Walking My Dog

by Julie
(Oregon)

It might seem like a boring activity to the ordinary person, but to somebody like me, it's quite a challenge. I have been living with mild to moderate agoraphobia/PTSD for the better part of my adult life. But for the last 16 months I have made little steps to changing that behavior.

It began in 2012. I started taking my dog on short walks with a friend. That lasted a couple months. There were some back steps, but eventually I can say that I have made it a regular daily activity. I have found that it has helped my self esteem greatly! People that I run into on my walks are generally very nice. The endorphin release is wonderful for my mood and I feel so much better physically as well. My dog Ginger loves me for it too! I never thought that I would ever leave my house again for any reason because of my fear. I proved myself wrong. :)