People are losing it all around us these days, heck we've all been losing it for awhile. It just seems like those teetering on the frays of reality are out in force lately. It is a scary thing to watch people lose their grip on on what is real, right before your eyes. It feels like they're not really wth us, though they're standing right before us. Mental health is a fragile thing, don't take it for granted.
Redditor u/mouldygoldie wanted people to share some of the times they've witnessed others on or over the brink by asking.... What is the most severe case of someone being completely out of touch with reality you've ever seen?Good Ole Rick.
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Rick Snyder, former governor of Michigan. When the Detroit area was wrecked by massive flooding, and most houses with basements flooded a few feet deep and people lost tons of their stuff, and thousands of cars were written off because of the flooding of the roads, Rick let us all know he understood what it was like - because one of his vacation properties (multiple) had a leaky roof one time, and some carpet got wet.
The Deep Layer....
My sister in law. Kicked out by her boyfriend, comes to stay with us for a few days. We suggest looking for a flat/cheap house to rent near us. She won't live in the scummy part of town near us, she'd like a three bed house with garden in the best part of town. She has no savings and isn't sure if she has a job (was a part time cashier in a super market, stopped going to work when Covid came (note, not furloughed, super market still open, she's just not going in).
When I suggested maybe she couldn't afford £500k on a family home on her salary, she suggested she'd "just get a council house." Disregarding the huge waiting list and the fact that most council properties are I the ghetto parts of town!
This is just the crust of a deep layer of unhinged fantasy world that she lives in.
How the World Works...
My sister. Grew up with everything handed to her, and literally cried when her 1st car wasn't the color she wanted. Married rich. Can't fathom why I can't take off work whenever it suits me, and says stuff like "I wouldn't ask my boss for a week off, I would tell him I am taking the week off."
Lucky Star.
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A woman I knew a few years ago. She had a job. She was convinced she was supposed to be a movie star. She never did any acting, though. She also told me about the married man that she had slept with, "he loves me, but he can't leave his wife.". She actually did stop having sex with him, but they still hung out.
"Tennessee?! HA! Tennessee?!"
My boss's wife 28, she grew up in a wealthy family and married to a man who was 3rd generation owning the company he was in, they were a regional power, etc.
She was talking to a staff that in general - made 36K a year, mumbling about a staffer who was on his Honeymoon.
"Tennessee?! HA! Tennessee?!" She looked around the room for everyone to join in. "My GOD! How did she agree to that? We did Hawaii and that was least I told him was acceptable.
Let's Just Jet....
I went to a private international school in London as a teenager, most kids there had parents working good jobs but in-between them were some filthy rich kids with parents in the oil industry or something similar.
In 8th grade we were talking about our easter break and my friend from Belgium was talking about how his family had decided last minute to go there over the break, but had decided to drive there because there were no flights available.
Then this Russian billionaire classmate of mine asked him "why don´t you take a private jet?". She was so clueless when we started laughing.
Training Day.
I worked on shifts with a guy for years who thought every single person was out to get him. I've never met anyone who had such a warped sense of reality.
He would joke on with someone then go away for the weekend and stew on one particular thing, then come in on Monday absolutely raging over taking something the complete wrong way.
I've seen him attack 2 people and heard about a third. Thing is he's so dopey, everyone thinks he's harmless and "that's just the way he is."
A guy I trained as an apprentice has just started on shifts with him, doesn't take anyone being a fool well at all. I think they'll do well together haha.
He just tried to duck the system.
My Father. He is an habitual liar. I somehow think he believes his own lies. Over the past couple of years I've noticed he doesn't actually have anything new to say. Sort of regurgitates sentences in slightly different ways. Its caused his business to fail. He lied to everyone that was employed there saying he had to liquidate the company. Going so far as to tell people he met with lawyers and the process has been started.
I did some digging and found out there were no lawyers or liquidation. He just tried to duck the system. I have no contact with him but my brother says he is still trying to use the same tactics. I just feel he believes everything. Sort of like living in his own head. Very sad that he damaged lives in the process.
Ok Karen. Calm Down.
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My cousin's wife got very sick while we were at a wedding in Mexico BecAuse she drank NO WATER. Only alcohol. She said, "There were ice chips in my drinks, so I thought it was enough."
