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Is there anything “normal” about being human?
Here we are, living on a massive rock hurtling through an endless universe, with around 8 billion people spread across countless cultures, each with unique beliefs and ways of life. It’s a lot. But even on this wild planet, most of us can agree that some things are just not okay.
Except, apparently, these Redditors didn’t get the memo. Recently, they opened up about experiences they thought were common—only to later find out they weren’t.
Scroll down for some of their most surprising revelations, and feel free to add your own in the comments.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
I thought everyone wanted to know how things worked and had innate curiosity.
It still blows my mind that people some people don't.
Na Schi 1 year ago (edited)
I, sadly, recently came to the same conclusion... or well, I had an ongoing suspicion but my current manager absolutely confirmed this. I'm working in a field were problem solving is a major requirement of the jobs. So natural curiosity is required, as you constantly have to ask yourself "why is this so/what could be the cause for the issue/what would happen if this or that would be changed". My manager absolutely lacks this skill - he simply seems to accept everything as a given and rarely question things. Makes working with that manager very exhausting. (Edit: Though I still have not found an answer why some people simple lack this innate curiosity... maybe because it has something to do with their upbringing. Or maybe their general intellect...)
RELATED:
#2
I grew up with some fairly questionable dental care that was free through my dad’s tribal healthcare. I had a lot of dental problems, likely stemming from my mom giving me apple juice in a baby bottle as well as enamel that never developed correctly.
During the annual dentist trip my older brother and sister never had cavities, but I always had 4-5 or more. So the visits were pretty hellacious. I would complain about the procedures and how badly they hurt (I was 6ish) but my family were “hard a*s” and “tough love” people. So my complaints were dismissed as whining and worse, told that I deserved it for not brushing my teeth better.
So, I stopped complaining. 27 years later while going through my 5th root canal I was shaking and tense and sweating. The dentist kept asking if I was ok, like they always did. I said “ya I’m fine” like I always said.
This time though, the dentist stopped the procedure, pulled his mask off and said “are you experiencing any pain? You seem like you are.” I said “of course I am, it’s a root canal, these always hurt terribly, but I’ll be ok, let’s just push through it.”
He said “You shouldn’t feel anything at all. Only some pressure, but ZERO pain. Root canals shouldn’t hurt.” Then he numbed me more, started again and kept numbing me until I felt NOTHING.
5 minutes in he stopped again because I was crying and he asked if it still hurt. I said “no, not all” and smiled crookedly through my completely numb face.
I thought dental procedures were supposed to hurt. I was 33 when a dentist finally realized I was suffering but self-reporting I was fine. There was always more numbing they could have done. I suffered for 3 decades because I was told to stop complaining as a 6yo.
If you feel pain, any pain at all, tell your dentist. Zero pain is normal. Advocate for yourself. Also, don’t tell young children to stop complaining about pain, because they might listen and you cause them to hurt for a lifetime.
DC 1 year ago
Root canal stuff is vastly better if you apply a little Valium. Like, whatever makes you fall asleep. My last one, I slept through entirely, employing 30 mg (I'm sort of unsnensitive, this sounds like a pretty high dose, but it doesn't affect me that much - a subway ride home and about 1 km walk, I got done afterwards), and not having any memories about it makes it the least sucking dental procedure I ever had. Root tip, that was even, which are the next attempt after root canal hasn't worked out as expected, hoped far, aimed at. Root tip removal #1 was the thirdmost painful thing I ever did (number one is teeth, too, but I'll spare you this time - much worste, much stupider....), it was 2010, I was 27, and cried from sheer pain the first time since primary school.
JM 1 year ago
I have terrible dentist anxiety. I can manage the regular stuff, but when I have to have something major done, like getting an implant last year, I always get a 5 mg. Valium from my doctor and my husband drives me.
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Jennifer Smith 1 year ago
I went through a port removal surgery that hurt like hell. They acted like I was lying and kept going through my cries. In recovery I was a sobbing mess and that’s when a nurse stepped in to see what was wrong. She helped me document everything and who to report this too. She expressed how shocked she was that they kept going even as I begged them to stop. I know the doctor who ignored my pain got into trouble but I didn’t push it further than there.
Papa 1 year ago
My father grew up in a rural area, and his family didn't have much money, so the first time he encountered a dentist was as an adult, when he needed to have a tooth pulled. He said that it hurt pretty bad, but he didn't say anything. When the dentist finished he told Dad that he must be pretty tough. Dad asked him why he said that. The dentist replied "Most people ask for pain killers when having a tooth pulled." Dad did not know that was an option. He was a gentle man, who rarely raised his voice, but he told me that that dentist never knew how close he came to being in a fight.
StrangeOne 1 year ago
I know some dentists use pain as a punishment. Even unto kids. Yet, parents are the ones who should be making sure their young ones are brushing their teeth properly, or doing it for them. And then there are the parents who think they're doing all they can, except maybe they're not using a toothpaste with enough cavity prevention ingredients. Or they're feeding their kids too much high acidic foods thinking it's healthier because it's fruit, or fruit juice. Perhaps they're not waiting long enough after meals to brush their kids teeth. Or there could be a genetic issue. It's easy to judge and blame, but teeth care is not as simple. I'm glad more dentists now are being humane and compassionate. I, too, had an anxious dentist appt. for a cleaning. I was scared about everything. Turns out, even if you have gum problems, flossing shouldn't be painful and there are ways to clean around gingivitis infected gums, and gingivitis can be reversed. Which it did.
