25 Horrifying Stories From People Revealing What Childhood Experiences Made Their Life Unbearable

Other kids. Nobody gave a s**t if you were bullied in the 70s and 80s.

When a kid would bully I would tell an adult. Their answer? “oH tHaT jUsT mEaNs tHeY lIkE yOu.”
Yeah because that’s totally a healthy way to learn how to develope relationships or find your way out of toxic ones.

Church!! I used to dread Sundays. I promised myself that once i turned 18 years old, I would NEVER attend church again. Til this day, I’ve kept this promise. I absolutely HATE that place.

Childhood is an important part of any individual’s life. The way a person is brought up and the things they experience at that time shape what kind of a person they turn out to be socially, physically, emotionally, and so on.

Positive childhood experiences make a kid feel valued, nurtured, and supported, which in the long run builds up their resilience and well-being. Interestingly, these experiences can be split into three categories, based on what benefits they bring to the child: nurturing relationships, a sense of belonging, and developing strengths.

My Narcissistic Mom. Spent my childhood always walking on eggshells and nothing was ever her fault.

Hearing my mother tell my dad it was liver night.
That meant a power struggle with my parents that I would eventually lose.
Dinner was at 6PM.
It was not uncommon for me to sit at the table until my bed time.
I did not care if I went to bed hungry.
F**k Liver.

My name rhymes with a few unfortunate words… kids calling you names every minute of the day in the class while the teacher does nothing, for two years straight literally changes a person haha.

The more often children experience these positive interactions, the better their developmental outcomes tend to be. Even when negative experiences happen, positive ones can help outweigh them, forming adaptability, emotional regulation, and healthy relationships.

Speaking of negative (or, as they’re called, adverse) experiences, it’s no surprise that they can be toxic to a developing brain. While a short time of low-level stress is healthy while growing up, chronic stress isn’t.

Children who experience too many adversities or adversities that are too immense usually grow up to have problems with physical and mental health, like depression, substance abuse issues, diabetes, and even heart disease. The more toxic these experiences are, the greater the disadvantages a person faces.

My dad. I never knew how he was going to act, react, show up, or not show up. I was constantly in fear, I was very confused, I wanted to love my dad, but after a while, I hated him with every inch of my soul. I still do sometimes.

Locked in a closet, almost dying of sepsis was pretty rough. Getting dragged from town to town, anytime the rent came due or mom saw “them”.
Sometimes going days without eating- going outside and eating grass or pine needles.

Locked in a closet, almost dying of sepsis was pretty rough. Getting dragged from town to town, anytime the rent came due or mom saw “them”.
Sometimes going days without eating- going outside and eating grass or pine needles.

There are numerous examples of what these adversities can look like. In fact, today’s list is basically made up of them. All of them were shared by netizens when a year ago someone on r/AskReddit asked, “What was your personal hell on Earth when you were a kid?”

As these answers show, the idea of what “hell of Earth” looks like differs for everyone. For some, it’s seeing their loved ones’ health deteriorating; for others, it’s neglectful or abusive parents, and so on.

Alcoholic parents at home and constant bullying at school.

Watching my dad go from about 275 to around 70 pounds while cancer took him.

Kids and female teachers who refused to listen when I told them not to touch me.