The Other Me
An ongoing serial about neurosis, beginning with anxiety that burgeoned through my teenage years, and grew into issues also with depression and OCD, amongst other things.
The Other Me
‘Hello, Panic, My Old Friend’ iii. My twelve-year-old cousin started playing indoor cricket and his mum asked me to take him to the Centre. I didn’t know how to say no. But I didn’t know how I could say yes. I couldn’t go out. I told myself that it was just the Centre, where I’d gone hundreds of times. But those hundreds of times I could always leave. Now I’d be anchored there. What happened if I had problems? What would happen to him? What would happen to me? The first game I took him to, I felt fine on the drive up as he yapped away. Once we got…
The Other Me
‘Hello, Panic, My Old Friend’ ii. Dean had a party one night and invited Stan and me along. It sounded like just what I needed – a day out to have a good time, not have to worry about anything. But I didn’t feel right from the moment I went – hot, stuffy, my head clogged. I thought once I got there, I could relax, get into things. I didn’t. Instead, I became increasingly uncomfortable. The room swayed and now it was stifling. It was summer and warm outside, but not like this. My clothes smothered me. Dean and Stan started to drink. I decided to hold off until my…