DC 1 year ago (edited)
That, I don't understand. People with truly damaged teeth don't have them for fun, the reasons that have led there may be not the most understandable to everybody, but nobody has them for fun. It's bad enough as is, without judgement, punishment and so forth. What even is their point, making them fear it even more? I mean ... I know, nothing dangerous will happen to me. I know, whatever undesirable stuff happens during, isn't on purpose (or at least, I believe so...), but I'm stiff as a brick until I realise that and relax myself forcefully (... you know what I mean ... I mean ... do you?), to start that cycle of stiffening up again, again, again. The less-invasive stuff, like cavity, grinding, filling, I used to have done without numbing until I was 21. I had a filling in one of the hindmost, upper jaw, teeth, and bit on a cherry's seed in a piece of cake that, effectively, split it in half, and left the pieces that didn't come off somehow cramped into each other, applying pressure in all the surrounding. I find some mellow material between by fidgeting around with the tongue, and thought, maybe it's a piece of cherry, I should take it out, took a fork and ... dropped the fork. I didn't cry or scream, but I couldn't breathe for a moment anyway. Most painful event so far, and I literally felt that the signal was distorted, it exceeded the signal limit for input into the brain. I know what I felt, it may be not biologically correct, but anyway, THAT signal could not be stronger. No crying, no screaming, dropping everything and ... oof. Stunned. It was a single event, it didn't happen at the dentist's, but ever since - make it numb. Switch me as off as possible! Anyway ... the punishment you describe is cruel, and likely, contributes to making things worse rather than correcting any behaviour. The damage is done anyway, can't make it unhappened, so it's rather pointless among the pointless things people do. It's like a punishment for bedwetting, it will not work because there is no conscious decision to release your bladder, you simply don't wake up before you've flooded yourself. Thank a few companies for decent diapers in all sizes! Oh, the piece of cherry mentioned above ... was the tissue that resides in the teeth. In short, I pushed a fork into a nerve.
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Marianne 1 year ago
Same goes for c-sections. I was horrified when other mothers told me that their c-sections hurt like hell.
Nadine Debard 1 year ago
This seems to happen frequently, as a mother in neonatology told me the same. She thought it was normal and sucked it up but a few days after felt some kind of trauma and talked casually about it. We were 4 other mothers (there was a family room where mothers could gather, watch TV and have lunch) and we sat her down carefully and explained her that she shouldn't have felt more than a pressure, then urged her to talk to the psychologist.
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Alex 1 year ago
I always had this experience during dentistry when i was a kid. I was in my late 20's when a dentist noticed me grimacing during a procedure and asked me about what I was feeling. He gave me another dose of novocaine, and for the first time I actually felt nothing. Like OP I always assumed some pain was normal during dental work. Now I make sure to tell them I need extra.
KC Lancaster 2 months ago
OMG! I know some parents are like that (my dad was), but Dentists should NEVER have moved forward with ANY procedures on a child or other patient when it's clear they're in pain, let alone a root canal! That's just A***E!!!
Mi So 1 year ago
This is so familiar. I was 44 when I learned that the dentist really did mean “just a little pressure” when putting the form around the tooth during a filling. Turns out, I metabolize freezing (&general anaesthetic too) super fast, so I not only need more of it, but need a second shot midway through too, as it starts to wear off. Dentist was horrified to hear what I’d been feeling all those decades (with diff dentists too). We now know about my freezing issues & he responds accordingly.
Chich 1 year ago
My dentist says I'm the odd one out. Only time I have freezing is for an extraction. Everything else I get by with nothing or at most a little topical numbing. Hurts briefly but stops quickly. I have had a few dental assistants either leave the room or ask not to assist when I have an appointment.
Littlemiss 1 year ago
I discovered by accident i am allergic to pethadine. My narc mother knew and for years I felt every single dental proceedure in agony. Imagine my horror at discovering she hadn't bothered to tell the childhood dental clinic.
Ovata Acronicta 1 year ago
Amount of numbing I've gotten has varied. 3/4 of my six year molars are garbage due to the continuous ear infections and treatments in my childhood (sounds weird, but dentist pointed it out as a reason), so I have had those ones filled. I think it was the top molar where they numbed it enough that it didn't hurt but I could feel everything they were doing. Super fascinating feeling. BUT IT SHOULD NEVER HURT.
Brazen 1 year ago
The first time I had a root canal I felt everything. The dentist numbed my face, but somehow not my tooth...so he didn't believe me when I said I was hurting. I felt him slice the roots and pick at them; I was crying and slamming my feet against the rest and he just laughed at me. I never had anyone be able to freeze that side of my face properly until I found an absolute gem of a dentist about five years ago....took me 50 years.
Kim Liebregts 1 year ago
Same here... so much suffering since I was 10 or so that I now miss 2 molars and still have a hard trauma everything teeth.. it really doesn't have to hurt
Lsai Aeon 1 year ago
I got this too, I often refuse to take pain meds despite fibromyalgia, arthritis, and birth defects. I was always told to stop complaining or I'd be given something to complain about. My pain management doctor reminds me every time I go in that I should take my pain meds, that I'm not supposed to be just dialing it down to a manageable level, and that I'm supposed to be pain-free (I don't know what pain-free is). My whole life was nothing but pain
Lyoness 1 year ago
I have no idea why you were downvoted for sharing your sad but unfortunately common experience. People are prescribed pain medication for a reason. Take it. If you find it isn't enough, tell your Dr. If it's too much or you're worried about dependence, tell your Dr. We don't need to suffer when help is available. And for the other commentor who said people who take meds for anxiety around dentistry are junkies, p*ss off. This isn't the 1800's and meds are there for a reason. No, we shouldn't self medicate, but assuming you know better than another person's Dr is flat out stupid.
