I never realized how close the Montreal Olympic Stadium was from my place. I biked West, going to a friend’s home and I kind of “randomly” encounter this mythical place. It’s like knowing you live in the same town than a friend, but still being surprised to meet him on a street. And sitting where all these athletes fought their fears, I couldn’t help but think about all the battles I won. Truth is, I slowly recover. When I was 23, I quit my job, quit university, and stayed put in my basement apartment for almost a year. At this moment, my social anxiety had reached a level so high that going out to the grocery store 300m away from home was a challenge. When you reach this point, you kind of loose the ability to evaluate distance. Sheep in wolves clothing If you don’t know what agoraphobia is, it’s a fear that makes you feel unable to leave the house. You feel like if you go out, something terrible will happen. Basically, it’s the fear of fear. Symptoms vary but mainly involve panic attacks. Panic attacks so intense that you’re sure you are dying. I had my first one driving my car home from school. I […]
