It’s not uncommon for people to keep little secrets from the ones they love: whether it’s a daring outfit they know would raise eyebrows or a secret date night they’d rather keep hush-hush. But sometimes, we all crave a safe space to spill the things we’d never say out loud, just to get them off our chest.
That’s why this viral Instagram thread is so captivating; it pulls those hidden confessions right into the spotlight. From deep identity secrets to hilarious confessions, people are bravely sharing the thoughts they’ve kept locked away. Some of these secrets will have you giggling, others might tug at your heartstrings, but all of them remind us just how complicated and beautifully human we really are.
#1
I left my husband the week our daughter was born. Everyone called me heartless.
But no one saw the bruises. Or how he threw things when I spoke. I left to save her. And myself.
Now we have peace. And pancakes on Sundays.
Image credits: tell.the.secret
#2
I laughed so hard I peed.
At my own joke.
Alone.
In a library.
Image credits: tell.the.secret
#3
I helped my mom die. Cancer was eating her alive.
She begged me to stop the pain. One night, I gave her more morphine than usual.
She whispered "thank you" before falling asleep. I still hear it in my dreams.
Image credits: tell.the.secret
You’ve probably heard the phrase, “The truth sets you free.” For many, though, it’s not always easy to share that truth, at least not openly. Sometimes, people need a safe place to let it out, even if it’s anonymously online.
Some of these folks might be waiting for the right moment to tell their loved ones, while others just need to get it off their chest for their own peace of mind. These posts prove how complicated and heavy it can be to really speak your heart. After all, secrets are often just truths waiting for a softer landing.
#4
I gave up my baby at 19. She had red hair. I held her once. Just once. Signed the papers with shaking hands.
Every year on her birthday, I bake a cake. Just in case. No one knows.
Image credits: tell.the.secret
#5
I’ve been taking care of my mother for five years now.
She thinks I’m her caregiver.
She has Alzheimer’s disease.
Every morning she tells me, “You’re so kind. My daughter would never take care of me like this.”
And every time, I just nod.
Then I go cry in the bathroom.
Image credits: tell.the.secret
#6
My parents passed away years ago. My wife and I bought a vintage rotary phone to display in our dining room. When my wife is away, sometimes I will dial my childhood home phone number and secretly hope my parents answer. Sometimes I’ll even talk and tell them about my life.
Image credits: tell.the.secret
Here’s the thing: we all keep secrets. Seriously, almost everyone does it! A fascinating study led by Michael Slepian at Columbia University in 2017 found just how common secret-keeping really is. Researchers asked thousands of people about the things they hide.
The findings were clear: nearly everyone has a secret tucked away. And some of them are much more common than you’d think. It’s a reminder that behind every calm face might be a hidden storm or a quiet confession.
#7
I sent a voice note of me screaming into the void…
To the wrong group chat.
My aunt replied, “Same.”
Now we’re closer than ever.
Image credits: tell.the.secret
#8
The pill failed. Ten months after giving birth, I found out I was pregnant again. But I was exhausted—physically, mentally, emotionally.
So I had a medical abortion. No one knew but my husband. He held me when the cramps started, and he held me tighter when I started bleeding on the bathroom floor.
It’s technically illegal where I live. I could go to jail. Our family and friends would disown and condemn us—especially me. I would be painted as the sinful woman who k**led her unborn baby.
So we grieved in silence, for a child we’ll never get to meet and hold.
Image credits: tell.the.secret
#9
I gave up my dog when I became homeless. We lived in my car together for three weeks. I skipped meals to feed her.
When the shelter said no pets, I kissed her nose, gave her to a foster family, and cried for hours. They send me pictures sometimes. She's okay.
Image credits: tell.the.secret
So what are we all hiding? According to the study, about 97% of us have at least one secret. The researchers identified 38 broad categories of secrets, but the top ones were spicy: romantic thoughts about someone other than a partner, secret sexual behaviors, and emotional infidelity were among the most common. It turns out the most personal stories are often the ones we bury the deepest.
#10
I faked a British accent in high school.
For 3 years.
Even the teachers believed me.
I transferred before graduation.
Still terrified someone will recognize me.
Image credits: tell.the.secret
#11
I was a sugar baby. He was twice my age. Paid my tuition. Never asked for anything physical. We talked. Had dinners. He gave me confidence and stability when I had nothing.
He also broke my heart when he moved to Paris and stopped answering my calls.
Image credits: tell.the.secret
#12
I was 17 or 18 at the time. My dad had a scandal with another woman. One day, he brought that mistress to our house to meet my mom, no less. I’m Asian (Malaysian, to be exact), and it’s normal for the host to serve tea or coffee to the guest. I don’t think my parents knew that I already knew who that woman was.