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Lowrider 56 1 year ago
Funny this should come up! Just last week 11/6 I had to have all my teeth pulled. There was one tooth that was pure hell. For some reason that spot would not get numb. Dentist injected novacaine at least 7 times. He finally had to shoot novacaine directly in to a nerve in the back of my jaw.
Traveling Lady Railfan 1 year ago
Well that sounds pretty miserable. I hope that you're feeling a little bit better now
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Chris Landrum 1 year ago
Same here! Until I was 14 our family dentist, who was a friend of the family, never did anything for pain when filling cavities. My dentist as a teenager was stunned
#3
I didn't know people can't smell ants, bugs, and other scents. First time I walked into a friend's apartment I said "whoa dude you got an ant problem!" He was like oh s**t where is the ants? I'm like idk man but I smell em. He looked at me like I was the dumbest f****r he's ever seen and just told me that's impossible. Sure enough in his pantry, a little line of those f*****s pillaging a bag of rice into a vent via conga line.
On that day I learned not everyone can smell ants.
Edit: apparently I have a superpower. If any entomologist wants to reach out I would love to work with you. Insects are amazing. I always had a very strong connection with bees I had one riding around with me the other day in the car I stopped traffic because it wouldn't leave me alone I had to pick it up and leave it outside my car on some foliage. Bugs are friends, do not kill.
Ece Cenker 1 year ago
" ...a little line of those f*****s pillaging a bag of rice into a vent via conga line." LOL!!
Out of the many interesting responses in this thread, one particularly caught our eye. Redditor u/Velghast shared his unusual ability to smell insects, which intrigued us so much that Bored Panda reached out to him to learn more about his ‘superpower.’
“I didn’t realize I was smelling insects at first,” he explained. “As a kid, I thought it was just part of the outdoor smell. Then I started noticing that ant mounds smelled different, and so did the areas where ants traveled. It was like a burning citrus scent in the air.”
Growing up, he assumed everyone could smell these odors. “Since we didn’t have ants in our home, I just thought it was a normal part of life. But one day, while in my friend’s kitchen, he mentioned he couldn’t smell anything unusual. That’s when I realized maybe this wasn’t something everyone could detect.”
#4
When I'm in a room with other people, part of my brain is paying attention to *every* conversation my ears can pick up, all at once. Specifically, it's paying attention to the emotional temper of each conversation, in case someone suddenly starts having a bad time.
Turns out most of you just listen to one conversation at a time. My way is actually a consequence of growing up around an explosive parent, deep down I don't want anything to happen that will lead to an angry person yelling at us. This also explains why I have a hard time in groups bigger than 10 or so, there tends to be too many voices having different conversations, and I get overwhelmed processing it all. If I can't keep up, I feel vulnerable and exposed, and things cycle downward from there.
Huddo's sister 1 year ago
I often listen to two conversations at once, sometime while actually speaking. It drives my stepdad crazy because he thinks I'm not listening and am being rude. I also think it overstimulates him hearing so many voices.
#5
I used to think everyone had a vivid inner monologue narrating their day, but then I found out some people don’t have one at all. It blew my mind when I realized that wasn't common.
The curious case of someone who can smell insects highlights the unimaginable uniqueness of human perception, subtly reminding us that our senses often perceive reality in ways others may not comprehend.
This aligns with the concept of people experiencing visions differently, as seen in the recent viral comparison between distorted vision due to astigmatism and regular sight. You can explore more about how vision conditions affect perception by reading about the visual differences introduced by such conditions.
#6
Mirroring other peoples behavior and making a "personality" fitting for them. Results in me being super stressed when I meet new people because I don't know how to behave. Social contact also costs a lot of energy. Turns out people don't think of that and just kinda go as themselves. However that's supposed to work.
Also genuinely enjoying being alone. I told a friend that I will just lock myself in my flat for a few days to relax and he said that's a "bit extreme". For me it's really nice and relaxing. I need my alone time and don't 'miss' social contact as fast as other people.
Upstaged75 1 year ago
I'm happy being social when I want to be, but I have a battery that only holds a certain amount of charge. Once it's drained I need to be alone so I can recharge. I'm very rarely lonely even though I'm alone most of the time. And I'm not shy or awkward either - it's called an Ambivert.
The citrusy scent that u/Velghast noticed ants giving off is actually a natural defense mechanism. According to Clint Penick, an assistant professor of entomology and plant pathology at Auburn University, ants release this odor to make themselves unappealing to predators.
For u/Velghast, however, the ‘citronella’ scent, as entomologists call it, has a surprising appeal. “It almost burns your nose,” he said, “but to me, it’s quite nice—kind of like gasoline.”
Interestingly, not all ant species produce odors strong enough for humans to detect. Some can only be smelled when crushed or if present in large colonies, but u/Velghast’s nose seems unusually sensitive.
Other bugs, u/Velghast describes, have their own signature scents. For example, some insects carry a dingy, earthy smell, while others have a deep, musty aroma. Roaches, he added, are the exception—they give off a faint almond-like scent, almost reminiscent of grass.
#7
Not trusting your parents and being very careful not to share any details of your personal life because they'll use it against you. I thought everyone did it.
Robby Sale 1 year ago
Not only this but also behaving and experiencing emotion as determined by those close enough to know you. This is all part of dysfunctional behavior that can mess people up for life.
#8
I didn't realize that people didn't memorize movies to keep from being bored. When I was a kid, we lived pretty far from my grandparents, so that was a long trip in the car. So I learned that I could break up the time by "re watching" a movie as we drove. So I was praised for being able to sit still, but I was reciting Aladdin or Land Before Time in my head the whole time.
