Halloween

[myth]

Halloween is different for Sabrina and me, because October 31st is the day that she and her mother decided to leave her abusive father. (Seven days later, he took his own life.) Little things about the season that other people find enjoyable, or don't even notice-people dressing up in costumes, jack-o-lanterns, the leaves turning color, even just

Comments

[rhiannonstone]

That shit is really, really hard. I'm close to someone who has severe anxiety and also, after a break-in about a year ago, PTSD on top of it. It took me a long time to accept that he's not just being overcautious or untrusting, and that I can't just convince him to calm down and stop worrying--that there is something in his brain that won't let him hear, understand, and process what I think are words of logic. And understanding and accepting that doesn't mean I don't still sometimes get frustrated and angry that everything from cooking dinner to a grocery store trip to cross-country travel is fraught and extremely stressful, and that we can't just do a thing like normal human beings. But it does help that I know and understand and trust that he's not just being intentionally difficult, that it's something he can't help.

Thank you--and Sabrina--for sharing her story and thoughts. Her writing is engaging and resonates with me.

[lindseykuper]

Whoa, I love Sabrina's writing. Thanks for linking to it!