Sharing childhood memories can be a powerful tool for healing and growth. However not all sharing is healing. That's why we created safety measures to protect our users who seek a place for reflection and support.
All Safety Features:
First, our philosophy:
We’re about sharing our past, not our present
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We believe healing starts with coming to terms with the past. That’s why we ask that you do not mix in too much of the present into your memory posts or comments.
We’re about sharing our childhood, not our adulthood
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Looking back on your early years can be healing − it offers an opportunity for objectivity and self-reflection. Stay focused on your childhood, as best as you can.
Why remembering and sharing our childhood objectively is healing
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We believe that sharing childhood memories objectively promotes increased self-reflection. With time, it can lead to emotional healing by having more acceptance of yourself, others and society － self-empathy.
Other benefits of sharing your childhood memories
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Sharing memories in a supportive environment can provide validation, reduce isolation, and help you recognize common childhood patterns that go beyond you and your family. Many users report significant emotional relief, new perspectives on their personal experiences, and stronger connections with others who understand their journey. Remember that every shared memory contributes to a collective understanding that can benefit both you and others.
Our Safety Features at a Glance:
Age Requirement: 18+
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Participation is limited to adults, ensuring that the platform is used by those mature enough to navigate the sensitive topics addressed.
Fully Anonymous
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On Trauma & Empathy you are completely anonymous. The name handles, such as AB1234 and the icons are completely random.
Moderation of Posts
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All posts are reviewed by moderators to ensure they adhere to safety standards and align with the platform’s guidelines and philosophy.
Opting out of Sensitive Topics
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Sensitive topics on a trauma-sharing platform are
not illegal. However, posters can tag sensitive topics in their
posts as an act of care for others. If the poster has tagged their
post, you can opt out of seeing it.
Posting Rules
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Rules for posting childhood memories help users share their experiences in a way that promotes healing and empathy. Read the Posting Rules.
Reporting of Violations
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Users can report any violations of the platform's rules, ensuring that inappropriate or harmful content is addressed quickly and efficiently.
Fully Private Posting
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You have the option to share your memories privately for personal reflection, introspection, and self-analysis.
Share with a Therapist
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Share your memories via a link with a therapist, life coach, trusted friend, or a support group if you choose.
Why You Might Experience Troubling Emotions:
Envy or Schadenfreude
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When browsing through others' childhood memories, you may feel envy toward those who may have had it better, or a troubling satisfaction about those who may have had it worse. These reactions to social comparisons are natural. They tend to get exaggerated online on platforms where life experiences are shared.
Anger by Association
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Reading others' childhood memories and comments may trigger or increase your anger toward your parents, siblings, caretakers and society. This platform, like other social platforms, can create emotional echo chambers where feelings greatly intensify as they are shared and validated by multiple others.
Frustration and Depression
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Reading childhood memories can sometimes lead to frustration or even depression. While shared experiences often bring comfort, they can also reinforce a view that the world is fundamentally broken.
While support communities provide valuable validation and empathy, they may lack broader perspective or unconsciously reward the most dramatic posts, thus creating a kind of "trauma olympics."
Rose-colored and Black-and-White memories
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Memories naturally lack other perspectives. They present the poster’s viewpoint alone. It’s important to keep in mind that memories are not facts. They are imprints and representations of reality stored in our bodies.
Without the views and perspectives of others, they remain, at best, incomplete accounts of what took place. Childhood trauma memories can be particularly extreme or broken up in many pieces or completely faded out. They may be vivid or blurred out, they may be rose-colored or black-and-white.
While not to be confused with "historical facts", memories are a part of your personal history and perception of reality. That's why memories are much more relevant than historical facts when it comes to relating and interacting with others and the world.
Caring for Yourself
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• Treat yourself with the same compassion you’d offer others
• Step away when content becomes overwhelming
• Put your wellbeing first—take breaks when needed
• Remember that each person’s life contains much more than what they shared online
• These emotional reactions are part of your healing journey.
Additional Resources
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If you need support beyond what our platform offers:
• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988 or 988lifeline.org
• Australia - Beyond Blue: Offers support for anxiety, depression, and suicide prevention. 1300 22 4636 or visit beyondblue.org.au.
• Psychology Today Therapist Directory: View Link
• Books on trauma healing: "The Body Keeps the Score" by Bessel van der Kolk, "Complex PTSD: From Surviving to Thriving" by Pete Walker
