"What made you realize that something you always did wasn't normal?"
Undiagnosed Medical Condition
"'You know that high pitch sound everyone always hears? Wait... you don't?'"
"Apparently, I have tinnitus."- FarAmphibian4236
Hard To Imagine It Never Occurred To Them...
"When I was very young I thought it was normal to have blood on the toilet paper after pooping."
"Turns out it was hemorrhoids, apparently I have always had them."
"Yay!"- SuperevenDuper
And, Exhale...
"My mom is a yawn-yeller."
"When she yawns, you can hear it from anywhere in the house."
"One time my sister had a friend over, and we were in the basement'."
"My mom yawned upstairs, and my sister's friend asked 'was that a coyote?'"- ViolaWPeyton
sam winchester yawn GIFGiphySweet Or Disturbing?
"When I first started dating my now husband, ever time we kissed he made a 'muah' kiss sound with his voice."
"Like he literally said 'muah' every time we kissed."
"I asked him why and he said he thought everyone did that because his mom did it growing up."- thti87
Unusual, But Pretty Cool...
"As a kid I would read a street sign as we drove past and I would then make as many possible words out of the letters in that sign."
"Stop, top, tops, sop, pot, pots, to, so, post, etc."
"I told my sister one day that I couldn't come up with any more words to make with some sign and she made fun of me the rest of the way home."
'I quit after that. I'm still a pretty mean Boggle player though."- Limited_turkey
Whatever Helps You Sleep...
"Pre Bedtime cereal, I had a sleepover when I was a kid and was confused when we skipped bedtime cereal."- Mre64
Old Man Reaction GIF by LaffGiphyThere Are Worse Offenses
"I thought eating cereal without milk was normal until I went to summer camp and everyone stared at me like I killed the camp counselor."- spoilerdudegetrekt
It's Only Polite
"For me it was something I never did. In my twenties, I realized you're meant to make eye-contact when talking to people (I was feral)."- wys15wyg
Who Hasn't At Least Once...
"I got stopped by a cop once because I was talking to myself."
'I literally thought everyone just mumbled out their thoughts out loud."- azuresegugio
Talk Talking To Yourself GIF by The ChallengeGiphyUnlikely Source of Inspiration
'I'm an artist."
"I got asked one time why I draw hands looking 'like that' with all the fingers bent backwards.'
So I held up my hand in the same position as the one I just drew and it looked the same.'
"And that's how I found out I had EDS."- koinadian
The Bradys Can Certainly Relate
'Grew up in a house where seven people all shared one bathroom."
"Thought it was normal to get in the shower without waiting for the water to warm up."
"Everyone go fast before the water gets cold."
"Always wanted to try and be one of the first in line for the shower."- littleflower0929
Gesundheit!
"I was diagnosed with Arnold Chiari Malformation, which I like to say means my brain is too big."
"My wife says I have a misshapen skull...whatever...the bottom line is that my brain stem is excessively squeezed where it exits the skull through the hole on the bottom."
"I have a very minor case, but it causes randomly occurring neurologic issues."
"Upon learning of this diagnosis, my wife was reading up on the symptoms...many of which I knew were abnormalities."
"I was worried I had ALS because that is neurological."
"After reading a bit, she says, 'Do you have problems sneezing?'"
"I say, 'No, I sneeze all the time'."
"I mean, about every 4th or 5th sneeze, my vision goes white and I get dizzy and lose my balance, but I catch myself before I fall'."
"Sometimes I feel like I'm going to pass out, but I never have'."
"The look on her face was one of pure shock - wide eyes and mouth open'."
"Then I said, 'Now that I say that out loud, that probably isn't normal, is it?'"
"She responded with an emphatic, 'No it's not normal!'"
"It was normal for me because it has been that way for my entire life, so I never thought to mention it.."
"And no one had ever asked me what it felt like when I sneezed."
"And why would they?"
"Everybody sneezes, so everybody knows what it feels like."- TroubledWaterBridge
snow white and the seven dwarfs sneezing GIF by DisneyGiphyHeartbreaking
"The first time I was staying at a friends house when I was in middle school I kept waiting for his parents to start fighting."
"His dad came home, food wasn't done yet, I was waiting for that fight."
'The Youngest brother didn't do his chores."
"I kept waiting for the screaming to start, I had braced myself for it, and it never happened."
