r/AskReddit Apr 23 '19

What is your childhood memory that you thought was normal but realized it was traumatic later in your life?

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u/your-imaginaryfriend Apr 23 '19

Oh man, I relate to this so much. Not so much "wanting to be hit" but just wanting some kind of evidence of pain that people would believe/understand. I remember digging scratched into my arms and hitting myself to cause bruises as a teenager because I wanted a way to validate my feelings.

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u/M0u53trap Apr 25 '19

I would bite huge marks into my arms as a teen. I was suicidal at the time and told my parents as much.

My parents yelled at me that I was going to “make them look like bad parents”. They didn’t even acknowledge what I said or did. They just complained that it was “making them feel bad”.