I still do this to some extent. The last time I was able to drive down to Florida, I looked at the trip time and thought, "Oh! That's not too bad! That's two Hamiltons and a Lion King!"
I didn't realize that other people didn't memorize scripts down to the actor's inflections until I took an acting course and monologues and cold reads came really easy to me. It turns out most people remember certain lines that they like or remember a funny scene is coming up.
I felt like the biggest dork when I explained it.
#9
It took me until i was in my early 20s to realize that straight women actually do have romantic feelings for their male partners and i’m actually just a lesbian.
Since posting his reply and receiving so much attention on Reddit, u/Velghast has reached out to professionals and done some research to understand why he can detect insect scents so clearly.
“I talked to my GP about it, and her response was pretty funny. She said, ‘Sir, you’ve been smoking for 15 years—I’m surprised you can smell your own flatulence or a baked cookie at this point,’” he shared with us.
“She mentioned that while she’s not an ENT, it’s possible I have a genetic sensitivity to certain pheromones. After doing some research, I found that I might actually be picking up on insect pheromones—something humans are technically capable of, though ours are usually scentless. Insects, however, use a different chemical mixture.”
Later, he saw an ENT and decided to get a second opinion. “During my next wellness exam, I asked him if my theory could be possible. His response was pretty entertaining. He said, ‘Your throat’s fine, but stop picking your nose and shoving Q-tips so far into your ears. I don’t watch Animal Planet, so if this is some kind of Doctor Dolittle gift, awesome. I don’t know—go work for Terminix, maybe it’s your calling.’”
“Gotta love the doctors of Baltimore City.”
#10
I thought that being unhappy was normal, that people were just faking being happy. Then I was diagnosed with depression, got medication and it literally changed my life.
T'Mar of Vulcan 1 year ago
Same thing with me. Thought it was normal for 90% of interactions to trigger butterflies, racing heart, etc. Turns out I had really hectic anxiety and depression. Also changed with medication. Now I can talk to people and be sociable. It's fantastic.
#11
I used to hear a full symphony in my head when I lay down at night. Most of the time it's mellow with beautiful violins, oboes, French horns... It slowly builds and can be quite moving. It's never songs I've heard or know. I have zero musical talent so in my head it all stays.
I say "used to" because once I developed tinnitus the ringing has taken place of the music. Pretty c****y trade off.
#12
When I was a kid, I'd walk to school. When it was cold, I'd come home and my mom would ask "why are you wheezing?" I'd shrug because I thought it was just what happened to people when it was cold.
Found out several years later that I had exercise induced asthma, and cold weather was my main trigger.
Huddo's sister 1 year ago
My mum didn't believe me at first when I said I think I have asthma because I struggled to breathe after running cross-country. She was a bit surprised when the doctor said I had exercised induced asthma.
#13
I thought all girls would rather be boys if they had the choice.
Nope. Turns out I was trans. Took me 34 years of my life to realize that.
Debby Keir 1 year ago
From a pretty young age, I wanted to be a boy. Growing up in the 50's meant that as a girl 'you're not allowed to do this, or that' all the time, but boys could. It wasn't till the mid 60's that I realised, actually, I'm happy being a girl, but I'll fight you to the death to be 'allowed' to do what I want.
#14
Constant counting in my head. Turns out that’s an OCD symptom. Didn’t realize until I was an adult. I count everything. Constantly.
Bill 1 year ago
And when you chew your food. you have to chew at the same amount of time on each side. Yeah, I get that. And when I was younger I had to do things in multiples of three. I turned the light switch off on and off again. Didn't really realize that was OCD behavior until I was an adult either. I still have .....tendencies lol
#15
Apologizing constantly, even for things that aren’t my fault. Turns out, not everyone feels the need to say ‘sorry’ all the time.
crazydogmama 1 year ago
Having an abusive parent causes this survival instinct. Especially in girls.
#16
How much I daydream
How much I over analyze every social encounter
How just imagining my sister dying will bring tears
How much I try to mentally prepare for my family members dying.
#17
I thought it was normal that certain fabric textures make people feel physically nauseated and violently repulsed when touching them.
No, that’s called autism.
#18
The way the lights look at night when you have astigmatism. I saw a photo comparison of normal vision compared to vision with astigmatism, and it genuinely surprised me.
#19
My parents worked full time and left me home alone a lot. They never checked if I had homework or anything like that. So I'd just come home from school, watch TV, play with my dog, whatever, by myself. I literally never did my homework because no one was there to make me. More often than not I was a bit bored and lonely. Most days I would try and find a friend to come hang out. I'd ring (this was in the 90s) every single kid in my class to come over and play. They always said no, they weren't allowed, because they had homework to do and because my parents weren't home. I didn't understand the concept of "not allowed". My parents weren't even there. I could just go anywhere I wanted. Why couldn't they? It wasn't until I was an adult with my own kids that I realized their parents were just a lot more responsible than mine.
#20
Ever since I can remember I got periodic weird sparkly things in my field of vision. Rainbow, jagged, circular-ish thing that gradually got bigger until my head seemed to ‘pass through’ the ring and then it faded. Happened all the time. I would get really cranky, achy and tired afterward. Always happened when my mom would take me shopping for clothes or groceries (she used to get so annoyed when I wanted to leave after 10 minutes at the mall). In my twenties I mentioned it in passing ‘oh hang on I have a sparkly thing. Ugh I hate these because now I’m going to have a headache’. Mom was like ‘wait WHAT?’ Yeah, I have chronic migraine with aura and fluorescent light is a primary trigger.
