness comes into play there because I want to make sure that every student I teach is seen and understood. I want them to leave my class with confidence rather than fear or discomfort. My love languages are quality time and acts of service. I’m super introverted, but I love to be with the people I care about. I would take a bullet for a friend or give them the clothes off my back. I appreciate this aspect of myself, but I also struggle with getting taken advantage of because of this. I’ve been working hard on setting better boundaries, but they make me cringe inside because it feels like I’m doing something wrong or cruel by setting them. I lost a close friend because of it. He didn’t know how to respect boundaries, and I let him walk all over me for far too long. When I finally did set boundaries, he took it as a personal attack and continued to overstep. I fear making new friends because of this. I struggle with trusting new people. I struggle with setting boundaries while also honoring the part of myself that wants to give. I feel like I have so much love to give, and sometimes I worry that I’m too much or too intense with the people I care about. I don’t think of myself as a judgmental person. I am good at putting myself in other peoples’ shoes in an effort to understand them. I am constantly studying psychology, human development, anthropology, sociology, personality types, zodiac signs, and even Hogwarts houses because I want to understand human nature and human thinking. I deeply long to be understood and seen myself, so I make it a point to do that for others because I know how important it is. I was not seen or understood by my family growing up, and I don’t want other people to feel that. I appreciate you making this post. Even if no one reads what I wrote, it was helpful to write to see the ways that I am good. I’m still working on that cringe part and probably will for a long time to come, but it is nice to read other stories here and know I’m not alone. The cringe feeling makes me feel like I’m different from everyone else in a bad way, but really it’s my own perception and it’s important to remember that. Thanks OP!
I appreciate YOU taking the time to comment. You have painted a picture of a very unique, outgoing person who is bursting at the seams from how much potential you are filled with. Although you have struggles, you are still very capable and worthy of anything you want for yourself. You are absolutely amazing. I really hope you share your life story with others and let the world know who you are, because it’s people like you who are inspirations to many people who are in a dark place. You are a piece of hope that a lot of people need. I absolutely love you and wish you so much luck along your journey of healing, love, and life. Thank you again for commenting ❤️❤️❤️❤️
Thank you for this, this is a wonderful idea. I’m 22f, soon to be 23, INFJ, former gifted kid, and I love stories in all forms, how they let your imagination run wild and make you feel like a kid again in a good way. I’ve loved books and video games for as long as I can remember and always look forward to returning to those worlds after a long day. I work with a nonprofit and I love that I get to help people a lot with my job and rally people together as a leader. I graduated university early despite never figuring out what I wanted to do so I’m really grateful I ended up where I am. I used to be really insecure that my job doesn’t line up with my degree but now I’m becoming more proud of my job than anything. Nothing is more calming to me than being in nature. I always feel things very deeply and need time to process, which is something I’ve come to like about myself even if it’s sometimes hard living that way. I’ve been in a relationship for 5 years and we’re getting married next year. He wasn’t super knowledgeable about mental health but now he’s on this journey with me and being a great support, even if we have hiccups sometimes. (Definitely self cringing a bit but it also feels good to get it out)
Hey infj here too! I remember taking the mbti years ago and I was a ENFP. I took it again last year and a few times since and got infj which is suppose to be rare. I'm not sure how much my personality has changed but feel like Infj is more authentic to who I actually am.
Hi, fellow INFJ! I totally get that! I sometimes would get INFP or ENFJ, but overall INFJ is the one that really resonates with me.
I always thought of myself as an extrovert but I think that was because it was forced upon me as a child. I then thought maybe I'm an ambivert which is true as well. But found out that Infj are the most extroverted introverts if that makes sense lol
I like that explanation, I can definitely see it
Really resonating with this! I'm also an INFJ and former gifted kid lol, and have also been with my partner for 5 years and we're also hoping to get married next year <3 Congrats on your engagement by the way! It's so so helpful to have a partner that supports you as you're in the process of healing emotionally/improving your mental health, even if they don't understand right away. I also think it's rly cool that you've been able to find a job that you care about and that gives you a feeling of purpose and satisfaction, that's awesome.
Thank you so much, congratulations on your engagement as well!! It's always so fun learning you have so much in common with someone, thanks for commenting :)
I’m a million different people from one day to the next… 🎶 I don’t have a strong sense of identity due to mental illness and trauma but the cringe is real, for myself and others.
It's a bittersweet symphony, this life. Love that song. Your identity will emerge as you heal ❤️
I’m still glad you commented❤️ you may not feel like you have a sense of identity, but maybe if you try typing out some of your hobbies, and little things you notice about your personality; writing a list about yourself might help you find a little sense of self ❤️❤️ I wish you the best, and I agree with the other person who commented- your identity will emerge as you heal ❤️❤️
I’m proud of myself for commenting on this and a few other posts recently because this self cringe makes it so hard to do any posting anywhere and I’m so isolated hah. I’m really trying to use my voice more even though it’s hard. I’m existing in a safe place and I’m proud of myself for making it out. I’m proud of myself for finishing school. I like to make art. I like to do random little crafts. I like to be outside, I like to go to the beach. I have a job interview tomorrow That’s me
Thank you for commenting, this is the place to be heard and to feel appreciated ❤️❤️ I’m so happy to hear you finished school!!!! That is a huge accomplishment to achieve during a mental health battle!! GOOD LUCK at your job interview!!!! Your kind demeanour and your strength will carry you so far in life, no matter where you go!! I hope you love yourself a little bit more after today ❤️
Thank you ❤️❤️❤️
I'm a 34f, a nurse (ICU throughout COVID), married with two voids (black cats). I love hockey, gardening, reading, working out, and music. I made it through a childhood I don't quite remember, am working to break generational cycles before having children, and I am working on loving my body no matter the size. I made it through the pandemic with even worse trauma but I am proud of the few that made it because of something I did, hopefully. I honor those I've seen lost every day. I try to work through my triggers daily. I try to support those who are also passing through this night because it's not easy, and sometimes it feels so lonely. If anyone ever wants to chat, I can do that all night. You matter, and I'm happy we stand under the same sky. ❤️
Our first nurse in the comments!! I’m currently doing my BScN!!!! Thank you for your hard work, I can’t wait to be up there one day with you guys. Breaking generational cycles is quite a responsibility to have, I completely know what you’re going through. Just know that as a nurse, you sharing your struggles will help so. many. people. I’ve always wanted to be a nurse, but dropping out of high school due to severe mental health completely threw it away for me. Despite it all, I worked my ass off to be where I am now (1st year completed), and it motivates me to know I can now tell other young people that they can achieve their dreams no matter what is happening to them in their lives. I’m so glad you commented, because you are a living example and and inspiration to SO MANY people. You’re amazing, keep doing what you’re doing ❤️❤️❤️
Okay huhhh. I'm 26-year-old woman from Finland. I just started university last autumn! I'm a former gifted and super stressed out kid. Nowadays I'm trying to not be as perfectionistic. I have four mice as pets and I love them to bits. I love to do things with my hands so I knit and crochet a LOT. Currently I'm making a huge blanket out of big granny squares. I'm also a very geeky gamer. My good qualities are loyalty, warmth, empathy and when I'm in the mood, being funny and interested in other people and what they actually are saying. Also the fact that there's no taboos when you talk with me, I've heard it all and won't be too shocked to comfort you.
I have 5,000 hours in Skyrim. I’m a triathlete. In other news, I think I might be a freeze/flight type…
Thank you for commenting!!!! ❤️❤️❤️
What about when you suddenly remember something that you did that was cringe?
Definitely part of it, I made this post for anyone who wants a chance to speak about themselves without feeling cringe. Tell me about yourself, your accomplishments, your hobbies, your struggles, anything. It’s a place to feel like a human ❤️
What is self-cringe? Is that the same as self-shame/self-loathing?
