Unsplash | Ben White

People Reveal The Biggest Secrets They’re Keeping Right Now

Everyone has secrets, or so I've been told — I mean, I have nothing to hide, no sir, nothing whatsoever! Is it getting hot in here? Let's move on.

One person took to Reddit to ask people to anonymously reveal something that no one else knows about them, by asking, "What's a secret you're keeping right now?"

Surprisingly, a few people actually answered the call for honesty and shared some of their secrets, which vary from hilarious to absolutely heartbreaking.

Sleeping With The Fishes

Unsplash | Ahmed Zayan

"My daughter's pet Beta Fish, Pinky, is not the original Pinky. In fact, this is Pinky #9." — letmebeyoursalad

As adorably hilarious as this one may be, I have to wonder what on Earth they are doing to these fish to have gone through 8 of them!

What Happened On Holiday

Unsplash | Roberto Nickson

"I went on a girls trip last summer with my best friend, and she cheated on her boyfriend. She immediately regretted it and is still with her boyfriend but I've never told anyone." — bad_anima

Most people told this person that they had done the right thing and should keep this secret to themselves, and not interfere with another person's relationship.

True Love

Unsplash | Nick Fewings

"I think I'm falling in love and it's overwhelming." — BonnieZoom

Falling in love isn't like it is in the movies, it can be terrifying and quite unsettling. While the times that it does pan out, it is wonderful, the times that it doesn't are unbearable. It's worth the risk though.

The Real Reason A Friend Has Left

Unsplash | Olga Kononenko

"I'm in a grad program. I'm pretty close with three people in my cohort. One of the guys in our little group has been acting weird this semester. I got him to tell me what's wrong.

"He told me he has cancer and will most likely die within a year. He asked me not to tell anyone. The other two friends in my group just think he's going on medical leave and will be returning. They think it's because he’s depressed since he didn't specify exactly what was wrong. They have no idea that they may never see him again. I want to tell them, but he asked me not to... I feel awful about it." — Abisoccer1

What a terrible situation to be in, however, I feel that you probably have to respect the wishes of the person who is ill?

Abusive Upbringing

Unsplash | Stefano Pollio

"That I was molested and raped as a kid." — -tahlthar-

This confession received countless responses from people sharing their own stories and telling this person to not lose hope on life.

Weight Insecurity

Unsplash | i yunmai

"I haven't let a photo of myself be taken in years because I gained a bunch of weight. So people that haven't seen me in years still think I'm thin. I've actually lost 23 pounds and I can't be excited and tell anyone I haven't seen in a long time because then they'll know I was fat." — nondescript_human_01

Being insecure about your weight can have a profound effect on your mental wellbeing. It is important to remember that so long as you are happy in yourself, then you have nothing to be self-conscious about! Losing 23 pounds is a fantastic achievement, so you should be happy in yourself for what you have achieved and not worry about what other people think.

Presents

Unsplash | freestocks.org

"My wife and I have been very rocky lately. We are trying to recover from a separation. Anyway, she told me a few weeks ago about a story where when her Grandfather passed, her Grandmother took the grandkids on a vacation to Disney World. My wife bought a watch with Mickey on it and even showed me what it looked like online.

"My wife was very close with her Grandfather and connected the watch with him. My wife had a Strawberry Shortcake jewelry box she kept the watch in. And one day she forgot to put it back, and the watch was lost. She never found it. Well, I found the watch online and a wooden jewelry box. I had the box engraved with a picture of Strawberry Shortcake and a saying from her Grandfather. And inside is the watch. Literally, 30-something years later she gets the watch back. I truly hope she loves it." — silly_skirt

That feeling of having a gift for someone that you know they are going to love is a uniquely warming sensation. Presents such as this, that are really personal, can truly show how much you love another person.

Depression

Unsplash | ANDI WHISKEY

"I couldn't care less if I live or die, my bags are packed. I'm not suicidal, just content. Realizing there is no real purpose to life and everyone is stuck in a work eat sleep cycle cuz life is about the pursuit of money." — ChiefVandec

This level of apathy and passivity towards life can be quite common, with people realizing that life maybe isn't what we thought it would be when we were kids. However, there are reasons to be happy, those fleeting moments with friends or loved ones where everything feels good can go a long way to making you feel more content in this world.

