Please help me. I think I'm a horrible person.

[Confusion]

Please can someone help me. I'm in my late thirties and I've recently been reminded I did something horrific as a child that I now can't stop thinking about.

When I was 11/12 my mother childminded a girl who was 7 at the time.

I used to hug her and kiss her and even do 'doctors and nurses' with her.

I never did anything more than this ever. I never hurt her or upset her. I never ever did anything like that ever again and I'm not attracted to underage children.

Now I feel all of a sudden that I've remembered this that I don't deserve anything any more. My wife, my job, my family or friends. I feel disgusted at myself.

I'm sorry if I offended or upset anyone reading this. I've always thought I was a good person but now I'm in total despair. Please help me.

[Lilliput]

Confusion - To me that just sounds like children experimenting and playing. When I was 9 or 10 my friend, a girl in my class, used to tell me how she played similar games with her cousin, a boy slightly older.

You have no reason to feel disgusted. You were children, you didn't upset her and you have no inappropriate interest in children. There is currently so much publicity about men who have done wrong - or are accused of such - that perhaps this has brought your actions to mind.

Please tell your 11 year old self that it's fine. Nothing 'horrific' happened.

This catastrophising will do you no good, telling yourself that you don't deserve anything is a huge over-reaction. Don't let this ruin your feelings of self-worth!

[Maca44]

Your remembering this as an adult not as a child but you were a young child at the time and this was normal play.

The adult mind does not have a part in this but your child mind does and it was totally innocent.

[Chocolateface]

This sounds like normal child's play, like the previous poster has said you are remembering this as an adult rather than as a child.

C