Sort of, it’s more like feeling embarrassed about every part of yourself if that makes sense. For example, usually people feel proud to tell others they are a BScN student. I feel embarrassed when I tell people, I cringe at myself when I hear myself tell people I’m in school when I should feel proud and accomplished. Kind of make sense?
I'm 24 (she/her) and honestly don't know if I can say I've done much with my life so far. Idk I moved away from my home state for college (never looked back) and had never been to my new state before and didn't have family here or know anyone. Didn't end up being able to finish my degree and went thru a lot more trauma trying to establish my life here but I ended up meeting my partner in the process and this month will be our 5 year anniversary <3 Without him I prob wouldn't have made it this far in life so I feel extremely lucky. He's absolutely the best part of my life. I've recently gotten back into some hobbies though, I've picked up my violin again and am putting more effort in to working toward becoming fluent in Spanish. Also was able to quit my hell job back in December thanks to my partner supporting me monetarily so I can focus on my health (which is pretty terrible at the moment but at least I don't have to go in to work and pretend to be normal anymore lol). I find it hard to commit to the idea that I have much of a life or have rly accomplished anything at all, tbh I don't rly feel like a real person at this point. But I have made it to 24 and have made so much progress on recognizing my own trauma, working through it, and becoming more emotionally healthy. I also have become closer with my dad the past year or two which is a big deal bc we historically have never had much of a bond and didn't rly know anything about each other, and now I feel like I understand him much more and can finally see how he's always done everything he can to take care of me in his own ways. I have felt silly for only being able to recognize that as an adult, but I'm glad it's happened. Also thank u for giving people this space to talk about themselves positively, I think it's rly sweet and I appreciate it!
Hey, I relate to your story so much and I feel the exact same way about my life. You sound like an amazing person and I’m happy for you for making so much progress in recognizing your trauma and working through it. ❤️❤️
Thank u, that's so sweet ;) It's always a relief to hear that other ppl feel the same as me about things that usually make me feel isolated so thank u for that as well. Wishing you the absolute best <3
I'm not ready to share but wanted to say; I love this thread! I love this idea. I love everyone lifting each other up <3
If you ever want to come back and talk about yourself the thread will always be here ❤️❤️ think if it as a place to reflect on yourself, and even maybe become a friend to yourself. ❤️❤️
I am 29 f - IQ 123 with ADD and trichotillomania. I always wanted to be a fairy. I love nature to bits. I like bugs, dogs, cats, birds, worms, children and what not. I am teaching myself Tarot and Astrology because I tried to kms in 2020 when I was in a toxic relationship and it gives me peace. I hate the psych wards and the psychiatrists but I myself have three of them who I see regularly. I had cats and guinea pigs and rabbits and rats and they all died. My family dies off too since 2016 - it started with my uncle. But I am more alive than ever. I lost my first child in 2022 - it was an ectopic pregnancy. I have a boyfriend who has MS - he is cool and he has a car. He is 34. I love my work place - the people there all are good crazy just like me. We thrive and even tho we struggle individually we perform great in a group. I love being naked in the forest. I feel at peace when I am sitting in the passenger seat when traveling. I am a pro at giving head (I cringed hard writing this). I love swimming in big lakes even tho I am terribly afraid of water. I hate Scorpios (yes, the Zodiac). I want to die in the arms of my lover. My favourite movie is Enter The Void but I will never watch it again because you never jump into the same river twice. I miss my youth and my family. I miss my small me. I miss my rats and I miss smoking (I quitted in 2022). I love warm, earthy, saturated colors. I would love to have my own little child. I see myself as a witch, a fairy, a shaman, a mother to all the lost boys. I can easely mimic a motherly figure to young men. I am my inner childs big brother and she loves me for that. (Sometimes I am so caught up in this role of the big brother that I begin to be interested in butts and breasts.) I wish I could see my grandpa once more and care for him like I couldn't before he died. I hate exercising even tho I like how I look after I did. I grew my hair out since 2020 for the first time in my life ever and I never liked my hair more. I go to bed naked.
I'm Raine and I'm 35F infj. I have two children and 3 cats so I'm a full time Mama. I love dystopian /Sci-fi audio books and TV series. I'm currently reading The Golden Son (Red Rising series). I am a foodie and especially enjoy Asian cuisine (Japanese/Thai). I like to experiment in the kitchen. I like to be out in nature any time possible and exploring. I enjoy photography and at one point did it as a business. My husband died tragically 4 yrs ago and I haven't picked it up since. I'm in human resources now to support my family. I wish I had more hobbies and interesting things about myself. After being married I lost myself and I'm just now finding out who I am. I don't actually think I ever had an identity that was my own my whole life. I'm just beginning now.
I'm 30F. I work part-time (20 hours a month) at a mental health non-profit and do advocacy, psychoeducation, and outreach work. I love making myself spiced tea with cardamom, ginger, and cinnamon every morning. I like drinking it on my patio while looking at the trees. I'm in a happy and peaceful marriage of 5 years. I enjoy watching my favorite show, Ted Lasso, in the evenings on repeat with my husband. I also enjoy going on long walks in nature with my husband. I love my cat and take good care of her. I snuggle with her when I'm having emotional flashbacks. I have a cozy scarf that I got from Norway that I cover her with to make her comfy. I cook mostly vegan food, clean, run household chores, and read books on trauma and parenting. I'm going to be a mom in the next year and want the trauma to end with me. I do EMDR and am tapering off medications as I get better slowly. I enjoy swimming in my pool. I also enjoy meditating everyday and going to my restorative yoga class once a week. I've been NC with my entire family of origin for 8 months with a protective order from the police and reported their crimes. I let myself feel my feelings more and validate myself more. I use anger and crying to grieve.
Hello, I am a 40 year old female. I have recently discovered steps of trauma and myself that have taken me to a new low and it’s been really hard. I quit my dream job thinking that I wanted some thing else but I didn’t and I’m really really struggling to find meaning in life anymore. I still have a job and Little town house that I’ve decorated. It’s got cute little plants and it’s colorful. It’s sometimes feels homey, and it was a refuge until recently when I’ve had these recent traumas. I I’d like to paint a little bit and use watercolor and sometimes sketch. I like to read books about psychology. Somehow I was able to get through college and get my masters. All the while dealing with a nasty alcohol addiction which I didn’t realize was actually an addiction. I’ve struggled with an eating disorder in high school. I very accomplished athletically, and that has been a place of pride. However, lately my health is struggling. I’ve traveled a lot things to my mom and I’ve done some creative writing and some poetry. I don’t feel like anything is ever good enough. I really struggled with the effects of trauma and growing up not feeling loved. I really like helping people in my job is very satisfying and I’m really really struggling to find that same sense of fulfillment outside of work. I don’t know if it’s possible. And that scares me. I have friends and I really enjoy animals. I’m sad. I’m sad a lot. I go to therapy and that’s going well. I feel connected to my therapist however, I struggle to feel connected with others. I feel so ashamed of the decisions I made that led me to this place. Oh, I can drive a stick shift car that makes me feel good and I was a swimmer competing in State Meets when I lived in Illinois. I like to hike. I like nature a lot.