Loneliness

Unsplash | Magnus Lindvall

"My girlfriend of three years just broke up with me right after Thanksgiving. My parents expected her to come visit for the holidays but I told them that she is spending Christmas with her family this year. I don't have the heart to talk about it to anyone in my family, it’s been a tough few weeks for me" — Edgar_Allen_Swol

It can be hard moving passed someone who has been such a large part of your life, but pretending to others that it hasn't happened will prevent you from fully moving on.

*Meows Suspiciously*

Unsplash | Paul Hanaoka

"I secretly know where Cat's treats are, even though I pretend to be clueless when he asks." — sex-ghost

I'd be very careful with this sort of thing, cats can be very cunning, wily creatures, capable of exacting all manner of revenge plots.

PTSD

Unsplash | Luis Galvez

"I haven't been able to feel genuine happiness for about half a year now, only stress, sadness and anger. It's driving me crazy." — JustAnotherN0Name

This person went on to write that they had a close friend who turned physically violent some years ago, and since then they have suffered from PTSD and anxiety.

The Spice Of Mystery

Instagram | rush_group

"I threw away the onion powder in our spice cabinet because I hate onion powder. My husband asked me 'Where's the onion powder?' I told him it's here somewhere." — Sexybroth

If this is the biggest secret that you are keeping from your partner, then I think that you guys are doing pretty well all things considered!

The Truth About Their Identity

Unsplash | Jordan Sanchez

"I'm trans & I'm starting HRT on Jan 2. No one knows this yet but my husband & 3 of my close friends. My family is near 100% unlikely to be cool about this and I was looking forward to having one last birthday/Christmas with them where they didn't know/reject me yet, but I got a virus on my birthday and now I'm way too sick to get on a plane.

"So essentially my last Christmas with a family that loves me got straight-up canceled. I'm super bummed, but way too sick & tired to have a nervous breakdown about it, so I've got that going for me at least." — hybridHelix

It is great that this person has people around them other than their family who will love and support them through this process.

How Much They Value The Other Person

Unsplash | Ben White

"My boyfriend has no idea how expensive his Christmas present was. He loved the experience so much and it made me so happy to do it with him, but coming from a wealthy family even if he knew he wouldn't understand how much it was for me.

"I saved all my extra income for 5 months to be able to pay for it and get normal presents for my family, but I know he wouldn't even blink about spending that much on me on just a whim. I am glad he appreciated it even if he doesn't know what effort went towards it!" — qrowess

Eviction

Hannah Gullixson | Unsplash

"I'm soon to be homeless." — RonenJon

This person responded to another comment writing that the situation is very complicated due to the fact that family are involved. However, they also said that they do have some people they could rely on for help.

Falling Grades

Unsplash | Ben Mullins

"My grades have dropped dramatically since I went to college. Used to be an A student and now I'm barely getting C's in a lot of classes. I'm too ashamed to tell my parents. Also, I keep thinking I should just drop out and give up on it altogether" — wowthatisabop

People going through rough patches is a common thing. At school especially it can feel like you have to get everything right first time or your life is ruined, however, there is always time to reevaluate and get back on the horse, never give up on yourself.

The Reason Behind The Scars

Unsplash | Willian Justen de Vasconcellos

"That the scars on my arm are from my cat. I can't believe that my parents bought the idea that the five parallel white scars are from my cat" — Rocket-Tree

It is possible that they did realize but didn't know how to process the information. Either way, there are plenty of people who you can talk to if you ever feel this way, your parents likely being among them.

Pregnancy

Instagram | medisonimaging

"I have an IUD and I just found out I am pregnant." — we-dge

Sadly, not all contraceptives can be 100% effective, a lot of people commented that the IUD may have been implanted wrong.

Infidelity

Unsplash | Siora Photography

"Well suppose I can't keep it to myself forever right. And for the record I know what I'm doing makes me (I should say us) a horrible person. My high school sweetheart of 5 years, we broke up back in 2012. A mutual breakup. We were madly in love together and still madly in love after the breakup. Our relationship is very f*cked let's put it that way. We did part ways until about 2017 until we started talking again.