So I made her a drink — using water from the toilet bowl. She sat there on our couch, all shameless, sipping it like nothing. And I just watched. I never told anyone. Not even my mom (she’s too soft for that kind of thing).
But I was so damn satisfied.
My dad didn’t end up continuing things with that woman. I told him straight: if he went through with it, I’d cut him off for good. No more father-daughter anything. He chose to keep what little was left of our relationship
Sometimes secrets aren’t about romance or scandal, they’re about survival. One study found that people who are sick with infectious illness often keep it under wraps to avoid being shunned. They fear being treated differently, left out, or judged harshly. So instead of telling the truth, they hide it away to protect themselves from isolation. Staying silent can sometimes feel safer than facing cold shoulders or whispers.
#13
Every Monday, I wear the same sweater to work.
Nobody notices.
But it was my brother’s favorite.
He passed three years ago.
It still smells like him a little.
That’s enough.
#14
I found an old voicemail from my sister.
Just her laughing and saying “Call me back, dummy.”
She passed away in 2018.
I still haven’t deleted it.
#15
One day at work, something small made me cry.
I hid in the bathroom.
A coworker knocked, then slid a candy bar under the door.
He didn’t say anything.
And I’ve never forgotten how much that helped.
Fear of judgment is another big reason we zip our lips. Many of us worry that if we told the truth, people would look at us differently. Maybe they’d think less of us, pity us, or even gossip behind our backs.
So, we keep things buried, not because we want to lie, but because we fear what honesty might cost us in other people’s eyes. In a world obsessed with appearances, secrets can feel like tiny shields.
#16
My dog ate my w**d brownie.
I panicked and called the vet.
He said, “She’ll be fine. Maybe just a little… groovy.”
She stared at the wall for 6 hours.
Now she’s afraid of Bob Marley songs.
#17
I'm gay. My wife doesn't know.
We have two kids. A dog. A mortgage. I love her in a way.
But not the way she deserves. Some nights I cry into her pillow when she's asleep. I don't know how to be free without destroying everything.
Image credits: tell.the.secret
#18
I kissed a guy because I thought he was someone else.
He was VERY confused.
I said, “Surprise social experiment.”
He said, “Please leave.”
Not all secrets come from shame or guilt: sometimes they’re about staying humble or avoiding unnecessary fuss. Imagine getting into Harvard but wanting to keep it quiet until the degree is in your hands. Some people choose to avoid attention or praise until they feel it’s really “done.” It’s not about lying, it’s about staying focused and protecting their moment.
#19
I worked for a huge travel company in late 1990’s. My dreadful/lazy boss told me to proof read the company Brochure Booking Conditions (her job, not mine). I added a made-up section about dress code for our 1 million passengers a year. “Any passenger wearing a lilac track suit, carrying gold or silver bags, ugly sandals, garish jewelly or with an obvious curly perm will be denied access to the flight”. She didn’t check my work and 6000 holiday brochures went to print. Ha ha.
#20
I called 911 because I thought I was having a heart attack.
Turns out I just had my first espresso.
They gave me water.
And judgment.
Image credits: tell.the.secret
#21
I accidentally called my boyfriend “dad.”
He said, “We need to talk.”
I pretended to faint.
It didn’t work.
Image credits: tell.the.secret
Then there’s the idea of personal boundaries. Some secrets are simply a way to keep a piece of life private and under your own control. We all deserve a bit of personal space: things that belong just to us, no explanations needed. Sometimes, staying silent is less about deceit and more about drawing a healthy line in the sand. Privacy, in a noisy world, can feel like freedom.
#22
I'm trans. My family still doesn't know.
Ten years of living as myself. Ten years of lying to them.
I send Christmas cards signed with my deadname. I dread family Zoom calls.
Maybe one day I'll show up as me. Maybe.
Image credits: tell.the.secret
#23
I work in HR and once accidentally opened a complaint email about me.
It was accurate.
So I deleted it and started being nicer.
I don’t think they ever followed up.
#24
My dog started sleeping by the front door after my son moved out.
He’s been gone a year.
I think the dog still hears his footsteps.
Sometimes I do, too.
For others, secrecy can be about safety, especially when it comes to identity. Many people hide parts of who they are from family because they fear rejection or worse, being cut off entirely. It’s heartbreaking to imagine, but for some, secrecy is the only way they can feel protected while staying true to themselves behind closed doors. When your truth doesn’t feel safe, silence becomes survival.
