This week I decided to go out of my comfort zone and walk a little further down the trail that I walk Falcor on. I don't usually walk past that fence in the above picture. I suffer from Agoraphobia so just being able to get out of my apartment and walk next to my complex is a big deal for me. At one point I hadn't stepped outside my apartment door for 10 years. As it stands right now I have only been away from right around my apartment twice in the last 15 years. Once when my mom passed away and the other time was when I broke my shoulder. It takes a lot to get me to go out.
So this is the path that I walked down with Falcor. I only went about half way and then turned back because the amount of anxiety and stress I felt was enormous which caused another problem for me. I also suffer from SchizoAffective Disorder, which is basically like having Schizophrenia without the psychosis. So when I get stressed out or have anxiety I end up having hallucinations and sometimes I hear voices or whispering. The antipsychotic medication I'm taking does help a little but it still happens. I've talked about this a few times but I don't post about it a lot because of the stigma surrounding mental illness but so many people suffer in silence and that's not right so if I can help even one person by sharing some of my story, I'm happy to do that.
The trail that runs right next door to my apartment complex that I walk down is called The Bonanza Trail and a lot of people use this trail for running, walking and hiking. I believe the entire trail is about 17 miles long and goes through a lot of Las Vegas. I haven't been to other parts of the trail.
Falcor enjoyed going for a longer walk. Falcor also turns 5 years old today.
Happy Birthday, Falcor.