The unexpected curveballs thrown at us throughout our journey in life can be exhausting, but it keeps us on our toes.
Those who are complacent in life endeavor to improve or enhance their day-to-day living.
However, a forced change in their life's journey as a result of a traumatic experience is not what they had in mind to get out of their rut.
Strangers online shared their stories of a major turning point in life when Redditor Hairynipsforever asked:
"What event In your life separated it into before and after?"
Tragedies befell the lives of these Redditors and defined a transition.
Losing A Sibling
"My youngest siblings death. nothing has cleaved my life in half like that. The date feels like a scar."
– Smartass_Narrator
Brutal Murder
"I found my best friend murdered in our driveway. The poor guy was getting home from work and was brutally and repeatedly stabbed as he was getting out of his car."
"He was one of the best people I have ever met. I miss him dearly. There's not a day that goes by where I don't think about him. We were supposed to be old men together..."
– Freddielexus85
Fatal Rupture
"My 18 yo sons unexpected death from a brain aneurysm."
– kspencer3589
Death Of A Parent
"When my mom, the last person in my life that cared that I existed, passed away. I've been alone since then."
– Ancalimei
Those who came out the other side after struggling with mental health issues shared their stories.
New Version Of Me
"At age 25 one night my brain broke. I had fleeting intrusive thoughts throughout life, but a unique culmination of stress factors that night flipped it like a switch to full on OCD. Waking up the next morning I knew something was terribly wrong. It consumed me. I’m alright now 9 years later, but I’ve always seen it as me entering some v.2.0 era of myself, never to return."
– hidarryl
Drowning In Depression
"I feel this so much. One day I was blissfully happy, the next I was consumed by swirling anxious thoughts that I couldn’t relieve myself of for almost a year. I literally thought about killing myself just to get some relief from my own thoughts. Thankfully I saw a good Doctor and am better now too. OCD is horrible and I hate when people exaggerate having it. They have no idea."
– effulgentaardvark
Losing Touch With Reality
"This happened to me!"
"But it was a constant state od Deoersinalization/Derealization. One day I was OK and suddenly after a few sleepless nights that was it. Nothing was real anymore."
"Then depression and anxiety set in. Took me a year to find my way back to 'reality' lol."
– slipstream808
Putting Down The Bottle
"Getting sober."
– GrouchyBenoit1987
"2 months sober here. I get it."
"Also f'k it's hard, I don't miss the drinking I miss the company."
– Greedence
Changes in family or romantic relationship statuses is another common defining moment in people's lives.
When Mom Left
"My mom leaving after cheating on my dad. Made this new account today to ramble about stuff that just happened with her actually. Guess I'll keep posting on askreddit till I find a sub good enough."
– IGaveTheBook
When Life Became Brighter
"My first date with my husband. After that, it was like someone turned up the saturation on the world. Everything is brighter, clearer and more vibrant with him by my side."
– NixyPix
The Day The Silence Began
"When my sister and I stopped talking. Before it happened we were best friends."
– omgjules
The Lost Brother
"I looked up to my brother when we were younger and if I had a best friend back then it was him. Unfortunately he changed the older he got and it got to the point where I didn't talk to him for about 4 years and then we ended up in the same room and the streak came to an end. It was another 2 years until my mom had to go to the hospital and then into assisted living so I called to let him know. My mom's doing better but neither of us have heard from him since. That was a year and half ago and I'm not going out looking to make conversation with the guy."
– monty_kurns
Abandoned
"My dad dropped me off with my grandma when I was 4 and said he would be back on Saturday. I knew I wouldn’t see him again for a long time tho. I’m 22 now and haven’t seen him since. Lots has happened since then but I remember that day as when I lost the kid in me and the ability to trust."
– Long-Celebration-583
While many of the comments were examples from the result of emotional trauma, not all of them in the thread were tragic.
There were few who took the reigns on their lives.
Some got themselves out of a miserable job or damaging relationships and found that taking a leap to leave was the defining moment where their lives vastly improved.
Everyone's path in life is different. How much control have you had to influence the direction of your life's journey?
They never saw it coming.
The Survivor
"Literally getting run over by a car."
– Revolutionary_Net549
Unwelcome New Life Chapter
"Waking up quadriplegic at 26 y/o."
– cripple2493
A Friend Becomes A Target
"When someone close to me tried to kill me."
– Free_Gratis
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