I've known of a person making up dramatic stories of severe physical abuse that didn't happen. What did happen was not so dramatic, nor illegal, but was sufficiently scary and humiliating to cause serious emotional trauma. (I know because I was there.) This person wants to communicate having been damaged as a child. All I can figure out is that this person thinks that no one would consider what happened to be all that bad. You kind of had to be there. So these shocking stories get made up. I've tried to offer validation, but then the stories just get more fantastical.

If the story of abuse you, or anyone else, suffered doesn't sound like the screenplay for a shocking made-for-TV movie, then there is the chance that your experience will be underrated in terms of how it impacted you. I have found that professionals in the mental health field are less likely than the general public to do this. (That's not always true, either.) Truly, somethings can not be appreciated without being witnessed first hand.

Also, some people are just born more resilient to being badly treated than others. Or maybe enough good things happened to offset the abuse. My main point is that there is no valid way to make comparisons. People shouldn't judge, and I think wise people know that. I guess one has to be careful about whom you can reveal details to. Sometimes, it's better to just be vague and not give those who are judgmental material for them to pick apart. It is hurtful when your own words are used against you.