Pretty much from age 10 onward. Paternal trauma that was deliberately induced and absolutely wrecked one's entire world will do that. I still have problems asking for help, over 30 years later...

Ptsd. My brain can swing from emotional to logical.. not centered in wisdom.. It can feel like someone has taken a vacuum cleaner to my soul, suddenly feeling nothing. Still laugh at jokes because you Know they're funny, not because you feel they're funny.

Yup !

I think it was time as well as trauma that caused this. Turned 40 last year and at this point in my life, I have zero patience for bullshít. 30 year old me would have tolerated a lot more of it.

This is me 100 %

My sister will actually get angry at me nowadays and yell and rant at me that I "won't let anyone help me" with things. Yeah, no sh!t, Sherlock - remember our childhood? MAYBE that's why I'm like that, hmm? But no - my sister is my parents' bio child, so SHE never even got spanked or punished when we were kids. I'm adopted and so I got all of my mom's abuse. But my sister can't comprehend why I won't ask for help, even though she witnessed everything my mom did to me (and to our dad.)

I have this to the extreme, but it does come in handy when there is an actual honest to gods crisis.

Yes, very much yes

Bored Panda was a breakthrough for me. I was drunk one night and signed up to make a funny comment about a kitty picture. Truly led to my agoraphobia getting tempered. I had never used social media, kept myself from having any online identity.. getting pissed at any friends I had left because they would post photos of me with them. I would clearly point out I didn't want this but since I didn't use social media they thought no harm because I wouldn't see. Until some friend of a friend would ask how my skeet shooting is going. Anyhoo, privacy is control, control is safety.

im actually the opposite. mostly because ive never really experienced this in life where someone acts this way to me(unless they want something from me), and because when there is a time where i need to act like this, i end up doing nothing since i dont know how to act in this way.

or jobs , or anything other than weather. I'd rather talk politics or religion than have to explain that I didn't qualify for armed service and my ptsd is not from honorably serving.. and keeps me from working now because I can see I'm not dependable due to not healed enough yet. I wish there were jobs I could just go to on good days and leave during panic attacks.

Sorry about that!

If you ever had to walk on eggshells around someone who had more power than you (parent, boss, etc), then you become accustomed to looking out for the tiny clues that indicate that person’s mood that second. Always having to be so hyper aware is the exhausting part. Hyper aware about someone else, while ignoring yourself and everything else.

Actually the illusion of thick skin. Inside they’re dying at everything being thrown at that thin veneer of thick skin.

Incorrect. We don't celebrate our birthdays because we don't want to be disappointed as usual.

Like rats on a sinking ship, we come together.

Oh, yes. For years I have been the one to lift up everyone's mood at the office. I was (and still am) able to make people laugh even when I am broken and crying inside.

Introvert me 60 yr old dislike people love being housebound in the sticks only ta”ing to people it’s I MUST bar my two kids 23-20

The feeling that they’re always waiting for other shoe to inevitably fall. Makes coming into something consistently good difficult to accept.

Haha, that is me

I always make sure people are okay whenever they seem mad, because I feel like I did something wrong.

I don't feel qualified to be complimented, so I think there's something untruthful... 'you're only saying that to make me feel better" can be a response. I also don't like getting gifts on special occasions because I don't like giving gifts because of traumatic events. Imposter syndrome as a whole. I do wanna still get invited to things as an invisible.

It's hard to become meditative self aware when you're hyper aware.. I've worked hyper awareness into birdwatching and then that becomes meditative. But yeah, always aware of how to exit a room, how many people on a street, etc.

Whether or not YOUR eyes sparkle, OP, you see me.

Unless they're wearing masks. Beware of the charming and manipulative.

I empathize with anyone and everyone. I listen to what they say and try to understand. Empathy is my middle name.

I used to be angry all the time. Now it seems I just don't have the energy any more.

There are reasons most comedians become comics. There are very few of us who had any sort of decent childhood, and you should hear the stories.

Down vote for the inane censor.

What about if the switch is never in the "on" position

LoL?

"Thanks! My looks match how I feel!"