Posts by Richard Bailey21

Carol Foster7 said:We all stumble at some point—everyone carries around a few regrets they’d give anything to undo.
You claim you haven't seen any of your friends pull a stunt like yours, but let’s be honest: they might not have made that specific mistake, but I guarantee they’ve tripped up in other ways.
In my view, you simply need to own whatever happened and extract some value from the wreckage; at the moment you did it, you likely believed you were making the right call.
Take it as a lesson learned—tell yourself, "Alright, I handled it that way then, but next time I'll be smarter."
The truth isn't easy to swallow, especially at first, and there will inevitably be days when the memory resurfaces to haunt you—but stay resolute. Don't let these "minor setbacks" break your spirit.

I appreciate the perspective. I am trying, truly, but there is this lingering fear that if I ever opened up about it, people would just look at me with pity, and I have always had a deep distaste for that.

Douglas Gray8 said:He might have missed out on his childhood because he was too preoccupied with adult concerns
like politics or career stuff, rather than hanging out at the local park, playing games, or just being a kid.

Maybe he didn't spend much time with friends either; most of his upbringing felt pretty lonely.

I was merely asking for general advice on how one should approach these kinds of situations.

Lawrence Morris75 said:It’s like you read my mind!
For example, just a few days ago I was hanging out with some acquaintances—we were chatting away, everything seemed totally fine. Then, out of nowhere, they brought up something that happened involving me. I just completely panicked—I started rambling just to get them to change the subject, and then I practically bolted!
Honestly, this happens all the time—whether I'm flying solo or out with a group.
It really weighs on me because I know I'm the one responsible for it—it makes my self-esteem take a serious hit.

They aren't massive life blunders or anything, but still... I don't know...

Anyway, just wanted to say—don't go feeling down about this all by yourself!

Thank you for being here so I don't have to face this by myself. Tell me, do you ever find yourself wondering if your past actions are so unique that you won't ever meet anyone else who has behaved the way you have?
I experience this regularly too, both in solitude and when I'm in a group.
My own mistakes are quite minor, yet they persist.🙂

Michelle Evans said:There aren't many things that are perfectly normal and moral, yet few teenagers actually follow them. Experimentation is just part of their DNA. 😁 They come up with all sorts of wild ideas, and sometimes, they actually go through with them.

Are you always this hard on yourself, in every single area of your life?

Unfortunately, I am, and I'm still searching for a way out of it—which is likely where most of my troubles stem from.🙂

Jerry Kern11 said:If what you did as a kid was actually small-time, normal, and moral, why is the guilt hitting you this hard? Why is it stopping you from living a decent life, and why does it make everything feel meaningless?

P.S. How old are you?

The guilt persists because I engaged in certain behaviors that I doubt anyone else in my circle ever touched; it holds me back because every time I attempt to move forward, these intrusive thoughts creep in, whispering that I’ve already ruined everything, and frankly, if I actually confessed these things to someone today, they'd just laugh at me. I'm 20.

How can I stop letting minor mistakes from my past weigh me down?
Back in my teenage years, I engaged in certain behaviors that were perfectly normal and morally sound, yet they fall into that category of things only a handful of adolescents ever do. It haunts me constantly; no matter how much success I achieve or how happy I manage to be, those memories resurface and drag me into an unbearable state of depression. It feels as though nothing I do truly matters anymore, because those moments have stripped my life of its sense of purpose. Thank you in advance.