I was held at gunpoint and put in a closet in the Georgetown Park Mall in Washington, D.C., when I was working in a store at the mall as a college student. Years later, living in a part of D.C. where the sound of gunshots is more frequent, and one had to call 911 more than any other time, I learned of why it terrified me.
I encourage those unfamiliar with the affects of trauma and PTSD to educate themselves. As a society, we have a lot of work to do. Therapy has helped me tremendously, and I am so thankful for my doctors. To this day I still have nightmares, and I am claustrophobic. Any room I enter, I am immediately looking for where the doors and windows are located. I am looking for a way out. I am still looking to survive.