Those who were abused by schoolmates in school, do you still suffer from the trauma toda?

[dudeinohio]

From 6th through 9th grade I was physically and mentally abused and tortured daily. Only moving away ended the abuse. I suffer today from this as i. require depression meds.

[GuyAnswersGirls123]

Not at all. I got teased a lot barely understanding American English and slang and culture in high school and jumped after school (missed the bus and had to limp back home covered in bruises multiple times).

Yet I didn't really mind it so much. Also I met one of the guys who bullied me a lot in senior year and we became friendly and I discovered he was abused a lot in his home. That helped me to forgive him and all the rest.

I actually kind of enjoyed it in a way. I mean not the bruises and the teasing but I enjoyed fighting and I did try to fight back even though I was often outnumbered 3 to 1 or more and lost every time I was outnumbered (I did win one time when I wasn't, but the guy I defeated then came back with his friends and that's how I started getting jumped after school).

[GuyAnswersGirls123]

I'm a little bit unhealthily addicted to conflict. I think I watched too many action movies as a kid and expected life to be that exciting. So being bullied was actually kind of exciting to me and refreshing that way from a very mundane and peaceful life.

I quit drinking last year for a variety of reasons but one was that I was getting into way too many drunken brawls at bars. I have some bruises like this:

I really enjoyed it even though I totally lost and got my ass handed to me. I mean not the bruises but I enjoy the conflict and the thrill of things. I work a very peaceful desk job and it gets really boring sometimes. I'm not a masochist; if I was, I'd just hurt myself. I'm just addicted to the thrill and risk of it all and life, just likes fiction, isn't that interesting to me without conflict.

[dudeinohio]

Glad you quit drinking. I'm 11 years sober.

[GuyAnswersGirls123]

Cheers! 🤝 I'm currently just around 5 months in. I wish I could moderate it and just have a good time like ordinary people, but alcohol functions to me like Pringles:

I can't seem to call it quits after 3 drinks, e. g. I end up literally drinking until I can't anymore and pass out and then wake up next morning asking myself what sort of trouble I invited or caused this time while hungover. 😅

I hope your suffering is alleviated. Something that helped me a lot was studying about Stoic philosophy.

[Staximus]

The bullies tried to beat my brother and I up when we moved to a new neighborhood in 5th grade. We just kept fighting them until we kicked most of their asses. After 9th grade we had beat so many of them up that they didn't want any more trouble.

[dudeinohio]

I should have done that, too. I only fought one... and won.

[Staximus]

It's all in your head. If you had violent parents your instinct is to not fight back, so as kids most people's reaction to violence is fear. When I realized that another kid punching me in the face was weak compared to getting hit by dad, I just stopped caring about getting punched in the face

[jennifer_bloom]

I was never abused by a classmate but I was bullied. It wasn't serious and never got dangerous or physical but it did lead to minor reputation damage and periods of stress at school. I had many people defending me cause I was a nice person so a lot of people left me alone when they realized bullying me would not make them look cool.

[MemeSupreme]

kinda like i'll get mad if something reminds me of it

[BoopBoopBeep]

Nope. Learned how to fight back. Didn't always win but made it suck for them. Once I got out of junior high school nothing mattered from junior high school anymore. Once I got out of high school, nothing mattered from high school anymore... etc, etc...

[dudeinohio]

I was to the point I could have become the first Mas shooter... I was that bad off.

Fortunately, I moved and I made lots of friends and was treated well.

Still, my personality was permanently etched out of this.

Life is good for me now, but I wonder what could have been if I had more confidence and self esteem.

[BoopBoopBeep]

I've spent my whole professional life getting used to tracking down bullies. Been a pretty good run of it. Sorry you've having issues brother. Keep holding on, ya know?

[dudeinohio]

Thanks man!

[laly520]

I dont

I overcame it

[dudeinohio]

I'm glad you overcame it.