#25
I inherited everything. Didn't share it.
My siblings think I'm selfish. But they never cared for her. I was the one who sat by her bed every night. I earned it. Still, some nights I stare at my bank account and feel nothing but guilt.
#26
I was the perfect daughter. Now I have no idea who I am. Straight A's, clean room, polite smile.
I said "yes" to everything.
Now I'm 30 and can't make a single decision without panicking. I'm trying to unlearn obedience. It's harder than I thought.
#27
I never wanted kids. But every family dinner turns into an interrogation. "You'll change your mind." "Who'll take care of you when you're old?"
I'm not broken. I just want a quiet life with dogs, books, and spontaneous travel. And that should be enough.
At the end of the day, secrets are part of being human. Whether it’s a confession whispered to strangers online or a truth carried in silence for years, sometimes keeping a secret is what helps a person feel sane. In a world where everyone has an opinion, a little privacy can be a lifeline. And maybe, when the time is right, some secrets find the courage to come into the light.
Just like these anonymous posts that crack open someone’s hidden truth, did any of them make you pause and think about the secrets you’re carrying too? Would you ever share yours online if you knew no one would judge you? Or maybe you’ve already spilled something anonymously before! We’d love to know — what are your thoughts?
#28
My boss was stealing money from the company, and I found out — but I covered for her because we were really close. That lasted until she realized I couldn’t keep it up much longer… so she fired me. So I ratted on her.
#29
I texted “I love you” to my boss.
Meant it for my boyfriend.
No take-backs.
She replied, “Appreciate the support.”
We haven’t made eye contact since.
Image credits: tell.the.secret
#30
I thought my cat went missing.
I cried, posted flyers, knocked on neighbors’ doors.
She was in the dryer.
Sleeping.
Judging me.
#31
I'm a mom. I hate being a mom. I love my kid. But I miss silence. I miss sleeping in.
I miss not being touched all day. No one warns you that love can feel like drowning.
Image credits: tell.the.secret
#32
I loved my best friend. She was straight. I knew I couldn't tell her. So I became her biggest cheerleader, watched her fall in love with someone else, held her when she cried.
And when she got married, I smiled in every photo. She never knew she broke my heart.
Image credits: tell.the.secret
#33
I'm 27. My boyfriend is 63. We met at a bookstore. He recommended a poetry collection.
Now we live together. People stare, call me a gold digger. But he's the only person who's ever made me feel understood. Let them talk. He makes me tea every morning and remembers how I like my toast. That's love.
#34
Last year, my father passed away, and while I was handling the death certificate, I discovered he had a secret son—one he had put up for adoption. When I attempted to find him, I learned he had died in a truck collision on the very day my dad passed away in the hospital.
#35
My ex-wife was a toxic narcissist who encouraged me to “find someone else” during arguments, so I did. I met someone who was a passionate lover who satisfied me in every way my wife never would. I wouldn’t say it caused my divorce, but it definitely got the wheels turning.
Image credits: tell.the.secret
#36
I’m a 60-ish-year-old man, and people think I’m very straight-laced and conservative. But I wear men’s thong underwear because they’re comfy and don’t chafe me. No one would guess. And honestly, I’m too old to care what people think about it.
#37
My boss thinks I take afternoon walks for “mental wellness.”
I actually just go sit in my car, eat cookies, and watch cat videos until I feel like a person again.
#38
I'm a nanny for a rich family in the Hamptons.
They don’t know I sleep in my car because I can't afford rent.
I take care of their kids like they’re my own, while mine lives two states away with my mom.
Sometimes I feel like I'm living someone else's American dream.
#39
I shaved one leg, got distracted, and went to work.
Only one.
Skirt day.
It was windy.
Image credits: tell.the.secret
#40
Twenty years ago, I had an affair with a coworker half my age. The attraction was strong, but we mutually ended it. I know in my heart it probably wouldn’t have lasted long-term, and things are better this way. But I ran into her at a restaurant recently, and the chemistry was still there. Even after two decades, I still think about her.
Image credits: tell.the.secret
#41
I used dry shampoo thinking it was deodorant.
For two weeks.
Kept wondering why I smelled like a dusty vanilla candle.
#42
I once walked around Target for 45 minutes…
Talking to a stranger I thought was my mom.
It wasn’t.
She let me talk about my childhood trauma.
Then said, “Sweetie, I’m not your mother.”
#43
I don't love my child the way I should. He's not who I imagined. He's loud, difficult, breaks things. Some days I cry in the shower because I'm tired of pretending. But I tuck him in every night. I hope that's enough.
