Anonymous wrote:I have been thinking about this topic lately. Honestly, public shaming for having oral herpes (cold sores) has been the ongoing trauma in my life. I have been kicked out of friend groups, scolded by family members at holidays, rejected by people I cared about, shunned at jobs, lost out on opportunities and even shunned by my former faith community.

I have had recurring cold sores most of my life and was not able to take medication due to kidney issues. Recently the frequency and severity has subsided and reflecting back I now see how much this issue has impacted my life. For so long I stuffed away the hurt of each event and I didn't make the connection.

I get cold sores too. I hate them, I just feel so run down and ugly. But you got kicked out of friend groups? Seriously? That’s shallow, find better friends..

Alcoholic mother

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kidnapped and assaulted at age 16 + then having to testify in both Juvenile+ Common Pleas Court because there were 2 attackers.

Oh my god, I am so sorry.

Thank you.

My sister being murdered by her estranged husband a month before I turned 8. Things went downhill from there, though having an alcoholic parent before then wasn't exactly a picnic, but it definitely got worse.

Sexual abuse by stepbrother ages 11-14. Narcissist step dad who later said he suspected but didn’t do a thing.

My parents’ chaotic divorce and not having a stable friend group growing up due to friends moving and being bullied. All issues I have stem from those two events but I like to think I have overcome.

When my boyfriend was murdered in front of me when I was 21. I’ve been through other traumas since, including domestic violence and sexual assault, but seeing someone murdered takes the cake.

I'm actually not really sure. My childhood through 20s bore all the hallmarks of someone who had childhood trauma - early hyper-sexualization, alcohol issues, obsessions with older and inappropriate men, lack of trust in anyone, etc. I'm the person you read about and think "wow, what happened to her?". My therapist in college kept trying to find something to explain it. Even my mom has asked me (as a full-grown adult, we never talked about these things when I was young) if "someone did something to me" as a kid, because my actions at age 4-5 freaked her out but she didn't know how to ask me about it then.

So, maybe something? Maybe not, maybe I was just born this way? Guess I'll never really know. The good news is that I've learned to control those issues, I know they do me more harm than good. So even though I still don't really know why those feelings were there, I can put them in a box and get on with my life. Took me a long time to get here, though.

Anonymous wrote:To all of you;

You are strong, resilient, valued, are worthy of love and are loved

You're a nice person. Thank you.

To all of you;

You are strong, resilient, valued, are worthy of love and are loved

My dad died suddenly (to me, anyway) when I was 11. My mom never told me how sick he was. That was the defining trauma for me.

Being born with a permanent, physical disability that is progressive and never knowing if any day will be the day I end up back in the hospital or a wheelchair. I have over 20 reconstructive surgeries.

Being disabled can just be one trauma after the next. It is a life sentence.

More than years of sexual abuse by my stepfather, it was my mom not believing me for most of those years.

My first relationship was with a man who was pretty much Brian Laundrie’s twin —
very abusive and manipulative. When I saw him in that video, it was just scary how similarly he looked and behaved. Unfortunately, it affected my ability to trust men and I’m not sure I’ll ever be in a healthy relationship.

Getting fired from my dream job. I spent my whole adult life working toward that job. One bully of a boss ended it all. That was three years ago and I am still trying to pick up the pieces.