I can't say as this rang a bell for me. But it did cause me to think, again, about something that has puzzled me over the years. In a lot of ways, I was a really screwed-up kid (many decades ago now.) But somehow I just managed to wall it all off & keep going as if none of it was actually happening. It often wasn't pretty... but I did it. (Everyone else helped by not paying any attention either.)

I don't know if this was a good thing... or a bad thing. On the one hand, it was perhaps a good thing because mental health services essentially didn't exist back when I was young & where I grew up. But, on the other hand, it led to whole lifetime of hiding & denial that eventually caused me to slowly unravel. Realistically, none of it makes any difference anymore. But it's still something I think about from time-to-time. Anyway... thanks for your thought-provoking post!