"That's when I started realizing that parents aren't supposed to fight every night and drag their kids into it."
"Every day I got off the bus and would have to mentally brace myself before walking through the front door."
"Hoping my mom wouldn't find some random reason to shout at me for 3 hours."
"FYI I'm pretty good now."
"Moved out immediately when I was 18 and lived with a different friend."
"It's been 10ish years now."- Wesley_Otsdarva
If the worst thing you might be doing is getting on someone else's nerves, it doesn't really matter whether or not what you're doing is "normal."
But if you're worried something might not be normal about your health, probably best to call your doctor immediately.
Redditor Music-and-wine wanted to hear what some therapists thoughts about our wildest issues.
"Therapists, what is something people are afraid to tell you because they think it's weird, but that you've actually heard a lot of times before?"
I think everything I think is weird. So... no shocking here.
Explore
the office therapy GIFGiphy"I have heard some variant of 'This is probably weird, but I feel if I am my true self around others then they won't like me' more times than I can count. As I explore the formative situations to this belief alongside my clients it definitely pulls at my heart strings."
oreganick
Brush them off...
"Intrusive thoughts. Nearly everyone has thoughts about pushing the old lady onto the subway train, swerving into opposing traffic, or stabbing their loved one in the stomach while cooking dinner with them. Some folks, however, take these thoughts very serious that believe that they might act them out. It's called thought-action-fusion. Most of us are able to brush them off, though."
vedderer
'Fit in'
"I'd say a common one is believing that there's something innately, irreparably wrong with them that makes them unable to ever truly 'fit in.' For a lot of people it's such a deeply ingrained belief that it can be extremely painful to acknowledge or express, regardless of the level of personal success in their lives."
GuidedBySteven
On the Daily
"That they don't like their family members, are angry/want to stop communication with their parents etc. I work in a country which Is more culturally collectivist, so not wanting anything to do with your parents makes you an a**hole in the current cultural sense."
"We deal with this almost on a daily basis. There is deep and profound shame in this and when we find that line of 'oh, it might be that your parents are toxic to your mental well being/trigger your trauma' many of my clients actually get visibly angry with me."
"Cultural psychology is so important, cause when I first moved here I had my American/European hat on, oh boy, did I need to adjust."
leonilaa
So far it's agreed. We all need help.
Fail
"Clients become quite fearful of admitting that they weren't successful since the last time they had a session. This could include not succeeding in using a coping skill that they're learning about, or not being able to complete a homework assignment I gave them. Humans aren't robots, and therapy is a lot of work."
"That being said, I don't expect people to be perfect as they start to work on themselves in a positive way. It takes time to really commit to change, especially in relation to trauma or conflicted views that an individual holds. I feel as if the client doesn't want to let me down as their therapist, but these 'failure' events are just as important to talk about as successful moments!'
DnDYetti
Many Questions
"Usually it’s sex related. Shame about their desires or kinks is common. Gender questioning is another. Some people are ashamed of things they did in childhood or adolescence, haven’t ever told anyone and think the team will be horrified. We have heard everything. Everything. I’m always compassionate and always understand why we do the things we do. I’ve yet to have anyone bring something I can’t ‘get.'"
throwaway4u2021
Normal
"Many of my clients lived through severe childhood trauma and neglect. They had no one to model or explain healthy emotions or to show them appropriate ways to react to stress, fear, anger, etc. Most often they’ll describe a completely normal reaction to a stressor and then follow that up with 'I don’t know if that’s normal.' These are adults who were exposed to so much dysfunction during their formative years that they don’t know whether it’s normal to cry when they’re anxious or afraid, feel angry when their boundaries have been violated, etc."
yayeayeah619
Too Close
"Hidden sexual dreams and fantasies about family members. More common than people think, and often stays that way and doesn't really interfere in the person's close relationships unless they allow it. Many things we dream or think are unconscious and involuntary, and the root of such things is often nonsensical."
I'm Done
Tired 90 Day Fiance GIF by TLC EuropeGiphy"Women often feel really ashamed when they tell me they are burnt out on being a parent or that they never want to have kids. I wish all of them knew how common this thought is."
trick_deck
Therapy is rough, but so helpful. Below are some resources to utilize if necessary.
If you or someone you know is struggling, you can contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988.