#44
I’m married.
He’s married.
We meet once a month in a hotel off the freeway, order room service, and pretend we’re 25 again.
We both know it won’t end well.
But we keep coming back.
Image credits: tell.the.secret
#45
I once waved at someone using a fork.
Like, I literally lifted my fork and waved.
Then realized it was my reflection.
In the microwave door.
#46
I fell in love with my therapist. I never planned to. He was kind, patient, and saw through all my walls.
I told him things I'd never told anyone. When he smiled, I felt safe. When our sessions ended, I cried for a week. I've never told him. Maybe I never will.
#47
A friend cheated on her boyfriend with me after years of mixed signals. We would go to shows together, and she would encourage me to touch her everywhere except for “all the way,” even if it was 99% there. I think she secretly liked feeling desired, the attention, the ego boost.
When we finally started sleeping together, the sexual chemistry was insane because of such delayed gratification. But again, the mixed signals continued. I was so smitten with her I couldn’t see the forest for the trees. Her relationship had stagnated, and I was convinced she was staying in it out of familiarity and that we would be together eventually. I think she secretly enjoyed keeping me hooked.
Eventually, I realized that I would never have the relationship I wanted if I kept chasing her. I eventually cut our friendship off, which essentially cut me out from our group of friends. I’m sure they all have an idea of what happened or know because she admitted it to them.
I did meet the love of my life. I think my friend is still in her stagnant relationship. I’m still convinced she would be happier if she moved on and lived life single for a while (she has consistently been in relationships for nearly 20 years). She is a free spirit who hasn’t gotten to truly explore herself, and she can’t see how much of her suffering is because of that.
An incredibly dumb mistake on my part, but at the same time, she showed me I was still capable of feeling love. Were it not for her, I don’t think I would be with my girlfriend.
#48
My father-in-law, numerous times, has tried to force me to get naked or change in front of him. He even followed me to the bathroom. I don’t want to tell my husband because I don’t want their relationship to be broken because of me.
#49
I used to work with some lazy bastards who would pile up dirty crockery and cutlery in the sink. One day, I got tired of it and chucked the lot in the bin. Yeah, Mark — I binned your stupid beloved KTM mug. You tw*t.
#50
At 7, my then-stepdad’s half-brother spent the night (against my mom’s wishes) to help us move the next day. I’ve never liked for my mom to hear bad news and absolutely hate being the one to have to tell her, but I’m grateful she believed me. My stepdad did, too, and sent his half-brother to the hospital. They say 7 is a number of completion; I guess it was the completion of my childhood.
#51
I’ve been in and out of children’s psych wards for the past four years, and I just want to say that the worst part isn’t the lack of privacy, bullying from other patients or the staff, or the shame you often get with the mark of “crazy bit*h that was hospitalised.” It’s losing the friends you make there.
You see, most of the patients there are the most amazing people in the whole world and are usually there for having a treatable illness or addiction (talking about things like self-harm, s**cide attempts, eating disorders, etc.). The best part about it is that you could relate to each other because you usually experience similar things—and they don’t judge you.
But it’s a dangerously unstable circle of people. And since you all are traumatised in some way, it
sometimes leads to death. Yours or theirs.
I just need to say that it is NOT—nor should it be—normal having kids commit s**cide, often before the age of 15, because being dead is less terrifying than the hell they live in. It is not normal that kids, even as young as 10, die in the name of anorexia because they just need to have at least this amount of control over their lives.
And it should not be normal that you only learn about their passing through Insta stories of their siblings or Facebook status updates from their parents.
All I have in my head is a list of names becoming longer each year, a few memories that fade away over time, and infinite regret that I haven’t done more.
This is the part of the mental health care system that isn’t usually talked about—but it is necessary, unless we want more kids dying.
#52
I brought Tupperware to a funeral.
I thought it was just “a family thing.”
People stared.
I still took some mac & cheese home.
No regrets.
#53
I once waved back at someone who wasn’t waving at me.
To make it worse, I tripped over a chair immediately after.
They watched.
So did their friends.
I just acted like I was stretching.
In public. While limping.
#54
My husband and I have not had s*x since our honeymoon 20 years ago. Because of that (and I have tried, before you judge), I have had 5 boyfriends who I met on a mobile online game and Tinder. One I fell deeply in love with. He doesn’t know.
#55
I’ve been in a two-year on-and-off affair with a married man. It’s mostly been physical and nothing more.
I don’t know what I was expecting when all of this started, but now I hate that if he doesn’t initiate, it could be months of silence. Despite all this, I hate that I have found myself actually falling for him.
