Recently, u/rentinghappiness asked r/AskReddit, “What did you think people were exaggerating about until you experienced it yourself?” And here are some of the most popular responses:
1.
“Back pain. I use to think it was just an excuse for others not wanting to do something. One ruptured disk later… Back pain is very real and sucks.”
2.
“Physical sensations that stem from negative emotions. Sinking feeling in your stomach. Heavy heart. Tight chest. It’s all real.”
3.
“I’d say learning to walk again. It’s not anywhere as easy at it may seem. Your mind says – ‘I got this, I know how to do it.’ Those first few steps is when you realise that this is gonna take time. Baby steps… again.”
4.
“Migraines – I get them daily and it’s a hell like no other. I’ve had people not believe chronic migraines are a disability until they’re literally having to carry me into an ambulance with stroke symptoms. It’s one of the most disabling conditions by WHO standards and there is absolutely minuscule amounts of funding for research into migraines. I hope you don’t get them often, it’s awful enough experiencing it once.”
6.
“How much loneliness can change a person, I’m completely normal at work talking all day. Then once I leave, I don’t have a reason to open my mouth until I’m back at work making up what I did on my weekend.”
7.
“Tooth pain. I remember hearing about people complain about it before it happened to me and I just didn’t get it. Like how bad could that possibly hurt?… Well let me fucking tell you, it’s A BITCH.”
8.
“A breakup. Nothing can prepare you for how horrible it’s going to feel, because it’s like the death of a future you had planned and you’re suddenly in the dark and lost about everything. Especially if it comes at an age where you were ready to ‘settle down’, and after the relationship went on for years.”
10.
“Vertigo, I thought it was just people making an exaggeration of motion sickness. Nope, a split second of my vision spinning followed by the most intense nausea and a general sense of ‘never again please’.”
11.
“Food poisoning – I was under the impression we’ve all had stomach bugs how bad can it be… I was on the bathroom floor telling my fiancé I thought I was actually dying and I didn’t think I was gonna make it through the first night. I’ve never felt a pain like that in my life – and what’s worse, I KNEW THE CRAB CAKE SMELLED A LIL FUNNY AND I STILL ATE IT.”
12.
“Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS) – it’s not painful, at least not to me. It feels like you desperately need to stretch but when you do there’s no relief you just still need to stretch. That’s not a great explanation it’s very uncomfortable and annoying. After a few nights of not being able to sleep because of it you’ll feel like you’re going crazy.”
14.
“The way that men in leadership will quietly ignore women. I had never experienced it until I got into middle management. So disgusting and frustrating.”
16.
“I used to think people were exaggerating about how powerful sleep deprivation could be — until I experienced it firsthand. Once I went a few days without enough rest, I realised how it messes with your mood, focus, and overall well-being. It’s definitely not something to take lightly!”
17.
“How horrific morning sickness can be. For me it was like experiencing the world’s worst hangover for three months straight. I couldn’t eat anything, couldn’t sleep, couldn’t even go on my phone without feeling nauseous. I feel for women that have morning sickness until the very end of pregnancy because three months was hard enough.”
Any more to add? Let us know in the comments below!