Anyways, she complained because at the hospital some of the staff didn't speak English.
YOU'RE IN A SPANISH-SPEAKING COUNTRY!!!!!
For the Feet....
My girlfriend was traveling in China when she was 18 years old and was once randomly approached by a man claiming to be a scientist performing a medical study on feet. He would need to measure the exact dimensions of her feet. For this she obviously had to take off her shoes and socks and he would also need to take some pictures of her feet as well.
Years later she tells this story to me and some friends in a bar. At first we start laughing but then realize she isn't joking and still doesn't realize what had happened there. We actually had to spell it out for her. I'm sure she made some Chinese foot fetishist's day.
It's always at a bar....
I was at a bar and some guy was giving an impromptu lecture of why millennials are so broke and blamed it all on us being lazy students who don't want to work and go to school. When asked what he did he was a property owner and owned a few apartment buildings. Then someone chimes up with he fact he doesn't own any properties he manages them for his uncle who pays him to do nothing all day.
'they'd take the fraud thing so far'
My 'friend' stole my card information and bought loads of expensive stuff. I asked her if it was her before reporting it, knowing that a) she was going through a tough time and I wanted to give her a chance to make it right and b) that I could be in trouble for conspiracy to fraud if I reported it and they believed I'd got stuff delivered to my friend to claim fraud for the money back.
She said no, I thought someone else had done it so I reported it.
When she got arrested she said she didn't think 'they'd take the fraud thing so far'. She thought you could just call up banks to get the money back and they wouldn't investigate.
In the McMansion.
I have an aunt who's never really worked a day in her life because her husband created his own business early on in life. They live in a McMansion and I was over once and we got to talking about fitness, and she told me "Oh yeah we send Pamela to this special training gym, its only 200$ a week, you should try it!"
The fact that to her it was "only 200$" really kills me. I made 9.95 an hour at the time. She's nice enough but not in touch with reality at all.
Maybe he's not into you....
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Had a friend who insisted she was in a relationship with a C-list celebrity whom she met once during a comic convention.
All the celebrity's Instagram and twitter posts were for her and everything had a meaning behind it.
When the celebrity got married, she said that it was just for the media so she and celebrity could live a quiet life.
When he didn't do anything for her birthday, she had a breakdown. She went to therapy not long after.
"who writes a check anymore"
My cousin was spoiled and sheltered her entire childhood through college. Then her parents stupidly cut the leash without any preparation and released her into society.
She quickly got in trouble for bouncing checks all over town. My mom picked her up and asked why the hell she was writing bad checks everywhere.
Turns out my cousin was under the impression that as long as you had checks in your checkbook, you had money in your account. She didn't understand that you deposit in a number and then can spend or withdraw up to that amount.
Please teach your kids basic finance.
Note: this was like 1996 before it turns into a "who writes a check anymore" discussion.
What Children Learn....
This is my time to shine....
So I grew up with a lot or restrictions that at the moment, had no idea the options existed. For example I was only allowed two options of shoes but the catch was that i need to make the right choice. Or that I can make friends on my own, not needing to be told this is your new friend now so go play with them. Sadly my dad kept me in a small box and he was the only one allowed to control what would go into that box or come out.
So when i was 10 cps was involved and was taken into foster care. Thats when my world exploded. I didn't know truly how bad it was until they took me to a shoe store and told me to pick out ones i liked. I swear for the life of me i had no clue what to do. I stood there for what felt was hours until they noticed and asked what my favorite color was. I said green because that was what my father told me i liked.
But i guess i was too overwhelmed that i just remember saying yes to everything and ended up with ugly brown and pink sneakers.
What children learn to do at their normal age is what I am just figuring it out in my 20s. So reality was a hard thing to live because the whole time i was in my dream world.
$$$$$ Only!
This was from a Regional manager of Starbucks, after they removed merit based raises that could go up to a 5% increase, changed to a flat 2% increase. When she asked if people liked the new raise plan, I said actually no, they feel unmotivated with no reason to perform any better than just normal.
Regional manager "your staff need to realize working isn't about money."
Bye Girl...