It k**ls me seeing him go back to his supposedly perfect white-picket-fence family every day (reminding me that I am nothing to him).
Every period of silence we go through, I tell myself that we are done, but I hate that I also know when he reaches out to me again, I won’t have the willpower to say no.
#56
Three years in, she cheats, gets busted, denies all, puts me on an emotional roller coaster for five months, and finally ends it.
Her “he’s just a friend” posts gym pics of them both nearly daily, and they vacation together.
My secret? I want the five months back, not the girl :)
#57
I’ve been having an affair for two years. I love her, but I still love my long-term partner. I doubt anyone will believe that, but it’s true. It hurts that one of them will now be devastated by my choice. I will choose my long-term partner simply because she would be utterly destroyed otherwise. Don’t have affairs, kids.
#58
I am married. He is married. When we’re in private, he makes me wear a collar while I’m naked, call him Master, and kneel beside him while he brushes my hair and strokes my face. I think I’ve lost my mind.
#59
I’m not in love with my boyfriend of 3 years anymore, and he won’t let me break it off. I don’t know what to do anymore.
#60
I slept with my cousin on his birthday, and now I have a baby by him. Now, I don’t know if I want to keep him around.
#61
My boyfriend hasn't worked in 3 years. I pay rent, groceries, his Spotify. He says he's "figuring things out."
My friends call me stupid. Maybe I am. But when I come home to candles lit and dinner made, I forget the bills for a moment.
#62
We kissed once.
Just once.
Under a streetlamp after his wedding.
He whispered, "In another life…"
And then left with someone else's ring on his hand.
I still wonder if she ever saw the lipstick on his collar.
#63
I am deeply scuffled right now. I met this Moroccan guy in 2014 in Doha as my casual intimacy/hookup, although I was already deeply falling for him. I got away, thinking I was on the losing end. I did not like the mixed signals it was giving. Eleven years have gone by, and I searched his phone number on WhatsApp (I memorize it more than my Social Security number, lmfao).
We are both married now, but we secretly exchanged steamy texts. I send him nudes when I travel alone. I feel like I always have to catch his attention through WhatsApp stories. I feel like my heart is in two different places.
#64
She said she needed time.
So I waited.
A month. Then a year.
She came back with a ring on her finger.
Not mine.
But I still smiled for her.
#65
I’m in love with someone who’s been in an on-and-off relationship for 4 or 5 years. We’ve had a situationship since last December, during which I fell in love with him. Secretly, he’s also been contacting and writing to other women online, which breaks my heart every single day.
I know what I’m doing and feeling is extremely selfish, but I think I’ve found the love of my life — and that’s why it hurts so much... not feeling good enough for him right now. I worry I might end up alone for the rest of my life.
#66
I just got married… and honestly, I don’t even know how to feel anymore.
Back then, I was his assistant. He looked so put together — successful, well-respected, rich. The way he treated his wife at the time? Gifts, fancy trips, designer everything. I used to watch and think, “Wow, he’s the man of my dreams.” And yeah… I admit, I ended up playing a role in ending their marriage of over a decade.
But he liked me too. We fell for each other. And when it’s love, it just happens, right? You can’t force feelings.
I really believed that once we got married, I’d live the life they had — maybe even better. Lavish, glamorous, full of comfort. But reality is… so different than what I imagined.
The wedding? We didn’t even have a proper one. He had to sell the stuff his ex-wife gave him just to fund a small ceremony at our house. I imagined a ballroom in a five-star hotel, not some awkward event in our rented three-story house.
And the “big house” we live in? It’s rented. And now I have to work like a slave to help cover rent. The car? Gone. It was never even his — she bought it for him. He doesn’t own one now.
And forget business- or first-class travel. We fly economy. It’s so embarrassing I can’t even bring myself to post anything on IG. I used to dream of getting branded items, but now he only buys me stuff that’s on sale or off-season — and he never lets me choose. And to be honest, his taste is horrible. He doesn’t even know how to match a bag with shoes.
What makes it worse is that he and his ex-wife are public figures, so everyone around here knows our situation. The netizens already say awful things about me online. If I back out now, I’ll be a public joke for life — especially to his ex’s fans. I feel like I have no way out.
And on top of everything, I have to take care of their kids now. I never signed up to be a stepmom… not like this.
It just feels like everything I did… all the risks I took… were for nothing. I really thought I was stepping into a better life. Instead, I’m stuck in something that feels fake. I’m stressed all the time, and honestly? I feel completely misled. But it’s too late now. Everyone’s watching.