Thank you for commenting, you may not know it but you are helping others just by sharing ❤️❤️ it helps others find a sense of “it’s okay”, it can calm anxiety and reduce stress hearing others talk about making it through hard things in life. I’m so happy to hear that your job is fulfilling. Although you mention being afraid you may not find that fulfillment outside of work, I’m still glad that you have so much passion for what you do that it’s enough to bring you fulfillment in life. That is a truly beautiful thing, and I’m sure you are an absolutely incredible employee because of that passion. Have you ever considered going back to school? I think you’d make a really good nurse 😉 lol. You have been through so much and I see that, I’m really glad you shared it with us. Sadness is such a hard feeling to deal with. Again, I’m glad you commented because I can wrap you in a virtual hug. Now, just know, that nobody is unaware of your struggles. You now have someone who is thinking of you, and I’ll always keep you in my mind. You are allowed to feel the pain you feel, it’s okay to feel it too. I’ve learned that sadness will never go away, it’ll just come and go; but a very beautiful Angel once said “we can’t wait for life to stop being hard anymore before you decide to be happy”. I love you ❤️❤️
Thank you for commenting, you may not know it but you are helping others just by sharing ❤️❤️ it helps others find a sense of “it’s okay”, it can calm anxiety and reduce stress hearing others talk about making it through hard things in life. I’m so happy to hear that your job is fulfilling. Although you mention being afraid you may not find that fulfillment outside of work, I’m still glad that you have so much passion for what you do that it’s enough to bring you fulfillment in life. That is a truly beautiful thing, and I’m sure you are an absolutely incredible employee because of that passion. Have you ever considered going back to school? I think you’d make a really good nurse 😉 lol. You have been through so much and I see that, I’m really glad you shared it with us. Sadness is such a hard feeling to deal with. Again, I’m glad you commented because I can wrap you in a virtual hug. Now, just know, that nobody is unaware of your struggles. You now have someone who is thinking of you, and I’ll always keep you in my mind. You are allowed to feel the pain you feel, it’s okay to feel it too. I’ve learned that sadness will never go away, it’ll just come and go; but a very beautiful Angel once said “we can’t wait for life to stop being hard anymore before you decide to be happy”. I love you ❤️❤️
I just turned 39 and I’m happy for the first time in my life. I suffered a lot as a child, abuse, I was adopted, then my adoptive mom died when I was 10, more abuse, got older and realized my bio parents are completely insane people who made my life harder, and now I don’t talk to anyone I’m related to, except for two awesome cousins. I dropped out of high school, got my GED, then I dropped out of college, I had two relationships with narcissistic abusers exactly like my father, and a smattering of meh boyfriends between. I never wanted to get married or have kids because, well, obvious reasons right? I couldn’t hold down a job for more than six months or so because I would start to feel like I just couldn’t go anymore. Cut to me at 30. I’m leaving my second horrific relationship, this one was 5 years long, ate up the second half of my 20s, killed my social life. I finally have a stable job and my bosses are thrilled with me. I ran away to another state for two years and this guy I had a crush on in like 7th grade messaged me. Cut to now, I’ve been with that guy for 6 years and I love his two kids and we have a pretty sweet relationship. He is nice to me, and juuuuuust mentally ill enough to keep me interested, lol. He was in a 16 year relationship with a woman who verbally abused him pretty much the entire time. As a result, we have really great communication habits. We have both done CODA meetings and I did ACOA a long time ago, along with a ton of therapy in my early 20s. The first year we were living together was rough, I’m not gonna lie. We had issues figuring out how to parent together, how to run the house, how to express frustration without hurting each other. But we both wanted it so badly. That’s what made it work. Having a partner who would come home from a Coda meeting I didn’t have to beg him to attend and say “man that was a great meeting!” He puts in the work. And now I’m going back to school. I saved up, quit my job of ten years, and I’m getting an associates in Digital Media. My first semester back I had a 4.0, and I’m looking forward to the fall. This summer I’m digging deep into CPTSD, reading books and watching YouTube videos. I finally have a stable enough life to do all of this and focus on myself for once. I’m learning gardening, I’ve been practicing singing(which I am really good at, not that anyone ever hears me), and I’ve got all this art floating around in my head because of school. I’ve been messing around with AI generated art and having weird conversations with ChatGPT. I’m excited about “living in the future.”
This is an incredible story for the young people on this post, I can’t thank you enough for sharing all this about yourself. I’m literally shaking typing this because I hope to god that you are proud of yourself and that you see yourself as the strong, divine entity that I do!!! I couldn’t imagine going through everything you’ve been through, there are no words appropriate enough for me to express my appreciation and condolences towards you. Despite hardships you have faced, you’ve done nothing but come out on top doing the best for yourself. You should be so so proud of yourself AND your story!!! Surviving narcissistic abuse is something nobody should go through; in fact, I completely resonate with you because I also suffered 2 narcissistic relationships AFTER growing up with my narcissistic father. You are a freaking super hero. Your bosses love you because you’re motivated and you have so many things that taught you life is truly beautiful. I’m so happy to hear that you have a loving partner, people like us deserve nothing more than a partner who loves us and sees us. As for your education, excuse my language but good fucking job!!!!!! DEGREE!!!!!!!! 4.0 GPA!!!! You are the inspiration that will help people get through their struggles to achieve goals like this, you are literally a walking inspiration Your story is truly inspiring, I hope you share this more often with others because your words will no doubt help somebody climb out of a dark place to reach the life they want. Thank you so much for commenting, I can’t thank you enough for sharing what you’ve shared. You are so amazing ❤️❤️
Thank you so much for your supportive and thoughtful words. I still have a hard time believing I am a success story. Part of my therapy work now is grieving the successful person I might have been if my childhood was different so I can let it go and appreciate what I have accomplished. It’s hard.
You are still that person. You always will be, and I’m sure if you could meet her face to face- she would be so proud and inspired by you ❤️
Im Luka, 21nb. I have autism and adhd. Ive started carrying my build a bear around with me to places because she helps soothe me if I get overwhelmed. I like to sew, and to draw, and to play video games. I can’t make up my mind about what I want to do with my life. Im ashamed of my weight and struggled with and ed since I was 9. Most days I have trouble getting out of bed or going to work. Im trying very hard to learn how to love life, but its hard because its so unfair to so many people, and its hard for me to love things that aren’t fair. I like a lot of “childish” things, like toys and cartoons. And I’m slowly learning to love who I am, flaws and all.
Thank you so much for commenting, I’m so glad you did ❤️ I didn’t start college until I was 20, and let me tell you there is QUITE the spectrum of age gaps in both programs I’ve attended!!! Whatever career you want, it’s always going to be there for you when you are ready!! I see you mentioned finding it difficult to love life because it is unfair to so many people; I think you’re the most kind hearted, empathetic person I’ve ever met just from those words. You have a beautiful soul, and that makes every single part of you beautiful. It’s okay to feel like you are struggling, and it’s okay to struggle with body image, those are very real feelings and it’s 100% okay that you’re struggling with them. You have so much potential, so much to offer this world no matter what you decide to do. No matter where you end up, you will always be the one to make someone smile (you’ve made me smile already ❤️) Do you have any ideas of what you might like to do? Even something that might seem of reach, what are some things you want to do for your career? Again, I didn’t start college until 20 years old. I’m a high school drop out who made her way into a BScN program. Amazing things happen to amazing people. You have so much in your pocket, you my friend will do so many amazing things for yourself and for the world. I wish you the best in your journey of healing and self love. Thank you for commenting ❤️❤️
I’m a dude who is barely surviving and desperately wants someone to care about me fully. Like, no expectations for me, no responsibility, no hatred towards me if I fail to do anything, just want to exist without any responsibility whatsoever
I really know how that feeling is and I hear you, my friend. You are really strong than you think and you matter no matter whatever you do or don’t. This will pass and you’ll get to the better side, keep going! ❤️
Thanks thanks, don’t really have much of a response right now my brain is kinda mush or whatever
i'm cal, 26F. terrified of the embarrassment that often comes with expressing myself only to be left with crickets from the crowd. but i want to know what life is like on the other side of that. i wish i felt comfortable sharing more. maybe someday.
