There are so many horror dating stories that many men and women might have given up on dating altogether. In fact, according to a 2025 YouGov poll, 69% of Americans say they rarely or never go on dates anymore. However, that doesn’t mean that they don’t want to — only 30% claim they have no desire to.
Bad date experiences may be the biggest contributor to avoiding dating, but hearing horror stories from friends and acquaintances might even be a better deterrant. Bored Panda came across several online threads where people were sharing particularly terrible things their partners did — some of them so bad that they earned the title of “a psychopath.” If you want to see what real red flags in relationships look like, look no further and scroll away.
#1

It was a normal Sunday evening. My ex-husband had been without a job for going on a few years now. He was well aware of the fact that I had to approve several dozen employees' time-cards before Monday so I could submit payroll. I did this every Sunday evening for three years and the process takes about an hour and a half.
Another thing that was common was that he was an alcoholic with a very bad temper. Apparently this evening he had some severe issues with me completing my employees' time-card approvals after I had spent an hour cooking him and my son dinner. So I'm sitting there on the floor of my living-room because I couldn't afford a couch because I was dirt poor. As I'm eating dinner and working all I hear is him yelling at me to put down work and pay attention to him. Before I could say, "I'm almost done, just a few more moments" he comes up to me with a full plate of food, takes a huge bite of tilapia, chews it up nice and good then spits it out all over my face......keyboard and all. I was in complete and total shock. I couldn't believe the man that I was married to would spit food in my face and all over my work. I just sat there in awe of it all.
I am so glad that piece of trash is out of my life.
Another thing that was common was that he was an alcoholic with a very bad temper. Apparently this evening he had some severe issues with me completing my employees' time-card approvals after I had spent an hour cooking him and my son dinner. So I'm sitting there on the floor of my living-room because I couldn't afford a couch because I was dirt poor. As I'm eating dinner and working all I hear is him yelling at me to put down work and pay attention to him. Before I could say, "I'm almost done, just a few more moments" he comes up to me with a full plate of food, takes a huge bite of tilapia, chews it up nice and good then spits it out all over my face......keyboard and all. I was in complete and total shock. I couldn't believe the man that I was married to would spit food in my face and all over my work. I just sat there in awe of it all.
I am so glad that piece of trash is out of my life.
45points
#2

I’m male and she hit me on a regular basis, love makes you not see the bad sides and just shug stuff off, I finally saw that I needed to get out when I was crying one day on the floor.. I’ve come along way since then
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35points
#3

When he told me. Had been dating this guy awhile and (I thought) things were going really well. I'll never forget the day because he took me to see Aladdin. We get back to my place and everything's normal. We're conversing and suddenly he gets this weird look in his eyes. He says, 'I can't see you anymore. I'm afraid I might hurt you.' I'm thinking hurt, like cheat on me, you know - psychologically. I kind of laughed and told him not to worry I was a grown up and whatever happened we could try and work it out. His voice changed and he looked even worse and said, 'You don't understand. I've been having these dreams where I hurt you. I mean really hurt you.' Then, he jumped off the couch and ran out the front door. Never saw him again. Never tried to call him cause it really shook me up. I guess I should be glad it stopped there. He just seemed so normal up to that point.
33points
#4

He invited a bunch of people over to hang out by his fire pit one evening so I could meet his friends.
I managed to hit it off with a few of his guy friends (same taste in movies, etc - no flirting whatsoever).
As the last person was leaving, he and I were standing in the backyard by the gate. He grabbed my by the belt loop and pulled me towards him. I thought he wanted a hug. He didn't.
Turns out he was unhappy that I hit it off with his friends because now they might steal me from him (wut?) but this was all my fault (again... wut?). He had a large stick he had pulled from the fire (maybe about an inch diameter) in his hand. He wasn't pulling me close. He was pulling my pants away so he could "brand" me with the still red-hot stick I hadn't noticed in a place no one would see.
I still have the scar, but I don't have him.
I managed to hit it off with a few of his guy friends (same taste in movies, etc - no flirting whatsoever).
As the last person was leaving, he and I were standing in the backyard by the gate. He grabbed my by the belt loop and pulled me towards him. I thought he wanted a hug. He didn't.
Turns out he was unhappy that I hit it off with his friends because now they might steal me from him (wut?) but this was all my fault (again... wut?). He had a large stick he had pulled from the fire (maybe about an inch diameter) in his hand. He wasn't pulling me close. He was pulling my pants away so he could "brand" me with the still red-hot stick I hadn't noticed in a place no one would see.
I still have the scar, but I don't have him.
31points
#5

