Agoraphobia is a mental and behavioral disorder, specifically an anxiety disorder characterized by anxiety symptoms in situations where the person perceives their environment to be unsafe with no easy way to escape. These situations can include open spaces, public transit, shopping centers, or simply being outside their home.
Amy's mom died suddenly and unexpectedly when she was 11 of a massive heart attack. They were the best of friends a mother and daughter could be. As an only child of a single mom, it was just the two of them - until they weren't.
Amy found herself living with her Godmother and her Godmother's family. However, one day a series of events led to Amy being forced to turn over her key to safety and security and trade it for loneliness, homelessness, and insecurity. But that's not the whole story.
After years of bouncing around from shelter to shelter, Amy would later turn her life around. Without the support of family and only that of a few friends, Amy got her G.E.D., overcame agoraphobia, learned life skills for the first time, and discovered a path of service as a social worker.
Our conversation went to many places, including raising/mentoring/teaching kids, mental health challenges, and the fact that family isn't always blood - sometimes it's the people you choose.
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