Three siblings grew up thinking they had the same mom and dad. It wasn’t until one of them decided to take a DNA test that they realized this was not the case. The youngest sibling decided to get a DNA test kit for “fun.” Of course, they didn’t expect the test to reveal that the father who raised them was not their biological father. The test revealed that their siblings are actually half-siblings.
On Reddit, the youngest sibling in the family, u/ChipsNoDip, shared a screenshot of their DNA test results. “Thought it’d be fun to get a test, now it isn’t,” the person wrote.
The results showed that the Redditor has two half-sisters. The reason this came as a surprise is because they grew up thinking the sisters were their “full blood sisters.”
Someone else had the exact same experience.
Commenting on the post, another person revealed that they found out that their siblings were actually their half-siblings through a DNA test. The original poster, or OP, wrote that finding out the truth has led to “very confusing emotions for sure.” At the same time, “we carry on regardless.”
According to Psychology Today, the Redditor’s experience is actually not unusual, especially now that DNA testing is more accessible. It’s not surprising that discovering family secrets through DNA testing can trigger emotional responses, such as anger, depression, or feelings of betrayal, the article notes.
In this Redditor’s case, although it’s obviously a difficult and surprising thing to find out, “it won’t change much for” the OP at this stage of life. “Still got sisters, keeping my dad, and I’m not on talking terms with my mom,” the person wrote in a comment. “It be what it be.”
In another comment, the OP wrote, “I’m in my late twenties so it isn’t going to affect me as it would’ve if I found out in my teens. I’ll keep moving through life.” They still love their dad, and the test results don’t change that, the OP explained.
23andMe warns consumers that this might happen.
On its website, 23andMe warns consumers about some of the “unexpected things” they might learn from taking a DNA test. The website notes that in addition to learning more about their ancestry, people who do DNA testing might learn surprising things about their families.
“Genetic information can also reveal that someone you thought you were related to is not your biological relative,” the website states. “This happens most frequently in the case of paternity, where someone learns that their biological father is not who they thought it was.”
Researchers have studied how these kinds of discoveries can affect mental health.
Rob Whitley, an associate professor for McGill University’s department of psychiatry, is one of the people who has studied this topic. He told the Montreal Gazette that DNA tests have the potential to “disrupt a person’s whole narrative.”
To some people, the test results have felt like “a punch in the gut.” He told the news outlet that he thinks companies offering DNA tests should have trained counselors available to speak to people who learn distressing news.
These stories are based on posts found on Reddit. Reddit is a user-generated social news aggregation, web content rating, and discussion website where registered members submit content to the site and can up- or down-vote the content. The accuracy and authenticity of each story cannot be confirmed by our staff.
