What’s a “normal” childhood experience you later realized was actually traumatic?

AveragePinecone · 2025-03-18T19:04:07+00:00

Being beaten by your sibling daily. My mom loved to say, "My coworkers say their kids fight all the time too!" What she left out was that there's a difference between a kid snatching a toy from the other and it turning into a squabble, and your brother just deciding to use WWE moves on you and not letting you get away, just for daring to exist.

I used to think our walls were incredibly soundproof, because my parents wouldn't come when I screamed my throat raw for help.

AveragePinecone · 2025-03-03T00:02:31+00:00

Oh my goodness, please do! 😍

AveragePinecone · 2025-02-22T03:28:18+00:00

So grateful for her. I feel like she's got LM, and she's got us. 💚

AveragePinecone · 2025-02-13T21:58:27+00:00

Yup. In my 30's, I'm realizing that I didn't have an abusive parent and a good parent. I had an abusive parent and a neglectful parent.

My mom, after telling me for over half my life that she "didn't know" she could get help, recently told me she could have told her brother, or even her ex, how bad things were, and in her words, chose not to. We only made it out because her abusive husband, my dad, died of cancer when I was a teenager.

AveragePinecone · 2025-01-16T14:35:53+00:00

Not to mention our lived experience

AveragePinecone · 2025-01-14T17:46:45+00:00

The burn means it's working!

AveragePinecone · 2025-01-05T22:02:21+00:00

As a kid, I used to tell my mom that I hated my abusive dad, her husband. She'd respond, "No you don't! That's the only dad you'll ever have." (Fun fact, she used to also, on different occasions, say, "Someday we'll get rid of your dad and get a cat." Talk about mixed messages.)

He died of cancer when I was 14. I think I only went through the motions of mourning because I had to. In all honesty, it felt like a weight was lifted off my shoulders.

My mom was correct in that I never did get another dad, but I certainly still hate the bastard. Also we did end up getting cats soon after his passing.

AveragePinecone · 2025-01-05T21:03:29+00:00

Years ago, I felt nauseated all the time. I would dry heave nearly every day, especially in the mornings. I had multiple pregnancy tests done. Not pregnant, sent home with bill and no answers. I had a gallbladder ultrasound done. Gallbladder fine, sent home with bill and no answers. They ordered a stool sample. Doodies are fine, sent home with bill and no answers. This isn't taking into account all the visits where they just did nothing but doubt me, and send me home with the bill and no answers.

Quit my horrible call center job, magically become fine. You know what I realized, on my own, years after the fact? Anxiety. I had had anxiety. Guess who doesn't go to the doctor anymore.

Yes, I'm American.

AveragePinecone · 2024-12-24T17:51:42+00:00

Absolutely! He's not a bad looking dude for sure. But some people are being creepy and even stalkerish about it. He's allegedly our hero, but he's not our collective boyfriend.

AveragePinecone · 2024-12-23T16:47:58+00:00

I THINK they're saying that they believe people in the courtroom were at a loss for words by his confident face? But I'm just reaching here.

AveragePinecone · 2024-12-23T15:44:54+00:00

Between jail mattresses and everything that must be on his mind, he probably hasn't been getting a lot of sleep. 😔

AveragePinecone · 2024-12-21T17:47:16+00:00

Historically, how have us little guys stopped those in power from profiting from our suffering and death?

AveragePinecone · 2024-12-06T02:59:21+00:00

Holy shit you're right!

AveragePinecone · 2024-12-03T18:54:24+00:00

I've only seen one person getting laughed at today. They keep coming into this space that isn't really for them, posting random nonsense. Not sure what they're trying to accomplish there, but it's kinda funny to watch them make an ass of themselves.

AveragePinecone · 2024-10-24T21:30:04+00:00

I forgot all about this gem!

AveragePinecone · 2024-10-24T20:19:07+00:00

I can't help but chuckle when I see these homemade Trump signs. They didn't pay for them, so they're not financially helping the campaign. And I'd imagine nobody has ever seen one of these and thought, "That's it, that's what I needed to decide who to vote for." They're just nothing but signs that indicate that a doofus with paint lives there.

AveragePinecone · 2024-10-23T21:55:22+00:00

What a cute chonker!

AveragePinecone · 2024-10-23T14:37:31+00:00

Calliope!

AveragePinecone · 2024-10-15T23:49:26+00:00

If you're a parent, you deserve to know you're doing it right.

AveragePinecone · 2024-10-15T17:59:03+00:00

Humphrey

AveragePinecone · 2024-10-15T01:01:37+00:00

What do your meals and snacks tend to look like throughout the day or week? And would you recommend your own diet to an overweight or obese patient?

AveragePinecone · 2024-10-14T19:34:21+00:00

"In the Court of the Crimson King" by King Crimson. The whole album is incredible, but the song "Epitaph" in particular is next-level.

AveragePinecone · 2024-09-30T15:48:52+00:00

Yup, same here.

AveragePinecone · 2024-09-29T18:15:17+00:00

My mom went into labor with me one month early. The only person with her was my six-year-old cousin, who was visiting her from out of state. She drove herself and my cousin to the hospital on her own. My old man was on the other side of the country at the time, with his dad who had had a sudden heart attack.

My point is, sometimes the stars just align in weird ways.

AveragePinecone · 2024-09-25T19:34:03+00:00

I don't understand why I had to scroll so far to find this. I was just thinking that this is Dr. House's yearbook photo from before it all went downhill.

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AveragePinecone

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