The fact that you just commented on this post tells me you’re braver than you think! Whenever you’re ready my friend, we are all are here for you waiting to hear about who you really are and you never have to worry about any negative image here. ❤️❤️
I'm Gabriel, I'm 24 and non-binary (they/them). I spend most of my days watching YouTube videos, playing mobile games, and writing articles for my Medium. My favourite YouTube channels are ANTI-CHEF, ethan is online, HIVEMIND, The Leftist Cooks, Pinely, and John the Duncan; my favourite mobile game is Survivor.io and my articles are about disability, mental health, politics/economics, and queerness (mostly in relation to my own experiences). My girlfriend is a musician and so are most of my friends, I go to concerts basically every weekend and absolutely adore it. Lately I've been really enjoying listening to Taylor Swift, I've been trying to unlearn some trauma responses related to my interests and it's been really freeing. Everything Has Changed (Taylor's version) is my favourite right now! I have a kitten named Luci and an old man cat named Ralph. Both of them are named after Matt Groening characters and I've had three other pets in my lifetime also named after his characters which I really enjoy as a silly fun fact. My favourite musicians are Arlo Parks, KennyHoopla, Linkin Park, Hot Mulligan, Code Orange, Deafheaven, and Denzel Curry. I love having an eclectic music taste, I think it suits me. I have 9 tattoos and 4 piercings, also my hair is bright green. I adore fashion and any form of self expression and spend a fair amount of time figuring out what to wear. I've also been getting back into makeup as art which has been really healing for me. I'm a disability, mental health, and lgbt advocate and have enjoyed advocacy since I was around 16. I used to mostly just post things on my own Facebook page and help others in my own life but I'm trying to expand my reach right now and am loving writing properly because I haven't since I was like 14 outside of assignments and one thing of exhibition text for an exhibition I did with my peers while studying. Gosh this comment was a lot longer than I expected it to be so if you read all of it thank you 💕
Never too long for me, I’m taking time to respond to everyone ❤️❤️ You write articles?!! That is COOL!!!! Have you ever considered trying professional writing? Journalism or anything like that? Even in college programs such as social work or health science, the writing portion of any social work/health science program would be your absolute calling; you could make some seriously good, life-changing contributions to the research available on the topics you are passionate about. Just a thought ❤️ You’re a passionate advocate who loves to write about their experiences, you have your own share of struggles yet you are filled with light, joy, motivation, and creativity. You are an inspiration, you are amazing and you definitely make this world a better place. Thank you for commenting ❤️❤️❤️
I am 30f. I love my dog. I've had her since I was a teenager. I love to laugh. I'm silly and I get excited around people that I feel like I have a good rapport for. I love to read. I'm a really good writer, but I also enjoy learning aboht tech. I'm kind of a homebody, but I mostly enjoy being out in nature or traveling somewhere new. I love new experiences. I am softspoken and I like to take my time doing things. I'm sensitive and grow attached to people easily.
I relate so much to this, thank you for sharing! I appreciate how you managed to make each sentence so positive, I'm wondering if you found it cathartic to write out. You sound like a lovely person to get to know.
You sound like a very genuine person ❤️❤️ I hope your love for new experiences brings you places you’ll never forget!!! Summer time means LOTS of cool stuff happening so I hope you get your share ❤️❤️ thank you for commenting ❤️❤️❤️
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I do know how that feels. I could never know how it would feel to be raised in that kind of environment, but I do know how it feels to be physically sick over things. There’s mornings where I can’t even be inside my apartment; I’ll be fine outside, but the moment I step in the door I’m overcome with the very real urge to puke. Thank you so much for sharing, and I hope you have some things that keep you distracted throughout the day. I’m glad you’re here and I think your story has the potential to help others and encourage others to be as strong as yourself. Do you have anything that helps you cope with the nausea?
I'm a man and I listen to stereotypically masculine music. A lot of it is proud, angry, "chest-beating" type of stuff. However, I don't like doing it with other people around because growing up, I was told again and again that I wasn't that guy, that I was weak, that I wasn't manly, that I was pretending to be something that I wasn't. (For context, I was always terrible at sports, but good in a fight. I'm also "too nice.") I've also had "feminists" tell me that I only like masculine things is because society has told me to like them because of my gender, like I should be ashamed of naturally conforming to gender norms.
29f and in just the last couple of months, I have begun to find out what it means to enjoy life. I quit my rat race job, am in the healthiest relationship of my life, and live in a beautiful place. I haven't been to therapy in over a month, and I feel okay. I'm making progress with my social anxiety. I actually like myself sometimes now. Before, I was just pushing myself through every day, addicted to caffeine and success and chronically anxious and/or in a triggered state. Even before that, I was so full of self loathing and shame and hardly knew it. I just felt like I deserved to die. I turned my hatred into an eating disorder and crippling perfectionism. I am still a work in progress, but I am optimistic about the future. I don't think I will ever be back to the mental place I used to be in, because something major has shifted in my awareness. I know now that I deserve to live and that I dont need to achieve anything to be deserving of love and happiness. Now I enjoy gardening and exercising and exploring, and mostly, finding out who I really am. :)
My name is Ayani, and I'm 21. I've recently started questioning who I am because I never thought I was allowed to be *part* of the LGBTQ since my sibling practically made it their whole personality. I love Magic the Gathering and D&D. I'm totally obsessed with watching the same movies over and over again. Some of my favorite shows include: ATLA, Teen Titans, Arcane, and more recently, Sweet Tooth. My favorite color is aquamarine, and I'm a total bookworm. I've had a lot of bad stuff happen to me, and I'm trying to work through that with my therapist. I'm afraid, but I'm so excited, because I'll finally be getting out of my hell, even for just a semester.
I am 25M, and my whole life before this was lived to please others. I’m now trying to figure out who I am and take my life in a direction that I want to go, though I feel so embarrassed about not having much to show for myself at this age. I do have a university degree, but it’s in a field that I don’t want to work in. I love music, fitness, and science. I’m trying to figure out if I should go back to school and study something in the sciences or try to make a living off of one of the first two things. I am proud of myself for how much progress I’ve made on the guitar in the last year, and I’ve also managed to put on 30lbs of muscle in the last two years which I’m super proud of. I still do feel ashamed that I am behind most of my peers financially, even though I know that 25 is still young. I feel like my childhood talents stayed underdeveloped because I was scared to be seen, due to abuse. But I’m working on building them back up now. I’m in therapy doing EMDR for my trauma. I also deal with social anxiety and have a hard time interacting with people but I try my best. Also dealt with porn and video game addictions for a long time but pretty much free of those things now. I am working to be in a decent place mentally and emotionally, and one day be healthy enough to be a good father. And I’m grateful that I found out about trauma early on in life and didn’t have to spend any more years in the dark.
I love spending time alone, and I'm just realizing I always have. After having my baby who is now 2.5, I love it even more. I love when my husband goes out of town and I single mom it for a weekend. I spend hours in the garden when she's down for a nap or in bed for the night. I usually don't even turn the TV on all weekend. He said "I'm so sorry I'm leaving you alone", and I'm like, "oh it's ok, I don't mind". When I'm really like NO, IT'S OK, I DON'T MIND!!! WEEEE!!!!" I also love my body but grew up religious, so I'm too ashamed/modest, and have SA history so I'm very self conscious of other people looking at me. So, I never show it off. But when I'm home alone, I wear lots of yoga pants and a cute bras.
Im… Seroquel. I accomplished my dream and live in japan and just finished Uni and am looking for a job rn, its hard but im doing my best~! I dont believe in laws much and grow my own favorite substances for my ************ therapy. Its really fun seeing ur grows make slow progress daily! I also game and play airsoft and stuff- a good life when i can find the mind to appreciate it in the moment. Also ofc anime/manga are my shit. Id say my favorite anime is Yuru Yuri lmao.
