like a weed

PTSD is a psychological weed. You can shut it out over time and then at any odd moment, it can swing back into action. Tonight was a prime example. I was out walking the dog, and turned the corner at one point to find two police cars in the middle of the street with their lights flashing. A couple of neighbors were talking about a black man—a stupid, self-fulfilling cliche—who had been suspiciously roaming the alleys and scared someone. I walked the few blocks back, and by the time I got home, my heart was pounding and I was full-on into an anxiety attack.