To find help outside the United States, the International Association for Suicide Prevention has resources available at https://www.iasp.info/resources/Crisis_Centres/
"What is something considered 'weird' in the USA but is normal to the rest of the world?"
Easily Accessible Records
"The way to get Birth certificates."
" Like in Chile and some Latin Countries, we just go to THE government official page, put our names and our numbers, and we have our certificates ready to be downloaded, not only the Birth one."
"I comment this in an AITA post, and I get it why the USA doesn't have it, but if we look the amount of parents that used this like another tactic of abuse by keeping it, if the USA implement this it could be better and one thing less to be worry about in that cases."- BreadWithChancho
Even If The Service Was Spectacular
"Not tipping at every restaurant."- Amazing_Trace
"Not tipping for the dumbest sh*t."
"Like i went to a zoo in the USA and apparently I had to tip the person that passed me an ice cone in a food stand."
"Like lady, i was the one that was standing up in a line to get here."
"You didn't go and deliver it to me."
"Tipping culture is cancer."- Its_Bormin_Time
Tip Tipping GIF by DeRay DavisWhich Comes First? Month Or Day?
"DD/MM/YYYY."- ricarleite2
Dundee Would Agree!
"Bidets."
"People make fun of mine."
"Jokes on them though, my a**hole is way cleaner than theirs."- sheldonowns
People Have Different Standards Of Hygiene...
"Not refrigerating eggs."- supremedalek925
Dance Food GIFGiphyNo Supersizing Here...
"Smaller portion sizes."- Sad-Aioli-7194
Measures Up...
"The metric system."- ArtichokeTurbulent70
"The metric system."- Bruhfactor21
Independent At An Early Age
"8-year old kids walking to and from school on their own."- DormeDwayne
Walking Fail GIFGiphySome Prefer It Lukewarm...
"Soda without ice."- revpar35
Ask Bill De Blasio...
"Eating pizza with a knife and fork."- Environmental-Way-29
If You Can Afford The Data Plan
"Communicating via the iMessage or Whatsapp voice memo feature in day to day life."- felastrobel
sexy chat GIF by Fragmento UniversoGiphyDon't Even Get Americans Started...
"Not paying for healthcare."- Wrong_Coffee_9457
It's Just An Expression!
"I’ve heard it’s somewhat of a taboo to eat horse meat in the USA."- IceClimbers_Main
It's Very Dangerous!
"Jaywalking."
"What the f*ck America?"- Slugs4breakfast
sacha baron cohen crossing street GIFGiphyFinger Food!
"Eating sauce with bread using hands it's common here in Tunisia and asian countries, but I never saw an American do that."- Various-Engineer2114
Some Would Just Call It Good Hygeine
"Taking off your shoes before coming inside your home."- fishywig
Is This A Thing?
"To pee on someone's tyre before they leave."- Suspicious_Fun_3641
dog peeing GIFGiphyNo two people have the same opinion on what is "weird" and what is "normal".
And the joys of traveling is to experience a culture different from our own.
But don't let that stop you from keeping your eggs in the fridge.
Redditor MuchDuck wanted to discuss what we maybe need to chill about because we're not in that much danger.
"What is widely considered a red flag but actually is not?"
Let'e be less cautious. Life is meant to be lived.
Hold On
Text Chat GIF by IlizaGiphy"Not responding to message within 5 milliseconds."
JiroAizato1
"I am a quick texter. I just type really fast. I make people feel like they need to respond immediately or I'll get mad even though I tell them I don't expect it lol. I get seen as a red flag lol."
ExtensionQuantity112
Sight Unseen
"Not making eye contact doesn't mean someone is lying."
Electronic-Emu-773
"Too much eye contact can actually indicate someone is lying as they're looking at you to see if you believe it."
krs1426
"I’m afraid I will see negative emotions towards me in others eyes. Disappointment, dislike, any kind of dis. Also, I have a very expressive face. I don’t want to bare my soul. I don’t like lying but I’m not brutally honest if it only hurts another."
pugapooh
The Socials
"Not having a social media presence. I’ve had multiple people tell me that my choice not to use social media was a huge red flag, but in reality I got rid of my accounts because they were making me miserable. I got rid of my Instagram/twitter accounts two years ago, and have been noticeably happier ever since."