"However, the difference this time was is that she actually got married to someone else during that time. But her and I clicked together so well that we immediately started dating again. Yes, she's married and has a boyfriend (me). No, her husband is completely unaware. We're both perfectly aware what we're doing is wrong. We've both agreed to meet each other in hell when the time comes." — TitoGarciaa

Hallucinations

Unsplash | Ehimetalor Unuabona

"That I’ve been hallucinating, I don’t really know why I’ve talked to some people over the internet about it and they said it could be because of my anti-depressants but it started before I started taking it. If it is my meds I don’t want to be taken off of them since hallucinations are a sign of overdose. I have an IEP in school and will be starting college soon something that my family is worried about the idea of me going to college. The hallucinations are getting worse and I’m afraid that if I tell a therapist they’ll tell my family. It’s one of my biggest fears is losing touch with reality. The reason I take a high dose of antidepressants is that my depression was getting worse and the doctor recommended it. I just want to go back to normal." -Anonymous_personss

Older Men

Unsplash | Marks of Mana

"I had feelings for a man that was a year older than my dad." -honeychickennugget

Secret Nephew

Unsplash | Joshua Reddekopp

"I've found out my sister has had a baby and not told anyone in my family, she doesn't know I found out." -The_Don23

Mental Health Help

Unsplash | Hans Eiskonen

"I want to go see the therapist at my college for possible social anxiety, but I’m a minor for another six months. I need parental permission and can’t bring myself to ask my parents. They’ll most likely say yes, but my mom is so stressed with taking care of my two sick family members that I don’t want to put another weight on her." -mashedpotatoed

"Best Friends"

Unsplash | Brooke Cagle

"I have a boyfriend in another city. My family thinks that he's just a best friend of mine. We have been together for years now. Sadly I see him only a few times a year since I'm still only a teen and my parents don't know about our relationship. It's overwhelming at times and I feel quite upset we can't spend time with each other much, but it'll hopefully change soon when I have more power to do things I want!" -pyramidnose

Stealing

Unsplash | Mike Petrucci

"That I was a kleptomaniac. Sometimes I still feel the urge to steal something but now I can stop myself." -ctgrell

Lost Love

Unsplash | Alice Donovan Rouse

"That despite being really really happy and satisfied in my current relationship, I still have feelings for my ex. The worst part is that my current GF is really awesome and I love spending time with her but I’m scared that my feelings for my ex are keeping me from fully committing." -PartyPo1s0n

Drinking

Unsplash | Yutacar

"I joke a lot to family and friends but I’m genuinely worried about my alcohol consumption. I want to say I’m in like a pre-alcoholic state. I’m in the Military but I enjoyed drinking even before I joined. I drink on average either 10-15 beers or 3-4 glasses of straight fireball (which is about 3/4 of a liter). And that is every single day. 7 days a week. Before the night starts to come I’m always wondering if I have enough alcohol and plan accordingly. I do everything I need to do in my job and personal life (Girlfriend, Family, ETC). But, I like drinking more than I have a desire to stop. And I’m not sure where that’s going to lead me." -MUURPHH

Eating Disorders

Unsplash | AndriyKo Podilnyk

"I struggled with an eating disorder at the beginning of ninth grade. It's a miserable experience (mentally rather than physically) and I don't wish it on anyone." -QueenQong

The Friend Zone

Unsplash | Vladimir Tsokalo

"I am still in love with my best female friend. But she thinks I am over it, acts normal, still sometimes is jokingly flirty and dating one of my other closest friends. And it is killing me inside to be so close to her so much while not being able to come as close as I wish. And I can't take distance from her, because, goddamn, I adore that girl." -Master_of_N_

The Truth About Previous Partners

Brian Patrick Tagalog

"That, even though I'm still quite young, I've been in two pretty abusive relationships. I love my current boyfriend more than words can describe and I'm so lucky to have him but I sometimes catch myself falling back into old habits when I'm around him (apologizing way too much for even the smallest things, frequently asking if he's okay, not eating properly for days because I have phases in which I just feel ugly, flinching when he touches me unexpectedly, etc.). I will tell him eventually because he deserves to know but I'm just not ready yet and I want to work on myself first so I'm not too much of a burden to him" — CichaelMlifford

It is understandable that you would want to wait until the time is right to tell someone this sort of thing, but you should never feel as though you are a burden. If this person truly loves you back, then they will help you through your rough times, just as you will help them through theirs.