From time to time, we all think of how unfair the world is and how much we’d like to remove all the suffering there is. The truth is, we cannot do that and we have to find ways to live in these difficult times, with all the ups and downs.
Or we can do the opposite and embrace the sadness and despair. We can look into the eyes of whatever it is that causes us pain and stand strong. In fact, there’s this whole corner of Reddit titled “Make Me Suffer” that does exactly that.
The group which is home to a whopping 1.1M members is dedicated to sharing pictures that capture anything from wholesome suffering to sad moments of reality. Scroll down through this new batch of “Make Me Suffer” examples below and be sure to check out Bored Panda’s previous feature with more pictures from the community.
Meanwhile, to find out more about our inner fascination with dark material such as serial killers to violence to disasters, we reached out to Helen Marlo, a licensed clinical psychologist and Jungian psychoanalyst who provides psychotherapy, psychoanalysis, and consultation. Helen is also a Professor of Clinical Psychology and the Department Chair at Notre Dame de Namur University. She was happy to share some very interesting insights into this compelling topic.
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“First, most of us are painfully aware that darkness, what some call evil, exists. We may satisfy some human, psychological needs when we engage with it through the news, movies, or documentaries,” Marlo said.
Marlo argues that “when watching another story, and in particular, these dark and traumatic stories, we witness another person’s narrative. Narrating one’s own story, especially if we have a story that includes trauma, is emotional and hard.”
Meanwhile, “watching another’s story can give us a sense of gaining understanding or relief for ‘free,’ because we are hearing about another’s story but not doing any of the hard, psychological work to create our own story.”
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Marlo explained that “it is a little like someone who reads a self-help book and imagines they will get better by reading about another person’s process. This is especially true if the story that we are fixated on has personal or traumatic meaning for us.”
Moreover, becoming immersed in another’s dark story can be a vicarious version of what psychologists call, ‘identification with the aggressor.’ “Rather than being the victim, one identifies with the aggressor and their story, and can displace unthinkable, dark impulses onto the person they are viewing, who may be doing things they may not be able to think about but wish to do.”
Marlo explained that “they may also feel more powerful, safer, strong, dominant, and in control by viewing another doing unthinkable things but they are watching and don’t have to act it out in their real life where it would have negative consequences internally and externally.”
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The Jungian psychoanalyst argues that “by watching about another’s story, we may gain a sense of control, understanding, or vicarious mastery over our own aggressive fantasies and anxieties about evil, whether we imagine ourselves in the role of the perpetrator and/or victim.”
This could explain Netflix’s hugely popular docuseries “Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story” (2022). Arlo argues that the Jeffrey Dahmer story, for example, gives us at least one version of a real-life story of a serial killer.
“We may feel as if we have a better understanding of senseless violence and the irrationalities of evil by becoming immersed in learning about one person’s story. His story is a mixture of elements—some common and some uncommon—which enables us to compare and contrast this story with our own life story and our own fears, wishes, and/or fantasies.”
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Apparently, I’m Allergic To Everything
That's what's keeping me from getting a tattoo. I just know I'm gonna be allergic to the ink
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Bro when I got allergy tested I would be lucky to get this result, my entire back broke into hives, they all swelled, some bumps were the size of my thumb, those were my “mild” allergies, the rest swelled to the size of my palm, my “severe” allergies, the test I got was of 50 allergies and none of them were food, thankfully I’m not allergic to any foods, just to the world and trees and grass and animals and…
O no! That's horrible! But at least you can have dinner parties?
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Same think happened to me & I've never had a problem with 95% of the items I reacted to. Kinda figured my body just doesn't react well to being poked by a needle.
It's Dermatographia. He's having a reaction to the needle poke not the allergen sample being tested. I have this and ended up having to take a blood test to determine allergies.
He's not showing "dermatographia" on 1,6,8,51 so I'm pretty sure he doesn't have "touch/scratch hives". My panel was like this... Only thing I wasn't allergic to was a most molds.
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Was told during my teen years where I've developed heavy hay-fever, that it would make no sense to allergy-test your body while your immune system is high on defending a what-so-ever threat. Testing should be done when the body is not on high alert (...okay for some allergies this is not possible, but it would help to exclude false ones).
