Social media can feel like a safe space for many to share even their most private thoughts. Some even use the shield of anonymity to talk about things that have been weighing on their conscience. From innocent childhood stunts to regrettable accidents or actions as adults, these stories show how powerful and therapeutic it can be to let go of long-held secrets and inspire you to do the same.
- My grandmother had a collection of fairly expensive rings, and when she died she left one to every woman in the family. I was 13 and told not to wear mine out of the house because it was a bit loose on me. I did and lost it within a month of her death. Every now and then my mom asks about it, and I’m just like, “Yeah, it’s in a box in one of my drawers, I don’t wear it because I don’t want to lose it.” © ihopeyoulikeapples / Reddit
- I am the reason most of the kids under my care speak with a horrible accent from a random country. Whenever I’m looking after kids, when their parents aren’t around, I always use the worst impression of the accent when addressing them. And the kids always wondered why I sounded weird when their parents were dropping them off and picking them up. © MeowsterOfCats / Reddit
- One Christmas, I was 9 years old and knew that Santa wasn’t real, but for my 7-year-old brother the fantasy was very much alive and good. We shared a room, and my brother woke up on Christmas morning and looked confused that Santa had not eaten the Kit Kat that had been left out.
He went quiet, and I could see that he was working the facts through in his head. So, when he wasn’t looking, I ate the Kit Kat and showed him the wrapper and claimed he imagined seeing the wrapper unopened. This was 26 years ago, and I have not told him in case he works out Santa is not real. © 10pencefredo / Reddit
- I have a third nipple in my arm pit. Found out after having a child and experiencing milk leaking out of my arm pit. It’s so weird. I just thought it was a strange skin tag. It was hilarious and novel at first, then I had to empty it out into the sink every morning. Or squirt my husband, whichever seemed more fun at the moment. © lolturtle / Reddit
- When I was 9, my dad and I were reading Reader’s Digest and found a magazine subscription card for a free case of Depend adult diapers, so we wrote my uncle’s name and address down and put it in the mailbox. He got it a couple weeks later and called everyone in the family to find out who it was. We knew my uncle was fuming, so we kept it to ourselves. To this day, everyone suspects that it was my other uncle. © 1BoiledCabbage / Reddit
- When I was in 4th grade, I put mustard in one of my friend’s burger because he had told me that he hated mustard. Turns out he was actually allergic. He didn’t come to school for 3 days, and I was scared that I killed him. To this date no one knows that I did it and he and I are still on pretty good terms. © Far_Tonyu / Reddit
- When I was around 10 or 12 I threw a soccer trophy at my door during a tantrum. It put a hole in my side, but not all the way through. I stuck a bumper sticker for my favorite college team over it. I’m 28 and it’s still there. © Deanbledblue / Reddit
- I’m a middle-aged mom who will sneak to Target and buy toys for myself like dolls (not collectibles, just toys). I hide them from my husband and just basically look at them when I’m alone. I think it’s because I grew up poor and didn’t have much, so now that I’m making ok money, I’m spending it on random stuff in secret, and I feel incredibly weird and guilty because of it. © ATrebekInTheNight / Reddit
- Sometimes I go into the woods to scream. Not like to release stress, just to scream like a wildman. © Steves_bad_day / Reddit
- I didn’t know my best friend’s name for almost 10 years. She goes by Katie almost exclusively, and got it in my head early on that it was short for Katelyn. Imagine my surprise when I heard her being referred to as “Kathryn” at our convocation. No right way to bring that one up in a conversation.
© quetsche_coatl / Reddit
- About 20 years ago, I worked for a big publisher. They were upgrading all their tech and just dumping it in a skip. I asked a security guy if I could take some stuff from the skip, and he said to help myself, as it was all going to get crushed anyway.
During a night shift I filled up my car with of beige G3/Quadra Apple Macs, keyboards, mice and some 19″ Formac screens. Some of the macs had Quark Express and Photoshop on them.
I cleaned them up and sold the lot. I made enough to buy a G4 Quicksilver of my own, which I still have today. I didn’t tell my co-workers, ex-wife, managers or anyone else. © Sean_696 / Reddit
- This is gonna sound really weird, but I’ve become homeless 3 separate times, and each time it’s like my mind just switches into survival mode, and it feels awesome. Don’t get me wrong, being homeless for a prolonged period of time is not very fun at all, but there’s something so exhilarating about the first week or two after hitting the streets that just feels like you finally have total control and freedom over your life. Maybe I’m just crazy. © BrattockMoonguard / Reddit
- I got lost in the woods hiking. As soon as I realized I was lost, I immediately called the police, and they had to rescue me. It was a whole big scene. I texted my parents with the little battery life I had on my phone and told them I was staying at a friend’s house, so that they wouldn’t worry. The police eventually found me, and I got home at 5AM. I’ve never told them the story. © robbothwell / Reddit
- When I was about 7 I went almost two full months strictly peeing in my mom’s various houseplants because she yelled at me for knocking one over. I got my revenge the best way I could think of at the time. © Diligent_Ad_5837 / Reddit
- During my freshman year in high school, I was drinking a red Gatorade at lunch. This girl said that I was sitting in her seat. I hurried and swiped my drink to find another seat. I didn’t realize my Gatorade lid wasn’t tightened, and the drink basically splashed all over her white pants. I scurried off, pretending I basically just didn’t ruin this girl’s pants with red Gatorade.
A few weeks later, my friend invited me over to play at his house. His sister came home and I realized that was the girl I spilled my drink on. Luckily, she seemed to not have remembered my face because she didn’t mention it. My friend and I still talk to this day (I’ve graduated high school 9 years ago) and I have never told this to him or his sister. I sometimes feel like she pretends to not remember and is actually plotting something all these years. © hiyoj / Reddit
Keeping a secret from your partner might put your relationship on the line. However, a few people decided to do the opposite and be totally honest with their significant other. Unfortunately for them, the outcome wasn’t as expected, and their honesty led to the end of their relationship.