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I knew a girl who cheated on her boyfriend. When he found out, he broke up with her. She said "you can't break up with me, it has to be mutual."
"that man"
My step-fathers grandpa suffered from psychosis in a strange way. He wasn't able to distinguish mirror reflections from real life. He would often be found talking to the mirrors (his reflection) for hours. Later on, he wasn't allowed to have any mirrors because he would believe that "that man" was there to kill him and often would turn violent. Turn violent as in he would start punching and clawing against the mirrors.
Who Loves Me?
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One bully of a boss asking the three people who suffered most from his behavior if they would want to move to a new employer with him as a team. Hmm.... how about "no way in hell"?
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For many childhood memories are overrun by living nightmares.
Yes, children are resilient, but that doesn't mean that the things we see as babes don't follow us forever.
The horrors of the world are no stranger to the young.
Redditor -2sweetcaramel- wanted to see who was willing to share about the worst things we've seen as kids, so they asked:
"What’s the creepiest thing you saw as a kid?"
Serious Danger
"Me and my best friend would explore the drainage tunnels under the Vegas area where we grew up. These were miles long and it was always really cool down there so it was a good way to escape the heat of our scorching hot summers. We went into this one that goes under the Fiesta casino and found a camp with a bunch of homeless people."
"Mind you we are like 11 years old lol. And we just kept going like it was nothing. It wasn’t scary then but when I look back at it we could have been in some serious danger. Our parents had no idea we did this or where we were and we had no cellphones. We could have been kidnapped and never have been found."
oofboof2020
Waiting for Food
"I was at a portillos once when I was 12 and I was waiting with my little brother at a booth while my parents got our food. This guy was standing with his tray kind of watching me then after a couple of minutes he started to walk over really fast not breaking eye contact with me."
"He was 2 feet from the table and my dad came out of nowhere and scared the s**t out of him. He looked so surprised and just said he wanted to see if I’d get scared or not. He left his tray full of food near the door and left. My folks reported him but we never went to that location again since we found a better one closer to home."
nowhereboy1964
Captain Hobo to the Rescue
"When I was a pretty young teen, my friends and I were horsing around in San Francisco and started hanging out to smoke with some homeless guys. Another homeless dude came up and began aggressively trying to shake us down for anything (money, smokes, a ride, drugs- all of it) and wouldn’t take no for an answer."
"We got in over our heads and could tell this guy was now riling the other 2 guys up and they were acting like they wanted to jump us. Some grandfather-looking old homeless man appeared out of nowhere and yelled at us to get the f**k out of here- nice kids like us don’t belong down here at this hour!!"
"Captain Hobo saved our lives that night. My parents sincerely thought we were at a mall all day lol."
FartAttack911
Survival
tsunami GIF
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"I was 7 and survived the 2004 tsunami in Thailand. Witnessed the wave rise way above the already massive palm trees (approx. 40ft?) and my family and I watched/heard the wave crash into the ground from a rooftop."
faithfulpoo
These Tsunami stories are just tragic.
On the Sand
Scared The Launch GIF by CTV
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"We were a group of kids who went to swim in a local lake. And there was a dead body on the beach with their hands raised and their legs bent unnaturally that local police just took out of the same lake. I've never put my foot in these waters again."
oyloff
Be Clever
"I was walking to school and I was about 5 or 6 years old and some guy pulled up beside me in his car and asked if I would get in. He also offered me sweets to do so. I said no. The creepy bit was when he calmly said ‘clever boy’ to me, then drove off. I’ve never even told my parents or anyone else about this as it would most likely freak them out."
OstneyPiz
Bad Jokes
"Dad's side of the family pranked me by burying a fake body on our back property and had me dig it up to find valuables. Was only allowed to use a lantern for light. They stuffed old clothes with chicken bones. Sheetrock mud where the head was... Random fake jewelry as the treasures... I was like maybe 10 or 11.. I remember digging up the boot first and started gagging because it became real at that point."
Alegan239
YOU
Who Are You Reaction GIF by MOODMAN
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"Woke up to find my little brother staring at me in the dark, asking, Are you really you?"
PrettyLola2004
Siblings can really be a bunch of creepers.
No one should talk to others in the dark though.