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You're allergic to the needle or the sterilization wipe they use. Calm tf down and test it again with a different needle and sterile wipe. If the reactions still persist, panic.
He should be allergic to 1 because 1 is the control... also, how come he's not allergic to the needle and wipe on 6, 8 and 51. If he's allergic to the needle or wipe, it would be consistent.
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My mother is allergic to glue in the standard tape they use. She looked worse but was way better off.
Right there with you man. My doctor told me I was almost too far gone for shots. He said he'd never seen someone with the amount of allergies and to the degree that I had them. Took shots for years.
I had to stop getting the shots after they almost killed me twice. Like, the one time they figured was an okay chance, but the second time it was suddenly too dangerous.
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happened to me too, there were a few that i didnt react to and some i REALLY reacted to but i reacted some to most of them :(
Been there. The only thing that I didn't react severely to was hog hair and hemp... so apparently I can be a pig farmer that grows weed on the side... too bad I'm allergic to the dust that a farm creates :/
they did the same tests on my bro, they wanted to figure out what it was cause he just would break out all the time, only turns out he's allergic to about 100% of what they tested and about 95% of other stuff, he lives on those allergy pills and epi-pens now
That was basically my back too. Fortunately, the allergy shots actually helped me significantly
I got the cluster injections, started feeling better within a couple weeks as opposed to months getting one at a y
Load More Replies... That's what happened to me when I had one of these panels done at 19. Several of the spots were so huge they bled into other spot's spaces. After that they just test your blood. It took like, 8 enormous vials bit honestly I hated it a lot less. For the curious wondering how many of things could potentially kill me, 4. Surprisingly none of them are peanuts.
And for everyone saying, "IT'S THE NEEDLE!!" No. No it isn't. These tests are done with glass. At least in the US they are, specifically to avoid a metallic reaction.
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The dude is charding in to unalive the evil bites! Oh no-he's outnumbered! In rows and colums they attack!
I went thru that as a kid. Sucky part is kids are smaller so to do the full testing it was my back and both of my upper arms. Oh and I'm allergic to basically everything but ppl and food
Man welcome to the f*****g club... I did the same test back in 2017 and FML... everything just like that...
I know going to the Dr aucks but wouldn't you rather span this test out over a couple of weeks than be jabbed 51 times? I poke myself with a pin & my fingers red and swollen for an hour or so but to get 51 needles full of items you may be allergic to in one sitting? I'd look like that to! How can they tell the difference between irritation to a needle and an allegory, they dam near look the same
It looks like that warrior guy tattoo of his just got done attacking him with his sword
{Nurse} Formerly worked in an allergy/asthma clinic …. Saw ALOT of backs like this one
I understand the pain of 3 boxes of Kleenex used in one day and sneezing uncontrollably for 10+ straight hours
that was how my back looked when i did mine too, welcome to hell my friend, prepare to longer get tired from Benadryl
Is he allergic to whatever serum the allergy test things are suspended in?
I watched a movie called The Brothers Bloom and in this movie, there is a woman played by Rachel Wiese who had this test done when she was a child and the same thing happened. She was a bubble girl for decades until they realized she was allergic to the alloy in the needles they were using.
Oh I had that done also … allergic to one thing but they couldn’t figure out what it was
Good grief, that really sucks. I guess there's nothing left then moving into a country where there is always snow...
You make japanese proud, go out of your way to make your back like that, hope it's fixable
The doctor first started with my back, like OP. Because of the results, he also did my chest, both sides of my legs and arms. After counting to 150, he told my mother I was allergic to everything; he wasn't wrong. I got shots for many months, I take anti-histamine every day, but still have allergies popping up during a regular day. If it's too much, I take activated charcoal.
Looks like my husband's back, just a little less red. All of his test spots ran together. They brought in the crash cart.
Mine was still like that after a week. When doctors ask what I'm allergic to, I tell them "the short version is that if it grows outside, I'm probably allergic." it sucks so much.
My back was like that too. I was also allergic to the micro paw tape that they used. Commiserations.
At my test, when I told the nurse my back was a little warm, she looked, said "Ooooh...!" and got me an ice pack or two. Some fun!