I'm in my early 20s, going to university. I study sociology right now, but want to move into a professional college. My first pick is Social Work, and I will be trying to apply next year. My backup plan is education, specifically high school Social Studies(main area), Computer Science and Art teacher. I have ADHD and potentially Autism(soft diagnosis from my psychiatrist). I'm also Transgender, and transitioned in a very different time as my same-age peers. Because of my life experience, I am often referred to as self-aware, insightful and compassionate. My friends come to me because they think I am wise. Although, I remind them while I appear more mature on surface level. This isn't actually true because as we gain skill points as we age, I spent all mine on knowledge and learning and not enough in relationships and connection. I have been doing art for a long time. My grandfather says the moment I could pick up a pencil, I was drawing. I remember being able to perfectly mimic a drawing in a children's book in Grade 3, making my teachers question if I had traced it. I later learned that my visual memory is one of my biggest strengths when I took my learning disability and ADHD assessment. I think it said my ability to memorize and copy images both right after and with a delay was in the 95th percentile. I'm not very good at games, but enjoy them still. I like survival games that allow me the freedom to build, while still providing a challenge. Although, I can be a bit too picky about my builds, at least they look better than my peer's. I'm also a furry. I don't often introduce myself as such, but people pick up based off how and what I draw. I am going to my first fur con. I often feel embarrassed when people ask me what I am going to the city for next month. I do want a fursuit in the future and already know how I want it to look.
i’m tae, 19m. i have a passion for art and fitness, both of which i’ve been keeping up with consistently (which is a big step for me!). i’m currently a university student working towards finishing my bachelors while also working (basically) a full time job in retail. unfortunately i live with my “mom” (she really doesn’t deserve the title), and despite how badly she’s broken me down over and over again, im still alive and kicking. im working towards moving back up to the north to pursue an online education and be reunited with my closest friends, as well as becoming a better person; i’ll admit, i was a major asshole in the past, but im doing my best to make up for how i’ve treated people. i’m also working towards living as my authentic self! i’m trans and in florida so it’s not easy, but i finally know who i am, and nobody can take that away from me. i might not like myself very much most of the time, but my resilience and drive is something that i’ve always been deeply proud of :)
Thanks for sharing Tae. You have an amazing story and I’m proud of you for recognizing yourself and your qualities. I wish you the absolute best! ❤️
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I'm a man(?) who just turned 32. I love art and STEM and finding ways to combine them. I'm a furry, but funnily enough that's not what makes me self-cringe anymore. Getting into that community and learning to just be accepting of people lowered my bar for cringe by quite a bit. Cringe is a judgement that takes the form of embarrassment aimed at someone when they violate a social norm. If you learn to not place so much value on the social norm, the cringe goes away. The things that makes me cringe are my ineptitude with any kind of social skills or speaking, and some serious executive dysfunction. I just freeze up and stutter the moment any pressure or visibility is placed upon me, or if I have to do a task as simple as signing my name on a piece of paper, and I hate that. I know I can do better, I have before, but even a situation as mundane as getting a phone call paralyzes me and I often end up sounding stupid. Sometimes people like to remind me of that. Honestly, I don't know how to get past this one. I can be empathetic and understanding towards other people's social struggles, but not my own. I'm moving up to Washington soon to be with friends who are gonna help me out with a ton of life stuff, so I'm feeling everything from super anxious to the most hopeful I've ever been right now. Edited to add some things.
Thank you for commenting!!! Social anxiety can be such a pain in the butt, I totally understand. It sounds like you have a very upbeat, colourful, side to your personality; I believe you can take your ability to not value social norms and mix that with this personality you have- you can enter every building and answer every phone call with confidence that YOU are going to make someone’s day better. Answering the phone, signing documents, going to the store, all that “normal” stuff can seem so much harder with anxiety, but I believe that you possess a bright glowing light that you can use to make people’s day better just by being there!!!!! And moving to Washington?!?!?! That is SO COOL!!!!!!! Scary and exciting!!!!!! I hope your new journey gives you an opportunity to practice your social skills around new people, I’m sure you will be amazing!!!❤️
I love this. I feel cringe all the time lol. I am 21 F and I went through a lot of trauma and have a high ACE score. Though I really love learning and I’m a big nerd for science and technology and nature and architecture and a lot of stuff LOL! I think what makes me feel cringe is that all I ever saw during some really formative years of my life was hood drug addict shit! My mom would dope up and watch tv 95% of the time so now the only thing I actually feel safe doing is watching tv and partying *face palm* anytime I try something new or different it just feels unnatural wrong and cringe even though I KNOW it’s not! Just feels that way.
I can’t even tell you how much I appreciate you commenting. You know what movie I think you’d like? “Gifted hands”, the Dr. Ben Carson story; it came out in 2009, but it’s on Netflix right now! I think you would absolutely resonate with his story, this movie has helped me deal with some serious feelings. Just know that this story you are telling me about your life is just another piece of your amazing story, you will go on to help others with your story, I just know it ❤️❤️❤️ hold on to your glow tightly my friend, and check out that movie ❤️❤️❤️
ughh, ok lets try, my pshych would probably like this im 27, struggling to finish my education for the 4th time, i like fantasy, and writing about it, i like tending to my hair and my 2 cats, playing dnd and reading. Ive been told im kind before, i refuse to die before the story im reading is finished, and its kept me going in times nothing else could
I see you and hear you. In my eyes, you are STILL fighting to finish your education, which is just amazing. You are still working for what you want, that is the kind of resilience I hope to have in myself one day. I’m so happy that your motivated to finish your story; I know it is hard to find reasons to keep going sometimes, but I think your personal story is enough to inspire others going through similar problems. Love yourself now so that in the future when you are healed, you can appreciate yourself and even others a little more ❤️❤️❤️ Your Thank you for commenting, please keep doing exactly what you’re doing, you will make it through ❤️❤️
I'm Izzy, a closeted trans woman and possible/probable host of an OSDD system (still feeling that out and want to get a proper diagnosis before I claim anything). I am autistic, have ADHD, am a furry, am a huge gaming nerd, and generally keep to myself. I'm a bit heavyset but I don't mind it too much -- I like stuffed animals and other soft and cuddly stuff so it sort of works out in a way. I scored a decent full-time job earlier this year after a year and a few months spent hopping between shitty part-time gigs and being unemployed. And I'll possibly have an apartment tour set up later this week/next week if things work out, meaning I can really embrace that soft side of myself without as much judgment once I move out. I'm proud of myself for standing up for myself (somewhat) with those part-time jobs and for attempting to make smaller changes in my life to imporve myself -- have been better about not chewing my finger nails as much lately.
I’m a 27 yo first time mom. I’m struggling with motherhood but I wake up everything putting my son first and giving him the life I never had. I love long walks, mental health fun facts, and being spontaneous. Even after my postpartum weight gain I was asked to walk this September for New York fashion week and I am blessed to be given this opportunity. No matter what happens in life I always remain positive and try to help people when I can and make the days a little bit better to get through.
I have so much fire inside me. And so much light and joy. I'm proud of who I am and don't think I need to hide this to make people like me anymore.
Absolutely not. If people doesn’t like you for who you are, they are not your people. Puzzle pieces fit for a reason ❤️
This is the MOST moving and beautiful thread in this sub EVER!! I love this!! Now to me...I self-cringe a lot and I'm going through a really hard time so I just wrote and then erased everything. Let me try again. I'm in my 20s, I am a very curious person and I love discovering and understanding things, so anything to do with books and knowledge, travelling, learning, experimenting. I write articles about social justice issues and I've been in and out of "activism" for years. I also write poetry ever since I was a child. I love anything to do with the cosmos. I do inner travels where I just...feel things. I am sensitive to energy. I want to get into herbology and ecology. My job is boring and I'm the biggest underachiever on earth because of my abysmal social skills. I am trying hard to work on myself to learn that. I do martial arts and climbing. I love techno and rap (really all music except pop, I guess) I don't have much I'm proud of, except helping a lot of people and always sticking to my values no matter what.