Edited to add:
WOW I had no idea so many people experienced this! I feel for each and every one of you. When I was younger - maybe into my 20s - they were just a weird annoying inconvenience. Yeah I felt a little c****y afterward, but nothing debilitating. Unfortunately they progressed to being a harbinger of doom. Full migraines with all the awful pain, nausea, light sensitivity, aphasia, brain fog, the works. Besides evil fluorescent light, I’ve identified lack of sleep, too much sleep, dehydration, exercise, stress, and sudden positional changes (standing up too quickly) as triggers. Yay for trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle? 🙄recommendation: find a doctor who will refer you to a good neurologist. I’m working my way through a series of preventative meds that work for awhile until they don’t. But we keep trying! My neurologist said ‘well, you know we’re basically guessing. We just keep guessing until something works’. Good luck out there!
Susie Elle 1 year ago
Ocular migraines suck so bad. I once thought I was having a stroke when I couldn't see anymore, my right side jaw started tingling and my fingers on my right hand went numb one by one. Turns out that can be a migraine too.
#21
When I think to myself, I often use “we”. If I’m getting up to get some coffee, I’ll think “let’s go get some coffee.” It’s not a split personality thing… I think I distinguish between the parts of me that does/feels/thinks things and the meta part of me that observes myself.
I saw a Reddit post about this a few years ago, and I realized that a few people do the same thing, but most people think it’s very weird. .
#22
Constant existential dread. Turns out not everyone’s brain is a 24/7 horror show.
besterdaleen 1 year ago
I don't think some of the commenters read this post properly. "Dread", it's one thing to live with fear, it's quite something different to live IN fear, to not even be able to sleep because of fear, and it's fear not just for yourself, for those you don't know, will never meet, the helplessness for everything and everyone on this plane, including yourself
#23
It took me awhile to put together that most people notice that they're hungry before it starts to hurt.
Leoninus Fate 1 year ago
i have this, idk if it's the same for everyone, but my mind is from damaged nerves that stop the impulses of my belly and body telling my brain "Hey you hungry and need to eat!" mine doesn't do that and it confuses me when I start to hurt, I have to have wrote reminders, and alarms to tell me to eat every so often {i have pseudotumor cerebri, "basically a brain tumor without the physical tumor"}
#24
"You know how you mainly look through one eye?"
"What? No!"
"You don't mainly look out one eye?"
"No! I look through both my eyes equally!"
"Oh. I thought everyone had a preferred eye, like being right or left handed?"
"No!"
So turns out my left eye is REALLY bad and I'm not just. . . right-eyed.
Leoninus Fate 1 year ago
Im left eyed..... not my chouse... mainly cause the right one had been blinded since i was 8
#25
That some people's minds are just quiet. I thought everyone had an ongoing monolog of their life.
Hellcaste's Wife 1 year ago
Must be nice. I have an internal monologue that, NO JOKE, has a British accent.
#26
Putting on socks before bed. I can not sleep without them, yet apparently other people find it strange!
#27
PMDD. Every month I would stay quiet about my symptoms because I genuinely thought every one else experiencing menstruation also got extremely angry, exhausted, hopeless and couldn’t stop thinking about wanting to [unalive] themselves and everyone around them. I missed an insane amount of school and got fired from jobs because I could not function for about two weeks out of every month. I only realized I had an issue after seeing someone describe PMDD online. I now use birth control continuously so no periods or hormonal change for me!
#28
I thought it was normal for everything to hurt. Catching a ball would leave my palm feeling raw and bruised for days. Swinging a baseball bat would hurt my shoulder, my elbow, my hip. I had terrible pain in my hands from when I was about 12, and I remember my grandma saying, "Yeah, you've got the arthritis, too." And that was that.
You know the saying, "No pain, no gain"? I thought that everyone playing every sport or doing any form of exercise was playing through the pain, and I thought I was a serious wimp for not being able to stand it and play through it like they did. My whole family would make fun of me for having such a low pain threshold.
Every day, I'd wake up with pain in every region of my body, for one reason or another. Bonked my knee on a coffee table 6 months ago? Yep, it would still hurt. Wore shoes that pinched my pinkie toe the previous year? Yeah, I'd still be limping from the pain, but I would try really hard not to limp because that would bother my hip. All these pains added up but never went away. Ever since I was little. And I thought this was normal.
I'm 42 now. About 6 months ago, I had an epiphany and asked my husband if I complained about pain a lot. His instant answer was, "Yep." I explained that I only ever tell him about the pains that could impact our day, pains that are unbearable, so we might need to change plans to accommodate - which is maybe 10% of the pain I'm experiencing at any given time. We talked it out and realized that my experience of pain is actually very abnormal.
I've spent the last six months going to specialists, learning pain management, starting a vitamin and medication regimen, and making so.much.progress! It is amazing the things I can do now. I have more energy, more stamina, and more mental clarity because I'm not exhausting myself by being in pain 24/7. It's amazing - I bonk my knee, and it hurts for a minute. Then, I actually forget about it. Because it stops hurting. All my life, a simple bonked knee would cause me pain for months on end. Now, I get hurt, and in a short while, it stops hurting. It stops! I swear, pain never used to stop! It's amazing!!!
Side note - all the people who told me I had a low pain threshold while I was experiencing horrific pain every freaking day of my life can seriously just go f**k themselves.
Edit - I forgot to say what was wrong. The doctors are calling it fibromyalgia, which is "a disorder characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain accompanied by fatigue, sleep, memory and mood issues. Researchers believe that fibromyalgia amplifies painful sensations by affecting the way your brain and spinal cord process painful and nonpainful signals.".
Ace 1 year ago
I have FM too, but would love to know how this person is treating it so effectively. For most sufferers it's just a question of taking painkillers, if and when you remember. Yes, I'm often in pain without being aware of it. Right then I just did a body check to find out which bits of me are hurting.