I had the same reaction but it turned out that I was allergic to the aluminium plates
Ha! That's what mine look like. All trees, grasses, molds. Some anaphylactic. Some animals, flowers, nuts, etc
I had similar reactions with my last allergy test. I often joke that my diet is now restricted to air and water. But I'm not too far from it
Ugh, I feel this photo. Had the same test when I was about 9 years old - same approximate reaction. Varying degrees of reaction to just about everything they tested me for. Parents could never figure out why I was sick every single winter, right around Christmas time. I was allergic to pine trees (we had a real Christmas tree every year), wood smoke (we had a woodstove for heat), etc.
As a heads up: most allergy testing facilities use multidose vials, which contain a needed preservative. It is possible to be allergic to this preservative. If you skin test positive to everything, please consult your physician about finding a facility that offers preservative-free testing to see if you can get more accurate results.
That's not even that bad of a test, mine always has to be stopped early because they are growing together
I heard of this girl that had the same thing happen to her. She lived for years thinking she was allergic to everything until one day when she had to be hospitalized and they figured out, by accident, that she was actually allergic to the surgical steel used in the needles. So basically, she WAS allergic to being stabbed by needles. 😬
If you can believe it, my first scratch test was worse than that. Allergy shots changed my life and are super easy compared to tattoo needles.
Good God man, you're a hot, inflamed, hive-riddled mess! What an awful affliction
That time when I was tested, and I mentioned I knew I was allergic to cats. So they purposely used the lowest concentration test when they did the scratch-test (It was on my arm, not my back) That moment, when one of the two doctors of that practice was looking at it, opened the door, and said "Dr. Carol, you have to come here and see this!" They never saw such a strong reaction to such a low concentration. I was EXTREMELY allergic to cats. One plus to allergy tests... You can get "shots" to desensitize and eventually cure your allergy. Today I live with THREE cats.
i have a friend who has about 400 allergies and with his genetics, can develop a new one every day
This happened to my uncle. He went for a panel test and almost ended up in the hospital.
oh. oh no. I'm also allergic to lots and lots of things, but not this many
Same thing happened to me, to varying degrees. Apparently if it's in the air I'm allergic to it. Explains why I always seemed to have a perpetual cold.
I did this once when I moved to the desert. I'm allergic to the dirt
Same here, tested for 84 food allergies.was allergic to 68 of them. Not easy
Just eat a giant peanut butter sandwich and hope you get better stats in your next life.
I meant to say "my back looks like that too when I take an allergy test"
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That’s how I reacted as well. Long story short, six shots a week. Allergies are no joke. Almost everyone on my block are on allergy shots as well.
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But how can we explain our fascination with this kind of raw, violent, and unpleasant material? Well, Marlo says we can look for answers in the psychological mechanism of displacement.
“We all can feel some sense of vulnerability in knowing we could be the target of random violence or evil. We may feel a fascination and some voyeuristic pleasure in seeing another’s story and hearing how it happened to someone else. I am not suggesting that many of us wish harm on another person or even get sadistic pleasure in others’ suffering, although some people do.”
The Jungian psychoanalyst continued: “Rather, knowing that humans can hurt and inflict suffering on one another, and that irrational and uncontrollable things happen, becoming engrossed in another’s dark misfortune can help us feel less vulnerable and find some relief.”
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Surprisingly, watching such stories may, actually, increase our empathy for others’ suffering. “In the story, we might imagine this misfortune came from natural consequences, poor choices, genetics, karma, bad luck, or the fickle finger of fate. And becoming fascinated by another’s story may help us feel, irrationally, that we can protect ourselves from it; or are inoculated from it and/or that we can learn from it and escape this misfortune.” So in the end, it likely has a completely opposite effect than the material itself.
Another explanation for our fascination with the dark side of life can be found in a basic law of psychic behavior known as “compensation,” Marlo told us. “This is especially true when we are surprised by someone that we may not think would be utterly fascinated by stories of dark news. The law of compensation posits that when one attitude and approach to life is overdeveloped in consciousness, then a corresponding compensation emerges from the unconscious to help bring the psyche back into balance.”
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Marlo argues that “this other side compensates for thoughts, perceptions, and emotions which fail to reach consciousness because we may dissociate, repress, or defend against them in a variety of ways.”
