Injuries are, generally, pretty easy to follow. A cut, a break or something similar can be quickly diagnosed and treatments applied. But mental health is a lot more complex, as it’s often invisible to the naked eye. But that doesn’t mean that the things we go through don’t leave a mark.
Someone asked “What event in your life fucked you up mentally for the rest of your life?” and people shared the worst things they’ve gone through. So get comfortable as you read through, upvote the ones that made you feel something and be sure to share your own thoughts and experiences in the comments section below. Be warned, some of these stories might be distressing.
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Work stress induced burnout. My first job out of university I was the wonder kid. took it all on and did it all well.
Worked ridiculous hours to impress higher-ups. Ended up depressed and unemployable alcoholic. Will never fully recover, unfortunately, the psychological damage is done.
My dad was always the idyllic standard of a strong person. At 6’5” and around 240lbs, he was hard to miss. But he was kind, charitable, memorable, and often unflappable.
Even after the one-in-a-million cancer diagnosis he continued to be the same old guy. In between hospital visits with mesh screens for MRIs and bouts of radiation he never seemed to weaken.
The war in Ukraine. My friends and close people to me moved in different countries and all of them started new, interesting life with new people. And I’m still here and didn’t make new friends.
My dad was always the idyllic standard of a strong person. At 6’5” and around 240lbs, he was hard to miss. But he was kind, charitable, memorable, and often unflappable.
Even after the one-in-a-million cancer diagnosis he continued to be the same old guy. In between hospital visits with mesh screens for MRIs and bouts of radiation he never seemed to weaken.
My parents had moved away from me and my hometown years before, so I didn’t get to see dad too often. The last time he came to my coast I finally started to see the cracks forming; he couldn’t walk very well, and had bathroom issues (he was always way too free about telling me things like that. Classic dad).
*Heard* the impact of someone falling to their death. Can never unhear that noise and whenever i hear something similar i jump slightly.
The last time I saw him was back on his coast. I was able to have the joy of telling him that my now husband and I were engaged. But during that trip I saw one of my heroes look truly weak.
He insisted on trying to stand and walk as much as possible despite his prognosis and weakened state. One day several of us in the room helped him to stand, and he immediately fell backwards and said “I’m dying.” It truly broke my f*****g heart, and still does to this day.
Seeing someone you love and admire come to grips with mortality is almost indescribable. Dad’s been gone for just over three years now, but that is a moment that i wish i could scrub from my mind.
I was holding my dog as he was being put down (had growths in his chest). When I felt the life leave his body something from me left with it.
Me and my brother lived with our parents at the time, they were abusive as it was, towards us and each other, she was pregnant and one day they were just arguing, and the next thing I know he chokeslammed her on the ground and was strangling her, we freaked the f**k out I was maybe 10, we LUCKILY lived right next door to a family members house and went there and got them and they separated them
Can’t remember a whole lot, they both ended up in jail for a bit, don’t remember them getting arrested, after getting my family members next door the next thing I remember was my gma picking us up
And like I said she was pregnant, my brother was born but died from lack of oxygen I think it was which I don’t even wanna get into how I found out about that I’m already crying
My step dad catfished me for 5.5 years, from the time I was 16-21. F****d me up real good.
My mom had this problem where she had to take daily pills otherwise she would not be able to keep ANYTHING down. I’m talking food, water, medicine, anything that she consumed she would vomit up. So, when she took the second Covid vaccine, it made her really sick and she was so nauseous she couldn’t take her meds.
She went to the doctor, but they gave her nausea pills instead of taking her to the hospital. She can’t take pills. One day, I was eating chocolate chip pancakes, having a good time, until my dad said that my mom was dead. I was like “heh yeah sure she is” because my dad used to have a sense of humor where he would say stupid stuff that clearly isn’t true.
But when the police got called and they confirmed her death I sobbed so hard. My mom was dead. She had so much time ahead of her. Her parents outlived her. All because of medical malpractice. I hate them. I’ll never forgive them.