I was the psycho, actually. In the sense that I had a literal manic psychosis and I was my poor exes first serious relationship. Bipolar disorder at full blast is not pretty. I really hope I didn't scar her too much. We're still friends to this day but I know I have a big disclaimer to announce if I get serious with someone again.
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30points
#6

Laying in bed one night after a fight (most likely over something trivial), my girlfriend fell out of the bed; Maybe she rolled out, but it seemed like a fall. She then stood up, and started running into walls. Bloodied herself up real good, and I couldn't get her to stop.
Downstairs neighbor heard the commotion and called the police. Police show up, and see her sitting on the couch all bloody. Police become very interested in me. I try to explain to them she is running herself into the walls... they do not believe me (who in their right mind would?). Fortunately for me she stands up and runs across the room, right into a wall, practically knocking herself out.
Police provide me an escort to the hospital (still don't trust me I suspect). After the hospital staff take her into the back by herself (to ask her if I was hurting her, I'm sure) they allow me in the back room. While waiting she gets out of bed and grabs a bunch of gauze from the cabinet and starts wiping the floor with it. I ask her what she was doing, and she tells me that she is cleaning the floor so the fish can see out of it.
During her 2 month stay on the top floor of the hospital I continued to visit her.
Downstairs neighbor heard the commotion and called the police. Police show up, and see her sitting on the couch all bloody. Police become very interested in me. I try to explain to them she is running herself into the walls... they do not believe me (who in their right mind would?). Fortunately for me she stands up and runs across the room, right into a wall, practically knocking herself out.
Police provide me an escort to the hospital (still don't trust me I suspect). After the hospital staff take her into the back by herself (to ask her if I was hurting her, I'm sure) they allow me in the back room. While waiting she gets out of bed and grabs a bunch of gauze from the cabinet and starts wiping the floor with it. I ask her what she was doing, and she tells me that she is cleaning the floor so the fish can see out of it.
During her 2 month stay on the top floor of the hospital I continued to visit her.
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29points
#7

Woke up one morning and she told me that she kept having dreams where I passed away. Then said the kicker, "And, I wake up happy."
Engagement over shortly after that.
EDIT: Many many people saying. "That means she was happy you were alive, duh." Uhh, no. That's not what she meant.
Engagement over shortly after that.
EDIT: Many many people saying. "That means she was happy you were alive, duh." Uhh, no. That's not what she meant.
28points
#8

One day I woke up to find all the men missing from my Facebook friends list. Including cousins and uncles. My ex didn’t think I’d notice.
26points
#9

He'd get out his guns and (with the safety on) point them at me and go "Bang!" And when I'd jump, he'd laugh and laugh and say, "that'd be funny if the safety was off, wouldn't it? Wouldn't it?"
And then the next day he'd gaslight me and tell me he didn't do anything of the sort the night before. He was the king of gaslighting. It got to the point where I was seriously doubting my own sanity because he would deny everything.
And then the next day he'd gaslight me and tell me he didn't do anything of the sort the night before. He was the king of gaslighting. It got to the point where I was seriously doubting my own sanity because he would deny everything.
26points
#10

Went out to eat at Buffalo Wild Wings one night with a few friends and I told her about this, see a couple of her friends come in and sit at a table near us and they never ordered anything. They just drank water and sat there, occasionally glancing at us.
After we’re done eating we walk outside and sure enough I see my girlfriends (ex now for obvious reasons) car in the parking lot. Her drivers seat was leaned all the way back and I could just barely see that she was in the drivers seat trying to hide. So I’m already kinda weirded out at this point so me and my friends leave and as soon as we back out, sure enough her car starts and backs out as well, she began to follow us through the parking lot. At this point I’m texting her asking her what’s going on but she kept saying she was with her mom hanging out.
Needless to say I ended things shortly after that.
After we’re done eating we walk outside and sure enough I see my girlfriends (ex now for obvious reasons) car in the parking lot. Her drivers seat was leaned all the way back and I could just barely see that she was in the drivers seat trying to hide. So I’m already kinda weirded out at this point so me and my friends leave and as soon as we back out, sure enough her car starts and backs out as well, she began to follow us through the parking lot. At this point I’m texting her asking her what’s going on but she kept saying she was with her mom hanging out.
Needless to say I ended things shortly after that.
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25points
#11

When I noticed a injured bird on the ground, he walked over picked it up and threw it against a wall. I walked away and never spoke to him again.
Edited to include he was laughing after the fact.
Edited to include he was laughing after the fact.
25points
#12

