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People are wired differently. What may be hilarious to one may be hurtful and tasteless to another. And the worst thing you can do is to invalidate the feelings of the person you offended.
This woman knows these feelings all too well, having experienced them firsthand with her immediate family. After enduring mocking pranks from her stepdaughters and her husband’s gaslighting during her birthday, she requested some distance from all of them.
But, instead of showing any understanding, the husband somehow found a way to make himself look like the victim.
RELATED:
What may seem like a “harmless” prank for one person can greatly offend another
Woman pushed to her limits by stepdaughters’ gift, showing emotional reaction while reflecting on conversation with husband.
For this family, what was deemed a practical joke turned into a huge problem
Text excerpt about stepdaughters’ gift pushing a woman to her limits and a viral conversation with her husband displayed on a grey and white background.
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Text excerpt discussing a stepdaughters’ gift pushing a woman to her limits, sharing a viral conversation with her husband.
Text showing a woman sharing a conversation with her husband about their stepdaughters’ gift pushing her to her limits.
Text showing a woman sharing a viral conversation with her husband about her stepdaughters’ gift pushing her to her limits.
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The author posted screenshots of how the conversation with the husband went
Text message conversation showing a woman pushed to her limits by stepdaughters’ gift, sharing viral talk with husband.
Text message exchange showing a tense conversation about stepdaughters’ gift causing conflict between a woman and her husband.
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Two teenage girls interacting indoors, illustrating stepdaughters’ gift pushing woman to her limits in a family setting.
Pranks can open a person’s old wounds and deep-seated issues
Pranks are highly subjective, and that’s what makes them problematic. The person doing it will likely find it hilarious and harmless, without knowing how it affects the individual on the receiving end.
They are unaware that such jokes may be triggering, to the point that they can reopen old wounds.
“Pranks can trigger past trauma, cause hypervigilance, or an erosion of trust in a relationship,” author and therapist Dr. Stephanie Sarkis wrote in an article for Psychology Today, adding that practical jokes done in bad taste can also be an attempt to gain control over partners or family members.
Woman with curly hair looking concerned indoors, reflecting emotional limits after stepdaughters gift and viral conversation.
According to Dr. Sarkis, any pranks that harm a person psychologically and negatively affect the relationship are not worth doing.
Meanwhile, gaslighting also has a profound effect on the person receiving them. According to clinical psychologist Dr. Joni Johnston, it rewires their brain to default to self-doubt. Worse, they become hypervigilant and are unable to trust the overcautiousness they feel.
Dr. Johnston notes that people who have gone through gaslighting often have brain scans that are similar to those with PTSD. She adds that recovering from it requires external validation and rebuilding a narrative.
The author likely won’t be able to do these things in her current environment, and distancing herself was the right decision. The husband should have been more understanding instead of playing the victim.
The author also provided more information in the comments
Reddit conversation where stepdaughters’ gift causes tension, pushing woman to her limits and sparking viral husband dialogue.
Comments discussing stepdaughters’ gift pushing woman to her limits and sharing a viral conversation with husband.
Some commenters had opinions against the husband
Screenshot of a viral online comment discussing stepdaughters’ gift pushing woman to her limits and family conversation.
Screenshot of a viral online conversation discussing stepdaughters’ gift pushing a woman to her limits with her husband.
Online comment expressing outrage over toxic family dynamics and a woman's limits with stepdaughters' gift and husband conversation.
Comment discussing manipulation and toxic parenting in a viral conversation about stepdaughters’ gift pushing woman to her limits.
Screenshot of an online comment reacting to a viral conversation about a stepdaughters’ gift pushing a woman to her limits.
Screenshot of a viral online conversation discussing stepdaughters’ gift pushing a woman to her limits and husband manipulation.
Reddit comment discussing a husband’s behavior and responsibilities in relation to stepdaughters’ gift pushing a woman to her limits.
Screenshot of an online comment discussing a stepdaughters’ gift pushing a woman to her limits and a viral husband conversation.
Screenshot of a viral conversation showing frustration as stepdaughters’ gift pushes woman to her limits with husband discussion.
Screenshot of an online comment discussing a woman's limits with stepdaughters' gift and a viral conversation with her husband.
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Text conversation discussing a woman pushed to her limits by stepdaughters’ gift and her viral conversation with husband.
Text from an online comment criticizing a man for supporting his children treating a woman poorly, urging her to leave him.
Screenshot of a viral online conversation about stepdaughters’ gift pushing a woman to her limits with her husband.