She gave an example: “a pacifist may have flashes of violent imagery, thoughts, and dreams that they banish from awareness. These flashes can be their psyche’s way of raising their awareness about this other side of life, to gain more balance, and become more whole. The pacifist may become fascinated by these dark stories as a way of bringing some of the dark, aggressive, combative energy into their otherwise peaceful life as a pacifist.”
Marlo recounted how she had a patient who loved watching true crime. “In her professional work, she had to be very responsible, personable, kind, and empathic to many underserved people. Watching true crime helped her have an outlet from her otherwise kind and generous life spent serving other people.”
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And if you ever wondered if something’s wrong with you because you’re drawn to dark material, you’re not the only one and it can also be perfectly explained. Marlo argues that being human also means having dark impulses or undeveloped, “hurt part of ourselves that Jung called our Shadow.”
Marlo explained Jung’s theory of Shadow further: “We all have a shadow that expresses itself in moments of pain, stress, and unconsciousness. Typically, objects of fascination on crime shows or social media are people whose shadows are big; out there; exposed for our viewing.”
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Think of it as a public display of impulses that most of us usually keep inside and underground, Marlo argues. “It can be fascinating for us to see others’ shadows out there whether their shadow is familiar or foreign to our self. In addition, we stay fascinated with their story because it gives us an opportunity to see what happens when one lives out this dark side—something that some individuals could not even imagine let alone dream of doing.”
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Note: this post originally had 117 images. It’s been shortened to the top 50 images based on user votes.
My wife had to ask me if I was okay as I couldn't breath after reading this. I may have broken a rib laughing.
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You know that feeling when you want to hit the page back button, but can't and just keep scrolling ... I just had that feeling over and over for the past few minutes.
Same, I know I should not have read this post but I couldn't help it.
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Regarding the comments, I'm obviously not the only one feeling uncomfortable right now, so I‘d really like to know: What is your default sensation while looking at posts like this? For me it's always a tingling in my feet.
Idk, came straight to the comments to confirm I should NOT look at this list! 😅 (Tingling in feet is a flight response though, I think? Like you want to run away...)
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Who hurt you BoredPanda, who hurt you? This has to be one of the more disturbing things that has been posted on this site.
This post was a train wreck, on top of a car wreck on top of plane crash, you just couldn't look away. 🤦
I should not have read that. I'm still shuddering and trying not to puke.
Go ahead. I've already vomited so you won't be alone (it was the mold behind the fridge that did it for me).
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Nothing. Don't worry about it. Eat these chips, you don't need more trauma.
Load More Replies... Then throw it all outside and stomp on it, right? That's the next line, right??
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BP tricked us with showing the tamest pics on the main page & then showing us these horrors!
I made it to the end! It's time to go to bed now and my retinas have been burned and my brain is fried. I'm calling work, maybe it's not too late to take that overtime since sleep isn't happening.
My wife had to ask me if I was okay as I couldn't breath after reading this. I may have broken a rib laughing.
Load More Replies... You know that feeling when you want to hit the page back button, but can't and just keep scrolling ... I just had that feeling over and over for the past few minutes.
Same, I know I should not have read this post but I couldn't help it.
Load More Replies... Regarding the comments, I'm obviously not the only one feeling uncomfortable right now, so I‘d really like to know: What is your default sensation while looking at posts like this? For me it's always a tingling in my feet.
Idk, came straight to the comments to confirm I should NOT look at this list! 😅 (Tingling in feet is a flight response though, I think? Like you want to run away...)
Load More Replies... Who hurt you BoredPanda, who hurt you? This has to be one of the more disturbing things that has been posted on this site.
This post was a train wreck, on top of a car wreck on top of plane crash, you just couldn't look away. 🤦
I should not have read that. I'm still shuddering and trying not to puke.
Go ahead. I've already vomited so you won't be alone (it was the mold behind the fridge that did it for me).
Load More Replies... Nothing. Don't worry about it. Eat these chips, you don't need more trauma.
Load More Replies... Then throw it all outside and stomp on it, right? That's the next line, right??
Load More Replies... BP tricked us with showing the tamest pics on the main page & then showing us these horrors!
I made it to the end! It's time to go to bed now and my retinas have been burned and my brain is fried. I'm calling work, maybe it's not too late to take that overtime since sleep isn't happening.