We were eating dinner at a restaurant. He got up and started yelling threats. Stuff like "I'm gonna shoot down all of your windows!!" It was because he caught a waiter glancing at me.
He also tried to hit me, claimed he was younger (he hid his ID from me - I realized why later on), lied about pretty much everything and hid unregistered guns at his house. He was shady as hell. Left him after he kicked our kitten out of anger. Took the kitty with me.
Man young me was dum
People assume that I don't know guns don't need registration in USA so I have to edit: I'm not from USA and it's illegal to possess unregistered weapons here
He also tried to hit me, claimed he was younger (he hid his ID from me - I realized why later on), lied about pretty much everything and hid unregistered guns at his house. He was shady as hell. Left him after he kicked our kitten out of anger. Took the kitty with me.
Man young me was dum
People assume that I don't know guns don't need registration in USA so I have to edit: I'm not from USA and it's illegal to possess unregistered weapons here
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24points
#13

When we went to my uncle's house so I could say bye to him for the last time (cancer), and when we left my husband was upset that I hadn't paid attention to him while we were there.
24points
#14
Oh! I was married to him. We were arguing in his car and he decided to drive like a maniac so I demanded that he pull over and let me and the kids out
He let us out, waited until I was a good bit in front of him, and then drove up in a good clip and opened his car door and hit me with it
Tore my leg wide open. I had to lean on my 6 yr old daughter to get me home and into the house..cut open my pant leg and pack the wound before driving myself to the hospital.
Still have the scar some 30 yrs later. Super fun times….
He let us out, waited until I was a good bit in front of him, and then drove up in a good clip and opened his car door and hit me with it
Tore my leg wide open. I had to lean on my 6 yr old daughter to get me home and into the house..cut open my pant leg and pack the wound before driving myself to the hospital.
Still have the scar some 30 yrs later. Super fun times….
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23points
#15

Wanted me to text him my work schedule and then would call me on the work phone and wait in the parking lot for me to come out of work. Wanted to know how much was in each paycheck. One time I texted him my work schedule and he miss read it and freaked out non-stop for 6 hours searching for me called my whole family and was about to alert the Police. It was his own fault he miss read what I had texted him. I broke up with him in public because he would not believe it when I broke up with him in private. It was finally to the point where random people who were nearby were like "you just got dumped.".
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22points
#16

I was dating a girl that demanded I call every day.
She would hit me for "sitting wrong"
She once lashed out on me over a social media website that was popular in my country (Lunarstorm). You could see who went to look at you profile. She noticed that a lot of people from my hometown went to look at her profile. She was furious. She said that "You should talk about me enough so that people aren't curious!". When I said "Wouldn't that make people more curious?", she lost it and screamed at me.
She was hot. But crazy. I broke up with her and for years later she would sent me emails telling me I ruined her life. I met her on a train a couple of years later, she was with her new boyfriend. He looked like a whipped dog.
She would hit me for "sitting wrong"
She once lashed out on me over a social media website that was popular in my country (Lunarstorm). You could see who went to look at you profile. She noticed that a lot of people from my hometown went to look at her profile. She was furious. She said that "You should talk about me enough so that people aren't curious!". When I said "Wouldn't that make people more curious?", she lost it and screamed at me.
She was hot. But crazy. I broke up with her and for years later she would sent me emails telling me I ruined her life. I met her on a train a couple of years later, she was with her new boyfriend. He looked like a whipped dog.
21points
#17
When he said to me "I ran over a little orange cat that looked just like yours!".
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21points
#18

When he hit 90mph on a side street to teach me a lesson. From that moment on, I was getting out of that relationship. He didn't care for me or anyone else on that street. He only cared that his ego was hurt.
21points
#19
He looked me straight in the eyes and lied about something very serious (related to our kids safety) and I had this moment where we were staring into each others souls not speaking for a couple minutes just staring and he knew that I knew who he really was and I think it freaked us both out. We’re not together anymore.
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21points
#20

We were riding the train home from a date. I look over and she’s logging in to her ex-boyfriend’s Facebook account. I asked her what she was doing and she straight up told me that she was logging in to her ex-boyfriend’s Facebook account. When I asked why, she said “I’m just checking up on him, I want to make sure he’s ok. He never changed his password”. Her checking up on him became reading through not just his statuses but also his private messages. I asked why she couldn’t just look at his profile normally, she said he blocked me. When I asked why she couldn’t just text him if it was that big of a deal, she said he blocked her number too. I had so many more questions, but she started getting pissed off and defensive and I still had a long train ride home, so I let it be.
20points