Screenshot of a heated online comment discussing a stepdaughters gift pushing woman to her limits and a viral husband conversation.
Text comment discussing a woman’s frustration with her stepdaughters’ gift pushing her to her limits and a viral conversation with her husband.
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Comment discussing stepdaughters’ gift pushing woman to her limits and a viral conversation about her husband’s role.
Text conversation screenshot with user expressing frustration over stepdaughters’ gift pushing woman to her limits and sharing viral husband talk.
Reddit comment discussing woman’s struggle with stepdaughters’ gift and viral conversation with her husband.
Screenshot of an online comment expressing frustration related to stepdaughters’ gift and a viral conversation with her husband.
Screenshot of a Reddit comment about stepdaughters’ gift pushing a woman to her limits and family conflict.
Screenshot of a viral online comment responding to a stepdaughters’ gift pushing a woman to her limits.
Text conversation discussing prank culture, stepdaughters’ gift pushing woman to her limits, and viral husband conversation.
Alt text: Online comment discussing stepdaughters’ gift conflict pushing woman to her limits and viral conversation with husband.
Screenshot of a comment discussing a woman’s limits and a viral conversation with her husband about stepdaughters’ gift.
Screenshot of an online comment discussing a woman's challenging relationship with her stepdaughters and husband.
Screenshot of a viral online conversation about a woman pushed to her limits by her stepdaughters’ gift discussion with her husband.
Comment on a post about stepdaughters’ gift pushing woman to her limits, discussing husband and kids negatively.
Reddit comment discussing stepdaughters’ gift pushing woman to her limits and a viral conversation with her husband.
Text comment about husband fueling stepdaughters’ disrespect, pushing woman to her limits, sparking viral conversation.
Comment about stepdaughters’ gift pushing woman to her limits and advice on husband standing up for her.
Screenshot of a Reddit comment discussing pranks perceived as bullying, related to stepdaughters’ gift pushing woman to her limits.
Comment discussing stepdaughters’ gift pushing woman to her limits and a viral conversation with her husband.
Screenshot of a forum comment discussing the stepdaughters’ gift pushing a woman to her limits and family struggles.
Comment on Reddit highlighting toxic family dynamics involving stepdaughters’ gift and viral conversation with husband.
Screenshot of a social media comment discussing a woman’s struggles with her stepdaughters’ gift and her husband’s role.
Comment from user about stepdaughters’ gift pushing woman to her limits and husband’s response causing tension.
Screenshot of an online comment emphasizing mental and emotional health in a conversation about stepdaughters’ gift pushing a woman to her limits.
However, there were a few who thought the author may have overreacted
Text comment about stepdaughters’ gift pushing woman to her limits and her viral conversation with husband.
Commenter discussing toxic family dynamics and suggesting therapy to address issues with stepdaughters’ gift causing strain.
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Comment expressing frustration over parenting and stepdaughters’ gift pushing woman to her limits and family dynamics.
Screenshot of a comment about a stepdaughters’ gift pushing a woman to her limits, sparking viral conversation online.
Comment on a forum discussing stepdaughters’ gift pushing woman to her limits and a viral husband conversation.
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I'm a Visual Editor at Bored Panda since 2017. I've searched through a multitude of images to create over 2000 diverse posts on a wide range of topics. I love memes, funny, and cute stuff, but I'm also into social issues topics. Despite my background in communication, my heart belongs to visual media, especially photography. When I'm not at my desk, you're likely to find me in the streets with my camera, checking out cool exhibitions, watching a movie at the cinema or just chilling with a coffee in a cozy place
I'm a Visual Editor at Bored Panda since 2017. I've searched through a multitude of images to create over 2000 diverse posts on a wide range of topics. I love memes, funny, and cute stuff, but I'm also into social issues topics. Despite my background in communication, my heart belongs to visual media, especially photography. When I'm not at my desk, you're likely to find me in the streets with my camera, checking out cool exhibitions, watching a movie at the cinema or just chilling with a coffee in a cozy place
Being insulted and hurt by an insulting and mean action is not overreacting.. it's simply reacting. She cannot "parent" her husbands teenage girls, who are we kidding, they don't respect her and she has zero authority with them and zero support from her spouse who justifies or excuses the girls behavior, and then plays the victim. A very sad situation for her.
Being insulted and hurt by an insulting and mean action is not overreacting.. it's simply reacting. She cannot "parent" her husbands teenage girls, who are we kidding, they don't respect her and she has zero authority with them and zero support from her spouse who justifies or excuses the girls behavior, and then plays the victim. A very sad situation for her.
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