#29
Swimming. I grew up on a lake and was swimming as a baby. I probably spent years of my life in the water. I was shocked when I went to boot camp at Parris Island and half the recruits had never been in a pool, let alone knew how to swim.
#30
I learned RECENTLY that working out isn’t supposed to hurt, it’s supposed to make you sore, not in like PAIN pain. Turns out I’m actually disabled and I can’t work out most of my upper body becuase of my spinal curvature. #LiveLaughLordosis.
Leoninus Fate 1 year ago
same, weak brittle bones, spinal fluid leaks and just all around messed up, all that plus being 7'4... i use a wheelchair and cane a lot cause its hard to move around
#31
Being able to dissociate on command apparently that’s a symptom of my cptsd but for a long time I thought everyone had the ability to just stop feeling all emotions & make the world seem fake like a video game that’s not the case I found that out at 24 when i finally found a good therapist 😂.
Hellcaste's Wife 1 year ago
I did this for years and one day my therapist told me, "You need to stop dissociating. It's interfering with your marriage and raising your children. I think we're going to get you some DBT for your PTSD." I had no idea that's what I was doing when I packed emotions/thoughts/etc away into neat little boxes never to be opened again. DBT changed my life!
#32
Honestly, when I was little I thought most people were hyper insane evangelical Christians like I was raised. I got out of that world in high school. As a kid I knew SOME people weren’t Christian, but I truly thought it was the norm. Now I see that my upbringing was really extreme and bordered on cult.
#33
I thought that everyone stopped eating dinner together as a family as soon as you learned how to eat without making a giant mess and no longer needed to be supervised while you ate your food. For basically my whole life other than the first few years, everyone in my family has ate dinner in separate areas at different times and I thought that the only families that ate dinner together were religious families.
I quickly discovered how wrong I was and how unconventional my family is. My parents are both functioning alcoholics in denial and did the bare minimum to ensure I had food and made it to school but that was about it. Once I finished elementary school and started going to middle school they were never involved in anything in my life and I moved out at the age of 14 which they had no issues with as long as I was still going to school, which I was.
Stephanie Did It 1 year ago
I'm so sorry for you that you were cruelly deprived of a childhood and family life. I hope things have improved for you.
#34
Eviction. I thought it was how people moved.
#36
Constant intrusive thoughts and imagining what-if scenarios of horribly traumatic possible events.
#37
I thought everyone felt the fabric of their clothes on their body 24/7 and it was normal so no one talked about it, so imagine my surprise when I told some friends and they said this was not normal.
Apparently most people can filter this out???
Debby Keir 1 year ago
I think that everyone can 'feel' the fabric. When you dress in the morning, you feel each piece going on. However, most people's brains will filter this out within a few microseconds to minutes, in order to free up space to think about other stuff. It's their brain, rather than a conscious thing. We 'must' be able to feel something on our skin - how else would we recognise the ruck in our sock, or the stone in the shoe, or the bra strap cutting in.
#38
Ever since I was little I would frequently feel my heart kinda flop around and skip beats. I always thought this was normal until a doctor noticed it during a routine physical exam. He asked if I was nervous about being at the doctor and I told him my heart always does that. Turns out I just have a lot of premature ventricular contractions. My cardiologist told me they're very common but most people don't actually feel them all the time.
#39
I think everyone can unfocus theirs eyes on command, like, make your vision blurry when you want it. Then i found that while not everyone can do it, its pretty common traits to have. i have astimagtism too, which also common.
#40
Honestly, anxiety in general.
I didn’t realize it wasn’t “normal” to have extreme anxiety about things that were absolutely minuscule untill my mid-teens years.
I was joking to a friend that I hoped I would throw up before a party we were going to instead of during and she said “why would you throw up before OR during?” I replied something like “you know, when you get that dizzy,nervous feeling when you know you’re supposed to be somewhere around a group of people so you have to throw up to feel better?” …needless to say she did NOT know what I was talking about and asked have I ever talked to a Dr. about it.I honestly just assumed everyone felt like that when they went to party’s,new places,appointments or just anywhere really.
Ever Since I was a child,I would constantly worry and get anxiety,Sometimes it was even over things that weren’t a big deal, like answering the phone or going to a place I had already been dozens of times. I was constantly thinking someone was mad at me, even if absolutely nothing happened for the thought to even enter my mind.The worst was when I was laying in bed at night and I would just feel this sense of impending doom, as if something terrible was going to happen out of nowhere.
I’m not going to lie, even as an adult it still blows my mind that there are people who don’t experience anxiety on a day to day basis. To those people I say: what’s it like to be Gods favorite? lol!
T'Mar of Vulcan 1 year ago
I hope the poster gets on an SSRI or similar meds. It's like the sun comes up when the anxiety finally subsides.
#41
Sounds causing actual physical sensations. I don't just mean the sound waves that everyone hears. I'm talking about actual shapes with textures and movements in and around my torso. It turns out I have tactile audio synesthesia. Almost everyone who has any type of synesthesia is surprised when they finally figure out that other people don't experience the world the way that they do.
Phil Green 1 year ago
When my then girlfriend and I were just dating, I was trying to explain how I have accompanying coloured swirls of dots when I listen to music. I also tried to explain maths in terms of colours. She thought I was slightly weird. I had assumed, for forty years, that everyone saw the world that way. I looked into it and realised both I an my brother had synesthesia. To me it was just normal!
#42
Having my vision go black and falling down after standing up too fast… Yeah I was fully passing out which is not normal 😂.
#43
Snow Vision Syndrome. I see a bunch of dots in my vision constantly.
