We all have something deep in our minds and hearts that we want to share with someone, but choose not to because it might make us vulnerable to the world. It could be the silliest mistake you made, or a secret that would quite literally change your life if you revealed it.
Disclaimer: The following content contains mentions of death, mental health issues, sexual harassment, and sensitive topics. Reader discretion is advised.
1.
“I was caregiver to my best friend for life after he developed ALS and I was thankful and relieved when he passed. It sucks when you find the level of your own weakness, and it is a chasm too hard to cross alone.”
2.
“I’ve worked my entire adult life to get into this really competitive and challenging doctorate program. It’s everything I ever dreamed of and worked for. I’d never been so proud of myself and what I overcame to get here. I’m about 2% away from failing out this semester. I refuse to give up, but I’m so scared and so stressed. Some days, I feel it’s completely achievable. Others, I think I might as well give up.”
3.
“I’m glad my fiancé got fired. After 11 years at his soul-sucking job, I can finally come home and not hear about his boss or a customer for once. He teased on and off about getting a new job for YEARS, and now he is forced to.”
4.
“I told my best friend I was happy for them when they got married. In reality, I think their partner sucks and makes them miserable.”
5.
“I feel my friends are my friends less and less as life goes on. Maybe that’s normal for mid-30s, maybe it’s the world right now, or maybe it’s both, I don’t know. It’s also the first time I’ve had this much of a wealth disparity between us, and I don’t feel like I can talk to them the same anymore. It’s hard to hear how they’re spending extra funds when I’m struggling so hard.”
6.
“I’ve owned a fried chicken restaurant for 10 years. I HATE chicken.”
7.
“It’s easier to let people think my parents are dead than to horrify them with the reality. I try to word it so I’m not lying, but at the same time not giving the whole awful truth. It feels kinder and saves us both discomfort. No one wants to hear, ‘My parents aren’t in my life because their mental illness, combined with religious extremism, has them convinced I’m evil and should be killed, so they’ve been trying to do just that since I was a kid. Sorry, I don’t have their address for your Christmas card list. I’ve been hiding for 16 years.’”
8.
“Two of my sisters are pregnant. My daughter died two months ago. I’m finding it very difficult to be happy for and with them.”
9.
“I quit methamphetamine cold turkey on October 1. The longest I have quit is 14 days in 14 years. This is HUGE for me. I have been secretly using it for years, so I really have no one to share this with. I never thought I would be able to quit; now I have been clean 42 days. The downside is the weight gain, which is kicking my ass, but I will get it under control. The upside is the improvement in the relationships with my family, especially my 15-month-old grandson.”
10.
“I’m afraid that I’ll never make it. I worked for over a decade with mental health professionals, and I’m still far from alright. I’ve studied my field for 9 years by the time I graduate, and I am 99% sure I won’t find a job, let alone a career, in my field. I have a mountain of debt because of this, which makes me feel like I’m drowning, and while I’m trying real hard to keep my head on straight, I can feel myself slowly giving up.”
11.
“Everyone thinks I’m functional, but I sleep damn near all weekend and don’t change my clothes or leave my house for 4 days at a time most weeks. I work a hybrid schedule, so I only really get dressed three days a week. I am tired. Life is hard. I’m an adult now, but the “American dream” is dead, and I don’t want to keep working until I die.”
12.
“Part of me is a little relieved I got cheated on before I would ever become a person that would do the same. Kind of a moral high ground, as shitty as it sounds.”
13.
“I’m not really happy for some of my work colleagues. Sure, I help set up the baby showers and housewarming parties we throw from time to time, but I’m jealous as hell that my chances to have those same experiences are getting lesser and lesser. I’d never say it to their face. I’ll smile and continue to show up. But if I say I’m happy for them, I’m lying.”
14.
“My brain fog is ruining my life, and I can’t figure out what’s causing it. I can’t remember things, speech is slower and inarticulate, comprehension is limited/harder, and my head is groggy. It has started to affect my work and personal life to where I sometimes catch myself struggling in casual conversation.”
15.
“I think my wife has fallen out of love with me. Hell, I’m not totally sure she ever really did love me. The f*cked-up part is I’m still madly in love with her. We’ve been together for almost 30 years and have 3 kids together. I really don’t believe she has anyone else; I just think I’m not really the one for her. I don’t think I make her happy. I’m not mad, just disappointed in myself and very sad.”
16.
“Randomly since I was 11 or 12 years old, I’d have flashes of memory of being molested by a family member when I was really, really young, but I’m not 100% sure if it really happened or if it was a horrible dream because I was exposed to sexual media way too early on. So I keep it to myself and would rather not unpack it.”
17.
“Changed a bad report card by scanning it, manually adjusting the pixels of the grades, printing it out, and putting it back in the envelope. Reheated the glue with a hair dryer and put it back in the mailbox. It then occurred to me if I was that resourceful, I should have just applied myself in class, and I would not have had the bad grades.”
18.
“After going through 4 trips to the ER with withdrawal, I asked for help and now get opiate replacement therapy. It consists of getting a shot every month, but I no longer want or think about fentanyl. This literally saved my life.”
Sometimes sharing such vulnerable information with strangers on the internet can help realize that we’re not alone. Support is always around the corner.
The National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline is 1-800-950-6264 (NAMI) and provides information and referral services; GoodTherapy.org is an association of mental health professionals from more than 25 countries who support efforts to reduce harm in therapy.
If you or someone you know has experienced sexual assault, you can call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE, which routes the caller to their nearest sexual assault service provider. You can also search for your local center here.
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