"Edit: I really did not expect this comment to blow up so much. I think this is the first time that’s ever happened to me. Obviously a lot of people feel the same way that I do. Quick note to save a few people some typing: Yes, I obviously still use Reddit. I mostly kept it because I like the News tab, and the anonymity makes it far easier to deal with than something like Instagram."
taylor52087
Profiles
"Not posting pictures with friends on your dating profile. Some people assume you’re anti-social and not pleasant to be around, but I choose not to because I feel weird to post pictures of other people than myself."
GreenLurch
"I entirely prefer someone to *not* post pictures with friends. It's hell when ALL of their pictures are with friends so it's like 'Who the hell am I getting from these 20 different people that aren't strikingly different?'"
Sophiliath
Alone is good...
Wink Flirting GIF by GIPHY Studios OriginalsGiphy"Not dating for several years, I’ve been told by girls that if a guy has been single for over five years that’s a problem.So you’d prefer he’d be in 25 relationships in the last five years and wonder why all those relationships didn’t work out?"
bigblueberryboobies
Sometimes alone is the better option. Smarter.
Stay Away
San Diego Lol GIF by San Diego Zoo Wildlife AllianceGiphy"Not having many friends. I'm just very introverted not a weirdo."
sticks-in-spokes
Blood isn't always thick...
"Not getting along with parents. Some parents are abusive, neglectful, or toxic to be around; and if an adult chooses not to be around that, good for them. Of course, if a person is actively awful to their parents, that's another story."
insertcaffeine
"THANK YOU. everyone always says that I’m being rude by being so uncomfortable sitting next to my mom, and that’s because around other people she seems like a really really nice woman, but when its only the family she is MENTAL and mentally abusive AF."
Sunfl0w3rD4wn
Weirdo
"Being independent, or even a loner. Sometimes we’re just shy and have poor social skills. We’re not 'creeps' or 'weird.' I just do my own thing and leave people alone for the most part unless they want me in their life."
BurghFinsFan
"This is me. I do not have anyone, except my wife, that I would call a close friend. I am active in a few areas hobbies, but that is it. I am not lonely and enjoy socializing once in awhile, but honestly I like doing my own thing. I get plenty of socializing with my coworkers during the day."
toad__warrior
Hidden Figures
"I once met a girl who thought it was a red flag that I always placed my phone screen down on a table. She thought it meant I was hiding something. I had to try and explain that it's too big to keep in my pocket and it's screen down to be polite and show her that she has my undivided attention. Although, I must admit, that her level of insecurity was a red flag to me."
Natural-Ad678
Roommates
Family GIFGiphy"Living with family, in this day and age it’s just not feasible for everyone to have their own place."
kumakami89
Living with family... that's the new best roommate situation.
Do you have something to add? Let us know in the comments.
To call it a "rabbit hole" is an understatement...
"Infinite scrolling in apps."- Ill_Animator_4437
"TikTok."
"The algorithm is insanely good at keeping people on it for long periods of time."- SDAPastor
"Social media."
"Everyone is always on social media, even i am personally an 'addict' I'm constantly taking pictures for my Instagram, posting on my Snapchat, or scrolling through TikTok. an endless cycle between the three apps."- meanbee90
Social Media Love GIF by Lumps"But enough about me, what do you think about me!"
"Attention."
"Some can't see the truth that they are out there trying to compete against one and other and can't understand why people don't like them."
"So they try harder."
"It's an endless loop because they will never be happy with what they have already."
"Life."- MywarUK
Look at that, I must have it!
"Shopping."- justnotthatwitty
I can just keep going!!!
"Energy drinks."- Professional_Grab513
Hey, you never know...
"Surprise no one has said this but lottery tickets."- Immediate_Pomelo638
Happy Winner GIF by Casanova RecordsGiphyDepending on your inner circle...
"Not crack, but cocaine is HUGELY accepted within pro sports, celebrities, rich people, so on an so forth."
"You'd be surprised at the amount of people who do it."
"People you'd never think of."
"It's a big secret a lot of the time but it's extremely popular."
"It is everywhere."- Reasonable-Low4120
If these addictions don't necessarily pose such an immediate threat to one's health that requires being sent to rehab, in the grand scheme of things they are almost equally dangerous.
So next time a close friend or family member asks if maybe you should think about cutting back, probably a good idea to listen to them.