Some things, whether good or bad, can’t be put into words; they have to be experienced firsthand for a person to understand what they really feel like. For some people, it’s holding their newborn in their hands for the very first time, for others it can be something way less magical, like coming face-to-face with an alligator; but in both cases, there is simply no way to convey the experience with words.Curious about such instances, redditoru/Slow_Inflation8701addressed members of the ‘Ask Reddit’ community asking what’s something people don’t understand until they go through it themselves. Fellow netizens shared their insight covering everything from abuse to parenthood, and much more, so scroll down to find their answers on the list below.This post may includeaffiliate links.
Some things, whether good or bad, can’t be put into words; they have to be experienced firsthand for a person to understand what they really feel like. For some people, it’s holding their newborn in their hands for the very first time, for others it can be something way less magical, like coming face-to-face with an alligator; but in both cases, there is simply no way to convey the experience with words.
Curious about such instances, redditoru/Slow_Inflation8701addressed members of the ‘Ask Reddit’ community asking what’s something people don’t understand until they go through it themselves. Fellow netizens shared their insight covering everything from abuse to parenthood, and much more, so scroll down to find their answers on the list below.
This post may includeaffiliate links.
Being with an abuser (mentally, physically, or both) and how hard it is to leave
Depression, actual clinical diagnosed depression.If I had a dollar every time I had to explain to someone it’s not “just feeling sad, bro!” and can get over it just like that, I could retire.
Having to cut off your family because they are very toxic. It’s almost impossible to come off as the reasonable person in this situation to others, even if your life was in danger. People just don’t understand
The OP told Bored Panda that the reason they decided to start the thread was curiosity. “Just like everything posted on the ‘Ask Reddit’ forum, it’s just something that came to mind. I was thinking about my own experiences and I wanted to know what other people’s were.”
But little did they know that some of the answers would really move them. “I was surprised because I heard things about what people were going through that were unimaginable,” they said.
Chronic debilitating illness and disability. How quickly life can change permanently without you doing anything wrong.
Experiencing the death of someone you love
Struggling without anyone or anything to fall back on.
In the redditor’s opinion, the main thing that no one can understand unless they’re going through it themselves is mental illness. “Nobody understands; it’s proven true in both society and our healthcare system. Depressed people are lazy for not getting out of bed. People with anxiety are dramatic. People with OCD are said to be compulsive cleaners and neat freaks.“Everyone lacks empathy and basic understanding of how mental illnesstrulyworks. And it doesn’t help that there’s people on social media claiming that theylovetheir mental illnesses and it makes them who they are, when there’s people like myself suffering and battling daily with our minds. It makes it hard to get through simple tasks,” the OP shared.
In the redditor’s opinion, the main thing that no one can understand unless they’re going through it themselves is mental illness. “Nobody understands; it’s proven true in both society and our healthcare system. Depressed people are lazy for not getting out of bed. People with anxiety are dramatic. People with OCD are said to be compulsive cleaners and neat freaks.
“Everyone lacks empathy and basic understanding of how mental illnesstrulyworks. And it doesn’t help that there’s people on social media claiming that theylovetheir mental illnesses and it makes them who they are, when there’s people like myself suffering and battling daily with our minds. It makes it hard to get through simple tasks,” the OP shared.
Sexual assault
Living with PTSD.
Mental illness.
Homelessness.NOTHING prepares you for it, no amount of knowledge about “ resources “ street smarts etc prepares you for the devastation that is homelessness when you’re not mentally Ill or high to the hills.You quickly learn all the “ resources “ we like to lie to each other about and pretend those “ lazy bums “ have are a crock of s**t.Shelters are dangerous, filthy, abhorrent places , understaffed and simply don’t have the funding to do much good.Yiu can get food assistance, but that’s about it.Everything is a waiting game, rapid rehousing in most of the country isn’t rapid, youl be on a waiting list for ever, AND when politicians want to save a few bucks or show how fiscally conservative they are, guess who’s funding gets cut first?!Never mind the trauma of never having privacy, a bathroom, a place to sleep safely, a place to keep any belongings without them being stolen, the constant threat of being robbed in your sleep or assaulted if you’re female, or maybe some teens feel like pelting you with eggs. Etc
Anxiety or The Anxious feeling of something bad always feels like it’s going to happen, and imagining things before they even happen and not being able to cope.
How extremely devastating being on cheated is. It’s a truly sickening feeling in your gut, and nothing in your life is the same afterward. Some people are never the same ever again, others take over a decade to go back to normal. But that initial feeling is the worst. The suspicionions, the adrenaline as the truth unfolds, the severe depression, and the imagination all come together to bring you one of life’s most devastating experiences.
Losing a child.
Nerve pain
Having an abortion. When Roe was overturned I had to hear everyone’s opinion on abortion at work (both sides). It’s such a talked about ‘hot button’ issue that people don’t really think about the fact that if you are in a room with 10 women, you are probably in a room with one who has had an abortion, and they might not want to hear what you think about it. Whatever side of the line you fall on.