#44
I grew up in a house overlooking the Saint John River.
It never occurred to me that it was unusual that the river would sometimes be flowing in one direction, and sometimes in the other direction. I thought all rivers did that and it was normal.
(The tides in the Bay of Fundy are so high they cause the lower end of the river to reverse direction for awhile at high tide).
Debby Keir 1 year ago
Depends on whether you live by a tidal or non tidal river, which also often depends on how near to the coast you are.
#45
Someone asked how I learned to braid my own hair. I explained that I picture in my head what it looks like as if I’m braiding someone else’s hair while braiding my own. Like if I was watching myself. They looked at me like I was crazy and said they cannot do that. I didn’t know it wasn’t a common thing.
Regina Holt 1 year ago
When I had long and wanted it braided, I would pull it up into a ponytail near the top of my head, then bend over to look at my knees position and then would braid upside down.
#46
I thought it was normal to have headaches nearly daily till I brought it up to my former psychiatrist when I was 18. He asked me if I was in any pain because I kept grimacing because my head was hurting so much. He referred me to neurology, it took years but I finally have the headaches mostly under control thanks to medication, PT, and trigger point injections. We also recently found an abortive med that actually works without major side affects.
#47
I am intolerant to lactose and, in elementary school, would look around wondering how everyone else seemed so comfortable when they *must* be holding in the same amount of air.
Especially odd that I was the only one rattling the halls mid-class to try to find relief without being exposed. Really confused me for years.
Tiger 1 year ago (edited)
My high school friend had some bad celiac symptoms until she realized it wasn’t normal to go to the emergency room for abdominal pain twice a month. She thought it was period related. The weird thing is her mum and brother had celiac too so they ate a lot of gluten-free meals at home, and her pain only happened when she ate Subway or something, and the entire family didn’t connect the dots until she was like 14 😅
#48
I always thought talking to myself out loud was normal until others found it odd.
Leoninus Fate 1 year ago
I do that a lot, used to have my aunt {before she passed} ask "who you talking to?" "Oh just the best people, ME, MYSELF, AND I"
#49
My answer : I always thought it was normal for people to have dinner as late as 9 or 10 PM. Growing up, my family would eat really late because my parents worked long hours, and it just became part of our routine. It wasn’t until I started having dinner with friends or staying over at their houses that I realized most families eat around 6 or 7 PM. I remember being so confused like, Wait, you guys eat this early , Now that I think about it, we probably got a lot of weird looks from neighbors for having dinner so late all the time!
Susie Elle 1 year ago
I mean, you decide what time is normal dinner time for you, right? Lots of cultures eat that late.
#50
Getting pain in my jaw with a first bite. Not always, more common with cheddar cheese.
Just thought it was because I hadn’t moved my jaw for a while. Turns out, nobody else in my family knows what I’m talking about.
#51
Changing my outfit 2-5 times before leaving the house every day. My college roommates were very confused why I couldn’t decide what outfit I would wear. I would always default to my “safe outfit” which was specific shirt with jeans.
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Lady Miss Pie 1 year ago
I have cataplexy in my hands. If I laugh very hard or I just woke up, I cannot use my hands, they don’t work. I can’t make a fist, or use them in anyway way. I thought it was normal until five years ago when I mentioned it to my doctor and she told me what it was—she also never met someone with cataplexy until me! lol
Tiger 1 year ago
How long does it last? That’s very interrsting! I guess no one should tell you jokes while you’re driving or anything 😂
Load More Replies... Traveling Lady Railfan 1 year ago
I have an amazingly keen sense of smell for...get this...cat urine. Dried and years old or even fresh by seconds (fresh and old has different smell though). I worked in research and development of enzyme cleaners for pet accidents and had to smell a LOT of cat pee samples. Yup. That's a thing.
Littlemiss 1 year ago
My god is could have a new career. My sense of smell drives me up the wall.
Load More Replies... Leroy bruyn 1 year ago
I thought everyone figured stuff out like a computer. Turns out it's just me doing the if/then think to deal with everything in my life.
similarly 1 year ago
I always assumed computer if-then statements were based on how people normally think.
Load More Replies...
Mia Black 1 year ago
my spine tickles when hot air comes near or when the dentist has to work with the drill - I always have to put my hand behind my back (pressing against the spine) to suppress it because honestly, nobody wants to twitch when the drill is in their mouth! Blow-drying my hair tickles too much, I can't do that. or stand with my back to a heating lamp. But I'm also generally ticklish (I can tickle myself, it tickles when I run my fingers over my own palm or sometimes gently touch the ceiling off my mouth with my tongue..
Anne Nyheim 1 year ago
My spine too!!! Or rather, a little bit right of spine, about kidney position. To me the worst thing is going to the hairdresser, especially if they use the buzzer in my neck. The dentistry has too much trauma for me
Load More Replies...
similarly 1 year ago
I never realized I had hypochondria until I read up on it. Of course, my doctor says it's all in my head, but that's just what THEY want us to believe! Actually, the first time I read about "Exploding Head Syndrome" it really surprised me. I had NO idea there was a word for that!
Joanne Mendonza-Earle 1 year ago
I have music in my head CONSTANTLY. It's like a radio station. Sometimes I dissociate cause it's so loud. I even think (jokingly of course), 'I can't believe no one else can hear how loud the music is, coming out of my ears.' I never remember a time when I didn't have an earworm of one song or another.
Littlemiss 1 year ago
I hear odd noises, voices, music etc. So it's not just me?
Load More Replies...
