Mental Health Matters

In 2010, I attended a pride event and someone popped a firecracker on the pier where thousands of people, included myself, could barely move. We were shoulder to shoulder trapped by barracades in spaces moving like herded cattle. What does that chaos look like when folks are trying to escape a dangerous situation----- scary. People were frantically pushing, shoving and screaming. Folks got trampled. After that event, I was never the same. For over ten years, I've been stuggling with this mental health issue. Folks think it's a joke when I tell them that I suffer from agoraphobia and encochlophobia. They ask, "How can you participate in festivals, go to the beach or attend concerts?" Some of my coping strategies include getting VIP, sitting next to or facing the exit or adjsuting my attendance during less crowded times. Most of the time, I sluff off invitations so I don't have to disclose what the real issue is. What occurred yesterday in Chicago and in Philiadelphia at the 4th of July celebrations only exacerbates my inclination to stay home!!! With a family, of course, that is not doable. Each day is a journey but I will make it. Just remember what may be normal to you, may be trauma to someone else. #mentalhealthmatters