Having a child with special needs
Losing a parent at a young age. You’re not sad because you miss them. You’re sad because you were robbed of ever knowing them.
Having a disability
Being poor
Panic attacks
See Also on Bored Panda
Grief.When it’s been a a while since, it’s common for people to say something like, “it’s been a few years, move on.”It truthfully doesn’t work that way. You remember them forever. And even when times after are extremely good and happy, a little part of you is looking in that empty corner.Don’t say the “move on” thing to grieving people. It truthfully is great that you don’t relate, grieving people don’t want you to try and relate. They’re in the middle of a process that, at least in some ways, lasts forever.
Addictions.
Dieing. Getting old. I’m 84 and, while I’m ok, lots of activities, tons of pain, low energy. It is nothing like I imagined and before that final exit, there are a lot more surprises. (One of the interesting things is that I have NO fear, but maybe that will change. lol)
Working in customer service
Blindness, or bad eyes in general.
Narcistic abuse
Cancer.What it really means to go through cancer treatment.
Having real OCD.
Miscarriage. It’s truly devastating.
Car crashes
How unprepared you are for a physical fight. Most people way overestimate their abilities.
Continue reading with Bored Panda PremiumUnlimited contentAd-free browsingDark modeSubscribe nowAlready a subscriber?Sign In
Continue reading with Bored Panda Premium
Unlimited contentAd-free browsingDark mode
Unlimited content
Ad-free browsing
Dark mode
Subscribe nowAlready a subscriber?Sign In
Chronic insomnia
Growing up with parents that abuse alcohol and substances.And constant bullying.It follows you forever, you grow up in fear, you don’t know how a healthy relationship looks like etc. It will mess you up.In the time others learn how to socialise, how to form meaningful relationships and who you are as a person. You learn how to stay quiet, how to handle random acts of emotional terror, how to take care of your parents and siblings. You learn to survive, not to thrive.You learn what it means to be really lonely in a room full of people, because nobody understands you. They can’t. They don’t realise and you grow up thinking it’s normal, until you realise it’s not.You can learn all of that later, but you will always lag behind the others.
Being stalked. The constant of being on guard, the fear, the adrenaline, the need to be educated and prepared and armed, the complete absence of trust in all you once believed about the goodness inside people… It exacts a hefty toll. And still the thought creeps in, years upon years later, when will that individual return and repeat.
I mean in my case having a very good relationship of ten years end abruptly because your partner started talking to someone from a cult, got brainwashed, and left to be with them.Never in a million years thought this would happen to us. And I’m so tired of people telling me how she is wrong because she was “looking” for someone else. Like she was on tinder or something. That’s not what happened and no matter how much I try to explain to my friends and family they just don’t get it.
Super high stress events. People, even me at times, will say that they will do something or how they will react to a super high stress event. I work in a career where you can be sitting at a table and chatting with co workers and the next second, you have the largest adrenaline dumps of your life. Lots of people will say they will react a certain way, but most people will freeze if they haven’t been though events like that often. I still to this day make that same mistake more often that I’d like to admit.
Being in a terrible relationship. I always saw s****y couples and thought to myself “I’ll never be in a relationship like that. If I were in a relationship like tha one I would leave in a second.” The wife and I are now in something of a “rough patch/rough everything all the time” in our marriage and I get really get it now.
Parenthood.
Modal closeAdd Your Answer!Not your original work?Add sourcePublish
Modal close
Add Your Answer!Not your original work?Add sourcePublish
Not your original work?Add sourcePublish
Not your original work?Add source
Modal closeModal closeOoops! Your image is too large, maximum file size is 8 MB.UploadUploadError occurred when generating embed. Please check link and try again.TwitterRender conversationUse html versionGenerate not embedded versionAdd watermarkInstagramShow Image OnlyHide CaptionCropAdd watermarkFacebookShow Image OnlyAdd watermarkChangeSourceTitleUpdateAdd Image
Modal closeOoops! Your image is too large, maximum file size is 8 MB.UploadUploadError occurred when generating embed. Please check link and try again.TwitterRender conversationUse html versionGenerate not embedded versionAdd watermarkInstagramShow Image OnlyHide CaptionCropAdd watermarkFacebookShow Image OnlyAdd watermarkChangeSourceTitleUpdateAdd Image
Ooops! Your image is too large, maximum file size is 8 MB.
Upload
UploadError occurred when generating embed. Please check link and try again.TwitterRender conversationUse html versionGenerate not embedded versionAdd watermarkInstagramShow Image OnlyHide CaptionCropAdd watermarkFacebookShow Image OnlyAdd watermark
Error occurred when generating embed. Please check link and try again.
TwitterRender conversationUse html versionGenerate not embedded versionAdd watermark
InstagramShow Image OnlyHide CaptionCropAdd watermark
FacebookShow Image OnlyAdd watermark
ChangeSourceTitle
Health