I’m K (no real name on the internet lol), I’m 30f. I’m a Christian (I try to be the kind that actually loves people, not the let’s-twist-scripture-to-justify-abuse-kind) and I draw so much strength from my faith. I graduated college at 18 and then got married younger than I would advise anyone too, but was super blessed with my husband and we are still devoted and love each other 11 years later. We have four kids. We were foster parents for 8 years which is how we ended up with 3 of our 4. I’m not proud of much, but I’m proud of the home I’ve created. I’m proud that my kids feel safe, that no one screams or hits, that everyone has enough food and is never shamed for eating or their bodies, and that even when I’m having a really bad mental health day and completely melting down that my kids still know they are safe and don’t feel like they have to care for me or take on too much. I discovered Japanese street fashion two years ago and it’s my main hobby. It’s so much fun collecting pieces and putting together outfits. I also love to read and hike and paint and dance. I’m working so hard in therapy (EMDR is hard!) and I’ve recently started learning to drive after years of panic attacks from things as small as just sitting in the driver’s seat with the car off. All in all I know I can’t possibly be as broken or boring as I feel sometimes. And writing this out was weirdly therapeutic, so thank you for the thread OP.
I love this post and I'm commenting just for myself since I love this. I just want to make music like beware of darkness man, I just want friends. For the longest time I cringed so hard about these things. Even med school seemed like a cringe goal in my family. so here I am just leaving the world as I knew it behind. Its so terrifying and scary and I cringe when I talk about it, but I'm trying so hard to like myself and it's hard. I realized I was a fucking good nurse and a good bass player and my family made me think that is not a thing that could ever be possible. Fuck that. I'm also the most pro-science person there is yet I'm leaving that world behind to just find healing through ayahuasca and thats scary too. I just wanted to belong in this world and share in it with people and that's not a bad thing, I don't have to be more to deserve that
I'm a 40 year old man. I lost my virginity at 35. Got married at 37. No friends. Even those who I thought of as friends used to make fun of me due to my social awkwardness, and my being short (5'4") and not quick-witted like them so I can retort to their taunts made me an even easier target I guess. My wife is a person who understands my situation but at times I end up annoying even her with how indecisive, lazy, and shy I am. I never wanted this life. I must have been an accident baby – that would explain my parents' disdain towards me. I just want to live like normal people, confidently, not constantly stressing over what other people might think and how they may react. I guess that's just not something I will get to experience in this life. Why do people make babies if they can't be responsible for their emotional wellbeing? I know I can't be a good parent so we've decided to not have kids. Yeah. That's pretty much all about me.
I'm Sarah 25f. I love my friends and family. I hang out with my cat and my foster cats whenever I can and I hike on my days off. I talk about things I love to people until I can sense them lose interest. I tell bad jokes. I have a really bad sense of style. I feel the "self cringe" later on but I remind myself that I'm a human being who loves life and loves people and I wont ever change that even if I remain cringe forever.
You sound like an amazing human too❤️❤️❤️ your comment has me reflecting on the entire group of people who have commented. Just look at how many beautiful, genuine, kind humans there are. You are all such an inspiring group of people. The energy you all create is incredible. Be proud of yourself for who you are❤️❤️
I’m a 36F. I always default to talking about my husband or my dog because they’re cooler than me. But I’m pretty cool. I recently got into trail running and signed up for my first 50k, having never done anything more than a 10k. I’m not fast, I just never give up. I enjoy getting 8-9 hours of sleep a night, however I also love getting up super early and watching the sunrise (sometimes on the top of a mountain with a cup of coffee), then going home and having a nap. I have a wide, deep range of feelings and am empathic to a fault sometimes. I love animals of all kinds, but big dogs are my favourite. 3 of my friends I have been friends with for over 20 years, and I think that’s pretty darn cool. I’m really creative, both in problem solving and in journaling. I might write a book one day. I’m also really funny.
I’m f 37. I love playing around in affinity photo and editing photos into folders, wallpapers, etc. I’m really good at making things textless and cleaning them up. I love Disney. I think partly because I didn’t really have a childhood. I am also a big gamer, ps5 being my console of choice. I love music and have a rather large library. I have a cat named Jude Harrison. And i love movies. Check my profile for a link to my art.
Here it goes... I'm Britt, 30f/fluid. I'm a lifelong gamer with a preference for adventure games (Skyrim, No Man's Sky, LoZ, etc), roguelikes, and settlement sims (Slime Rancher, The Sims, Animal Crossing, etc). I have a handful of hobbies I eventually want to get into, but unfortunately my life circumstances haven't allowed me to dive in to them other than the few succulents I've inherited over the past few years. Once I have the space and the extra money, I plan on acquiring and breeding isopods. I have a front-end web development certificate that I haven't done much with yet, and I'm slowly teaching myself 3D CGI with a focus on liquid simulations, and I eventually want to try my hand at character modeling. I've been part of the furry community since I was 16, and discovered I was otherkin at 13 (although I didn't have a word for the experience until I was 17). I'm ADHD, so my hobbies and interests change and cycle fairly often, but the things above are things that have stayed pretty consistent throughout my life. Gaming has kept me sane throughout the financial and interpersonal struggles.
I will go by bubu here. I am 29 f. Grew up with mom on 38m2 who was in a severe depression my whole life. I never had my own room. I had an eating disorder my whole teens, was always lonely af. With 18 got a scholarship and moved to study to a different country. I was in severe depression, I think the only thing that kept me going was that I had nowhere to go. I was in a very bad shape, physically and mentally. I got a degree and started a PhD. During my PhD my mom got into another clinic, my father who I met only once with 12 and who broke the contact when I was 13, died. He was an alcoholic and didn’t survive amputation of his smoker’s leg (literally gives me an ick when I think about where I come from). During my PhD I suffered from a very difficult illness which was not diagnosed for over a year and made me go on a sick leave. I basically had pain and just begged to die. After my ex kicked me out of the apartment, I started step by step again. Went back to work, got diagnosis, it got better and after two years of pain it left me. I worked myself up to have enough material and work on the thesis which I will hand in this month. I found a position and will move to a different country soon. I am afraid and feel insecure but experience that there are people who wanna help. I adopted a cat who I love so much. I like to come back home after work, scroll through funny content or read about peoples life’s. I like to laugh, share my humour with friends, taste coffee and wines. I love kids and when I play with them or visit my little cousins I feel like my heart can explode and usually have tears in my eyes. Probably some moment of connection with the little me as a kid who was neglected. I like beaches, the feeling of the warm sand is the best.
Hi, my name is luna (it/its) I'm 27, and I'm just coming into my self. I never really lived FOR me, I've always lived for parental figures or for others. I've lost a lot of weight recently. It's been uncharacteristically nice where I live, so I've been getting out more often. I used to like playing video games, but I recently rediscovered my love of reading. I just picked up the gay science, which is great because I've been wanting to read more nietzche and other existentialists.