BrunoVI 1 year ago
We used to dig trenches, and cover them up with branches and then tarp and then twigs and leaves, so we'd have an underground fort for when WWIII broke out. Just the kids... on our own... it was on that gray area between play and instinctive survival training that makes parents nervous to witness. But anyone born between 1955 and 1980 was raised to expect nuclear armageddon.
Huddo's sister 1 year ago
Posting comments I realised I relate to a lot, if not most of these. That's probably weird, so many occurring in one person, but I've always managed to 'collect' health problems. I've been on so many different meds over the years, since I was about 14.
Noyfb noyfb 1 year ago
I have a friend who gets that sneeze reaction to sunlight. He and his wife were taking their first child, newborn, from the hospital for the first time. When they walked outside into the sunlight, that tiny infant immediately sneezed.
Load More Replies...
1 year ago
I learned at age 18 that it's not normal to always see double, sort of like everything is like a Venn diagram. hahaha oops
highwaycrossingfrog 10 months ago (edited)
Genuinely didn't realise until a few years ago (I'm mid 40s) that apparently I'm abnormal to be happy and anxiety-free 99% of the time. That and both my sister and I were astonished that most people don't know the lyrics to most songs. For me it's impossible to love a song in which the lyrics are not good, but most people seem to be concerned with the music only?
Andrewsarchus42 1 year ago
Genuinely thought that hearing ringing in my ears on a very regular basis for as long as I could remember was normal. Nope. I’ve had tinnitus for basically my whole life
Andrewsarchus42 1 year ago
Also thought that everyone else struggled to understand social situations but I was the only one who couldn’t hide it. Nope. Autism
Load More Replies... Lady Miss Pie 1 year ago
I have cataplexy in my hands. If I laugh very hard or I just woke up, I cannot use my hands, they don’t work. I can’t make a fist, or use them in anyway way. I thought it was normal until five years ago when I mentioned it to my doctor and she told me what it was—she also never met someone with cataplexy until me! lol
Tiger 1 year ago
How long does it last? That’s very interrsting! I guess no one should tell you jokes while you’re driving or anything 😂
Load More Replies... Traveling Lady Railfan 1 year ago
I have an amazingly keen sense of smell for...get this...cat urine. Dried and years old or even fresh by seconds (fresh and old has different smell though). I worked in research and development of enzyme cleaners for pet accidents and had to smell a LOT of cat pee samples. Yup. That's a thing.
Littlemiss 1 year ago
My god is could have a new career. My sense of smell drives me up the wall.
Load More Replies... Leroy bruyn 1 year ago
I thought everyone figured stuff out like a computer. Turns out it's just me doing the if/then think to deal with everything in my life.
similarly 1 year ago
I always assumed computer if-then statements were based on how people normally think.
Load More Replies... Mia Black 1 year ago
my spine tickles when hot air comes near or when the dentist has to work with the drill - I always have to put my hand behind my back (pressing against the spine) to suppress it because honestly, nobody wants to twitch when the drill is in their mouth! Blow-drying my hair tickles too much, I can't do that. or stand with my back to a heating lamp. But I'm also generally ticklish (I can tickle myself, it tickles when I run my fingers over my own palm or sometimes gently touch the ceiling off my mouth with my tongue..
Anne Nyheim 1 year ago
My spine too!!! Or rather, a little bit right of spine, about kidney position. To me the worst thing is going to the hairdresser, especially if they use the buzzer in my neck. The dentistry has too much trauma for me
Load More Replies... similarly 1 year ago
I never realized I had hypochondria until I read up on it. Of course, my doctor says it's all in my head, but that's just what THEY want us to believe! Actually, the first time I read about "Exploding Head Syndrome" it really surprised me. I had NO idea there was a word for that!
Joanne Mendonza-Earle 1 year ago
I have music in my head CONSTANTLY. It's like a radio station. Sometimes I dissociate cause it's so loud. I even think (jokingly of course), 'I can't believe no one else can hear how loud the music is, coming out of my ears.' I never remember a time when I didn't have an earworm of one song or another.
Littlemiss 1 year ago
I hear odd noises, voices, music etc. So it's not just me?
Load More Replies... BrunoVI 1 year ago
We used to dig trenches, and cover them up with branches and then tarp and then twigs and leaves, so we'd have an underground fort for when WWIII broke out. Just the kids... on our own... it was on that gray area between play and instinctive survival training that makes parents nervous to witness. But anyone born between 1955 and 1980 was raised to expect nuclear armageddon.
Huddo's sister 1 year ago
Posting comments I realised I relate to a lot, if not most of these. That's probably weird, so many occurring in one person, but I've always managed to 'collect' health problems. I've been on so many different meds over the years, since I was about 14.
Noyfb noyfb 1 year ago
I have a friend who gets that sneeze reaction to sunlight. He and his wife were taking their first child, newborn, from the hospital for the first time. When they walked outside into the sunlight, that tiny infant immediately sneezed.
Load More Replies... 1 year ago
I learned at age 18 that it's not normal to always see double, sort of like everything is like a Venn diagram. hahaha oops
highwaycrossingfrog 10 months ago (edited)
Genuinely didn't realise until a few years ago (I'm mid 40s) that apparently I'm abnormal to be happy and anxiety-free 99% of the time. That and both my sister and I were astonished that most people don't know the lyrics to most songs. For me it's impossible to love a song in which the lyrics are not good, but most people seem to be concerned with the music only?
Andrewsarchus42 1 year ago
Genuinely thought that hearing ringing in my ears on a very regular basis for as long as I could remember was normal. Nope. I’ve had tinnitus for basically my whole life
Andrewsarchus42 1 year ago
Also thought that everyone else struggled to understand social situations but I was the only one who couldn’t hide it. Nope. Autism
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