c/personality·Posted by u/lila_nguyen·1h ago

Why do I replay embarrassing moments from years ago when I'm trying to sleep?

It's 1 a.m. and I'm back in 2019. Work lunch, I reached for the water and knocked it over. The tablecloth went dark in a circle. I laughed, someone handed me napkins, it was over in thirty seconds. My brain kept the high-definition version. I can still see the wet edge crawling toward someone's notebook. It isn't even the worst thing I've done. That's what gets me. I'll skip actual mistakes and loop this tiny one. Ceiling fan on, phone face down, and there I am with the glass again. I try to switch to something else and my mind treats it like a song I didn't pick. Tomorrow I'll be fine in the same building with those people. Tonight I'm 26 and clumsy in front of a table that has forgotten me. Do you have one scene that still plays, or is it a rotation? And has anything actually shortened it besides waiting until you fall asleep from being tired of yourself?

Peer discussion on askDr.app. Not therapy and not a substitute for professional care.