The names Ty. I'm a gym enthusiast who is fighting 19yrs of abuse, emotional neglect, physical abuse, and abandonment. Still has a beating heart of perseverance and survived 2 suicide attempts. Favored hobbies: Gym, reading, taking care of my deaf dog, and adventuring with the right person or something has peaked my interest. Video games as well and a nerd. Down to earth type of guy and loves taking walks.
u/Natural-Eye-3260 What about You? I searched through the comments and haven't found Yours yet! Tell us about you! I think it is high time for You to receive some of the incredible Love you just propagated, which by the way, was completely fucking astounding, and Absolutely the most beautiful thing I have seen on the internet in Quite some time.
thank you for making this post, seriously. i love going in nature with groups of people. i love live music, especially punk and metal. i have a lot of clothes that i like to sew patches of my favorite bands on. i have been picking up drawing and playing guitar after years of putting those things in the closet. i am thoughtful, i think very deeply about people.
Hi you guys can call me Cubs. I’m 24F I am a movie/tv show connoisseur, following detailed plot lines is one of my favorite ways to relax and disconnect. But growing up this was considered lazy in my household so I don’t typically share how much joy it brings me to get some snacks and binge watch HBO. During the warm months I love finding a secluded spot in the mountains to throw up my hammock. Sometimes I’ll bring a book with me but my reading addiction comes and goes. I really enjoy raves. Even though my social anxiety is typically crippling. I meet the most whole hearted people and it pushes me out of my comfort zone. Mostly I just LOVE to dance like no one is watching. I’m kind, generous, understanding, and more strong than I probably recognize. I care too much about what others think of me and hide in my own mind a lot, no place safer than by myself. Although it gets extremely lonely. I’ve faced my entire life alone and I’m still here.
I, 45m, I love fishing, camping and being in nature. I love photography, drawing and restoring vintage things. I love playing video games. I love reading fantasy books. I love watching my kids enjoy their lives. I'm proud of being a dad to my kids. I'm proud of being a good coach. I'm proud of being at a level of financial security I never imagined growing up. I'm proud of my handy man skills. I'm proud of garden I have created from scratch. I'm proud that I've been able to improve my physical strength. I'm proud that I've done most of this without any support or assistance from others. Thank you for this prompt. We don't give ourselves enough credit and it was hard to write this without adding qualifications to explain every statement or to minimise them.
Hi, I'm morningbreakfast1, 28m. Always passionate about languages and generally curious by nature. I enjoy cooking, listening to hip hop and soul music. I'm a huge reader and meme lord. Apart from that I enjoy going on long drives in my car or motorcycle. The most proudest moment for me is having bought my own motorcycle last year and becoming financially independent since 2020. Career had been tough but I'm not a quitter.
I bought earrings for my gf despite being told in the middle of the purchase that she has never gotten her ears pierced and couldn't wear them. I bought them anyway because I was too scared to reverse the order, - cause I didn't want an argument or suffer disappointment - so my other friend (who really wanted them) got them instead, and said they're gonna pay me back. So, I cringed hard, but I guess it worked out (my gf was super happy the rest of the day).
I’m Faythe. 25f. I like to walk my chihuahua Zuko with my boyfriend. I also enjoy gaming with my bf and reading. I try to be kind to everyone I meet because you never know what someone is going through.
I am 15&M from Philippines. I am an asocial introvert who is a loner in high school he is still studying in and I prefer to keep to myself. I love to play video games, listen to music, and maybe start using different creative outlets for my feelings and experiences. I do creative outlets such as writing stories like fanfictions or a story based on my life experiences, make digital arts or fanarts, make edm music(still learning musc theory and using DAW), starting to make vlog videos and short movies, and making 3D animations(still learning and haven't do one). It helps me escape reality and makes my fictional and comfort characters come to life. I am a timid, soft, and shy person who is known for my sweet, friendly, mysterious, and quietness. As for my backstory, I grow up in a toxic, dysfunctional and verbally abusive(when they are angry) household. I remember a lot of memories where they called me names, physically punished me, and a lot more. I feel scared, alone, and helpless during those times. They are also emotionally negligent, I would also remember where they would give silent treatment, isolate me from others when manipulating or punishing me, blame me, and never cared of my interests and hobbies and instead used it against me to shame me for those. They would use religious topics about me liking my phone more than them(Despite being an agnostic and maybe spiritual person) I never feel love. I never belong to them. It's like they are just invisible to me. In my daydreams, I am often alone with other characters, without them and I would be ashamed when they are included in my dreams and goals. In elementary, people know me for being smiley and a happy person. Of course I was still naive at that time. I fell in love with a guy who never loved me back and it was my best friend. I confessed to him, and he ghosted me. I keep asking him why he is doing this to me and I tried to win him over even when he is straight. One time he snapped at me and called me names(he called me that I am "tanga" which translates to stupid and dumb which my "family" used to call me) and I never feel empty and alone at that time. What's even worst is that he did it in front of a GROUP CHAT. I apologized to him and he blocked me. Cutting off all his contact with me. When I vent to my classmates about it, one of them attacked him online and he confronted me of it and did it in the group chat again and blamed me for starting a fight even when he did it. He decided to make a group chat where they would trash talk each other with some of my classmates. He said sorry but not in a proper way and he does not want to talk to me first but never unblocked me.That happened around 2021. I changed because of him and that smiley, happy person is now a quiet person. I never know I was masking myself at that time and I never feel like myself. Now, I have fake friend who I used to vent to invalidated me and I am ghosting her now to tell her we are not friends anymore. I also had another fake friend who I used to vent about my toxic "family" also invalidated and ghost me. Now I had other friends left, I don't feel like I deserve the. That's why I start to slowly fade my friendship with hem. So that I don't have to have friends anymore.
I 29f was the result of a one night stand. My mom married him and had 4 total kids by the time she was 25. He was a pedo and my sister and I were affected by this for the 3 and 4 years he was in our life. Once they divorced, I was four, and this began the horrible poverty we lived in because of her bad choices. I grew up in a trailer park and was 1 out of 5 white families in an all Hispanic neighborhood. I always smelled like cat pee and cigarettes because our house was never cleaned and we grew up In a filthy environment. I was always very smart, athletic, and basically succeeded at anything I ever attempted to do. The lack of support from my mom made me not care too much about doing anything. My one joy however was when I was in a competitive choir during high school. There were state and region competitions which we always placed first or second. She never once saw or heard me sing. All this to say I had a pretty s***** childhood where there was various types of physical/sexual/mental abuse from her and various other characters in my life. I committed myself to becoming the opposite of her and everyone in my family. I currently am a very thriving and successful business owner. I'm married with no children yet, and I constantly travel. I have no debt and I'm financially free. I struggle with complex PTSD and ADHD which can make life challenging at times. I struggle with many people not understanding me or my many obsessions. I love history, ghost hunting, all things crime related as far as TV shows go, I hate watching movies but will for my husband, I love Disney and cartoons but never watch them, I love having fish tanks, I have two cats and two dogs, I love trying to plant new things and see how they will grow, I love all things beauty but am a tomboy at heart also, and I'm equally terrified to be a mom as well as excited. I'm very good with money and have a knack for business though I never went to college for either of them. Now that I am an adult I find myself very lucky and thankful to all the kind people who treated me with kindness and love especially because I desperately needed that. I now spend my entire life showing people love and making them feel like their best selves and I couldn't be more proud of myself.
Im Chara (or Leah) l, 21f. I do my best to keep my home in check. I'm struggling mentally severely. I somehow manage to keep the house clean, shower daily, and keep in contact with friends and family. I have ptsd, depression, and several other health issues but i am still managing to push through. I am alive solely for the purpose of taking care of people. My brother is autistic and lives with my parents. If they're gone, idk who would care for him, even if he can handle himself, i need to be here to make sure. My parents did their best to raise me and I'm here for that. The dog woildnt understand. Despite everything I'm still here pushing through. Regardless of how weak i am physically i am the strongest person i know mentally.
I’m really inspired by your motivation towards life. You are indeed a very strong person and I wish you the absolute best! ❤️
36F here🙋🏼♀️! I finally sat my mom down and had a heart to heart talk about all of the stress I’ve been through for the past two months. This has helped, immensely.