Not all pet owners have the same relationship with their pets.
While anyone who decides to become a pet owner, or pet parent as some say, love their pets equally, some never ever let them leave their side.
Taking their pet with them to work, running errands, even on vacations.
Many pet parents even allow their pets to share their bed with them when going to sleep.
For others though, this is where a line is finally drawn.
Redditor Piggythelavasurfer was curious to hear whether pet owners allowed their pets to share their bed with them, as well as the reasons why they do/don't, leading them to ask:
"Do you let your pet sleep in your bed? Why/why not?"
The Tiny Issue Of Water...
"Absolutely not."
"I have fish."- Senior-Meal3649
Everyone Gets Lonely Eventually...
"I adopted an eleven year old cat the day before Halloween."
"She has mostly lived in my closet since I got her, and she hasn’t been too interested in coming out."
"Last night, she came out of my closet and jumped up on my bed, and crawled under my covers and curled up by my feet to sleep."
"I was so happy!"- YellowBeastJeep
The Comforting Reminder That You're Not Alone...
"I recently lost my Greyhound but I used to let him sleep on my bed with me."
"The company was nice and he was no trouble to have on my bed."- HoodedMenace3
Hungry Cookie GIF by De Graafschap Dierenartsen
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What Do You Mean Allow?
"I have no choice."
"She is a cat, cats do whatever they want."- Small_cat1412
"He lets me sleep in my bed."- Poorly-Drawn-Beagle
Wouldn't Have It Any Other Way
"I carry my old boy upstairs to bed every night."- worst_in_show
Hug GIF by The BarkPost
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Who Needs An Alarm Clock?
"I let my two cats sleep with me."
"They're so full of love and just want cuddles all the time."
"And so do I."
"We've all developed a lil routine."
"Get to bed, oldest sleeps on my feet to keep them warm, youngest lies in my arm while I lie on my side (she the little spoon), then when I snooze my alarm for work in the morning the youngest paws at my face and meeps loudly to wake me up."- GhostofaFlea_
Whose Bed Is It Anyway?
"Yes."
"They're also kind enough to let me squeeze into whatever space they've left for me."
"Although I do get a few dirty looks off them."- Therealkaylor
"I found this tiny kitten screaming her head off under a car."
"Would not come out."
"Got some food and some water in dishes."
"I stood by the tire so she couldn't see my feet."
"She got curious about the food and water and started gobbling it down."
"I thought she would bolt when I squatted down."
"She was too busy eating."
"I grabbed her by the nape of the neck and all four legs went straight out and she tried to scratch me to death."
"I got her in the door and tossed her toward the couch."
"She ricocheted off the couch as if she was a ping pong off a table and I lost sight of her."
"I put out food and water and a sandbox and did not see that kitten for three days."
"On the third day, I came home and she was on my bed pillow."
"I thought she would bolt when I came near, but she didn't."
"I wanted to sleep so I tried to scoot her little butt off my pillow."
"She would not go."
"I put my head down to sleep and that is the way it was from then on."
"She ran the roost."- Logical_Cherry_7588
sleepy kitten GIF
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Sleeping Is A Prerequisite...
"No, he's a cat and he cannot keep still during the night."
"He walks across the headboard, opens the closet doors, jumps into the windows and rustles the blinds, etc."
"If he would sleep he could stay, but alas, he's a ramblin' man."- Spong_Durnflungle
Saying No Just Isn't An Option...
"'Let'."
"Lol."
"It's a cat's world and I'm happy to be on her good side."- milaren
Felines Only!
"The cat does, the dog doesn't and the horse certainly does not either."- Xcrowzz
Angry Tom And Jerry GIF by Boomerang Official
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Is That My Hair On That Pillow?
"My dog is perfect."
"She comes up, cuddles til we start to fall asleep, then gets down to sleep on her bed so she doesn't get too hot."
"Jumps back up in the early morning for wake up cuddles."
"The hair everywhere is the only downside but she is so cozy, what can you do."- HoodieWinchester
It is easy to understand how some people are able to fall asleep more easily knowing their friend and protector is there, in bed, with them.
Though we can't blame others who don't want to run the risk of being scratched or bitten in the middle of the night either...