14 Things You Wouldn’t Understand Until It Happens to You

November 21, 2023

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Some life experiences only make sense when you live them. For instance, you can only imagine how bad nerve pain, disability, and loss of a loved one can be, but it’s after you suffer them that you truly understand. There are more situations that only those who’ve faced them firsthand know.

Table of Contents

Losing a Parent at a Young Age

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It’s a sad reality that some kids are robbed of the chance to grow up with their parents. “It’s a lifelong trauma,” describes a poster whose dad died when she was 5 years old, “I realized quickly that I wouldn’t participate in Father’s Day and learned to deal with it. Fast forward 20 years later, I realize he can’t walk me down the aisle. Triggers are everywhere.”

Nerve Pain

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You wouldn’t understand the horrible, sharp, sudden burning sensation of nerve pain if you’ve never experienced it. Even the tiniest of movements can trigger massive pain.

Chronic Illness and Disability

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Users with chronic illnesses get irked when other people downplay their symptoms. It’s the same with disability. It’s only after the condition hits you that you understand the physical and emotional burden.

Struggling Without Anyone or Anything to Fall Back On

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“I didn’t realize how many people relied on relatives, family, or friends for even the smallest things until I became an adult and had no one,” confesses a poster. This stirs feelings of helplessness, fear, and desperation.

Cancer

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Only cancer patients understand “what it really means to go through treatment.” A cancer patient shares, “It’s like having a gun pointed at your head every minute of the day. It’s not just about being tired or nauseous; it’s about not knowing if you’re going to live.”

Mental Illness

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People with this invincible illness know this monster all too well. This is why they get irritated when someone casually asks, “Why are you depressed? You have nothing to be depressed about,” or, “Can’t you just wake up and not be depressed?”

Car Crash

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Car crashes are scary, but it’s the survivors who understand the magnitude of the moment and the PTSD of getting back on the road. Besides, the collision is usually instant, not slow-motion, as depicted in movies.

Not Having Enough Money Due to Unforeseen Circumstances

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Some people explain they were financially well off until something beyond their control, like a family member getting sick or a breadwinner dying, pulled them into poverty. Only after finding themselves in this situation do they understand that being poor isn’t always a result of making unwise decisions.

Living with PTSD

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“It’s like being haunted and living as a ghost in your own body,” describes a poster, but even this description doesn’t relay the daily, chilling horror of living with PTSD.

Super High-Stress Events

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A user shares, “My empathy plummets to zero during moments of high stress, so I can function without getting overwhelmed by my or other people’s emotions. When people die and the rest of the family is choked on grief, I’m the one who handles the paperwork. It sucks to be accused of not caring.”

Being With an Abuser and How Hard It Is to Leave

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While outsiders may feel that leaving is the best and easiest decision in this situation, victims know breaking the trauma bond isn’t easy.

Homelessness

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A user who experienced this says, “Nothing prepares you for it.” When you’re homeless, you receive hate from society, can’t access essential services like healthcare without judging eyes, and may be sexually assaulted regardless of gender.