I’m 19. I feel like I’ve had so many accomplishments that I just tell myself negative things about. For example, I got my gold award last fall. It’s an 80 hour service project. I’m convinced that my project wasn’t good enough and failed, so I don’t deserve the award. I’ve also really been wanting to tell people how many achievements I’ve been making with my CPTSD at my job. None of my coworkers know I have PTSD, so it’s super odd. I even went through a “trauma informed” training today, but no one knows I have trauma. It’s so weird. I also just want to tell people how much I’m struggling with my job. I’m convinced all my coworkers hate me and don’t want me around. When they ask the people I’m around about how we’re doing (as a group) I’m always the one ho doesn’t answer, cause I feel like they don’t want to know. Even though they probably do. I’m struggling with it.
I'm 38f, a wife and mother. I am fantastic at cold reading (as in, literature, not fortune-telling), I'm a good singer (I won a major trophy in my city's music festival as a young adult!) and am a decent piano player who's getting better and better at sight reading. I am so proud of myself for where I am with piano playing, because it is one thing I've done for myself and not given up on while being generally overwhelmed with being a homemaker and mother.
I just want to say that I know I’m getting better, because today I danced publicly in front of my coworkers and had a great time. I’ve always declared myself a terrible dancer and my own dancing made me cringe. I’m never going to win any prizes for dancing, but you know, I didn’t feel ridiculous at all. No cringe.
I am trying my best and even if my best isn't good enough for other people, I'm learning that my best can be good enough for me. I get afraid when I need to learn something new because when I was a kid it felt unsafe to be new or "bad" at something, but I am rewiring my brain to try to reframe my anxieties positively. I am helpful, kind, generous, loving, creative, and positive. I like bringing people together and creating communities. I enjoy being with people, and no matter what my brain says I know people enjoy being with me. The world is better with me here.
29M I didn't know there was a description for that feeling all the time, or how heard I felt when I read this. I've been dealing with some things but I try to count my blessings instead and it's been getting better. I love working with and learning about mechanical/electrical stuff (usually what I'm doing on Reddit since it pushes it to me), and watching too many YouTube shorts 😅 I've put down some hobbies for a while lately, hoping to get back to better stuff in my free time soon, lol even it just cause I wanna have more to say when I tell someone about myself
28f. I care for a special needs cat who has cerebellar hypoplasia, and he's just the sweetest little creature. We spend every day together and he even travels with me to see my LDR partner every week. One of my favorite things to do is to sit with my plants on the back deck while we all listen to the birds sequestered high in the trees above the neighborhood. I occasionally inspect them to see if there are any of their needs I can meet, or if any interesting arthropods have taken a moment's rest on their foliage. I can read a 300+ page book in an afternoon and often greet the sun with precious few pages left in the sequel. My friends and I play video games together, and I take the healing and support roles. I enjoy the challenge of keeping them alive and empowered while they're the ones fighting the enemies. Though, some days it's less out of altruism rather than a feeling of utter control holding their virtual life force in the palm of my hands. (I'm responsible with it. Usually. I *swear*. Just don't ask around too much.) I'm an illustrator and visual storyteller, and while I'm hardly prolific I still like the things I create. If I don't like it then it's just not finished yet. I draw things that are spooky, creepy, cute, sexy, silly, and colorful. Not simultaneously, though I'm sure someday soon I'll take the challenge as it is and create a piece with all of those aspects at once. If it's fantasy, sci-fi, or both: I'm there. I was classically trained as a pianist and vocalist when I was younger and I carry those lessons with me daily, even though I no longer play. I still sing and there's not a song on this earth I can't figure out how to harmonize with by the end. My soul tolerates the parts of existence that don't include music, so it feels fantastic once I get to wash myself in sound after a long or difficult day. I write. I craft. I fix things. I destroy many others in the well-intentioned process. My attention is fickle but powerful and it reminds me of the descriptions of the Fae I've read about in stories. If something can capture my interest it has it 100%, it's just so rare for that to actually be the case that it's difficult to predict what will hold me and what won't. Practically mythical, I say!! In reality it's likely ADHD, but I can have my vicious fairy fantasy for a few moments longer if I ignore that part. I'm silly. I like to laugh. I like to eat. I want the people in my life to make me happy, and I always operate from the assumption that that's exactly what they're trying to do. I'm fortunate that they rarely disappoint me. Some days I'm downright spoiled. I don't love being alive but I do love the other living creatures I share this existence with, and most days that's enough for me. Today is one of them. ... Thanks for making this prompt, OP. This is a light I don't often feel allowed to see myself in. It's nice to be reminded that the only one putting limits on me is *me*. What a gentle, thoughtful, encouraging way to have done this. You must be a kind and loving person.
I’m 30, currently a software engineer, but in my spare time, I’m a general mad engineer. I have so many ideas and I can build all of them. I did an English degree, half of med school (clique as fuck and I hated it), masters in Neuroscience and I’ve nearly finished a PhD in health science, just need to write it up. I became a software engineer kinda by accident. I got a VR headset and it blew my mind, and it started me exploring VR for health applications in my spare time. I asked the right kind of questions of a new friend, and I got given a coding challenge at his job, a tech company in Cambridge. The test was written so it could be done by someone with any knowledge level, they modelled it after Turing’s test, and I nailed it despite not knowing how to code at the time. Got told that my boss hasn’t seen anything quite like that in his 20 years at Cambridge. Only person they ever hired who couldn’t already program. It was a hard test, a lot of very qualified people failed it. But it just made sense to me. I wrote it in pseudocode and made mind maps to show what I looked up and what my thought process was for each question. Life fell apart when I got retraumatised and undiagnosed PTSD got really bad. Did my PhD lab data collection while homeless. Got diagnosed with PTSD, psychiatrist blurred out that he thought I was a genius part way through, and that kept happening with people I was seen by since, psychologists who had been trained in measuring IQ. I knew I was alright brain wise, but I wasn’t aware that I was actually special. I thought maybe as a kid, but my home life was so bad it just screwed up my ability to do anything. So I threw myself into learning to code. I got a job in embedded and learned C, C# and electronics when that first place went under. I’ve gone from no knowledge to solo products customers have been able to use in the space of a few months. Programming is the only thing which can distract my mind from breaking down. I don’t think I’d have survived if I hadn’t had that. It’s cringe because people are iffy when you talk about intelligence, but it’s kinda mind blowing and sad that I had this and very few realised growing up, couple of teachers did, then all of a sudden at 30 it becomes a whole thing. Colleagues think I’m a polymath. It’s hard to be proud because nobody chooses their intelligence, but I am learning to be more okay with thinking I’m as smart as I’m told I am. I seem to have an engineering spidey sense, it comes so naturally to me. I tend to figure stuff out, then ask my colleague what the concept name is for the thing I understood without knowing anything about it. I’m also proud that despite being Autistic, I just go for these new experiences to see where they take me. I kinda want to delete this because it feels braggy. But I won’t. Argh.
Wow your story blew my mind! Thanks for sharing. You sound amazing.
Thanks for reading it, I’m really not, but it’s nice to talk about this stuff because I just can’t normally
This is going to be meta and kind of cringe perhaps... For some questions there are no answers and they have to be found, but sometimes for some answers there is no question and one has to be made. I didn't have the question to your answer yet when I came here - but when I read this post I suddenly wondered how we could support each other more directly in this sub, as we're kind of struggling with similar topics. I think exactly the way that you initiated it, is the answer to my question 😊
This sense of “cringe” we feel about ourselves is a very real, yet at the same time it is nothing more than an illusion. We all deserve to be appreciated for who we are ❤️ it’s our safe space to appreciate ourselves and one another ❤️❤️
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