So back in high school I commuted every day on my bike. One day the plastic chain guard on the bike broke and I was used to wearing jeans, so what I did whenever I rode it was I would roll up the end of my jeans so that it wouldn't get caught in the chain and cause me to crash and injure myself.

I was made fun of for it and it was so ridiculous. I had a valid reason and my parents didn't want to fix it because that's just how they are. At one point someone told me that, and I'm only quoting, "You should stop wearing your jeans like that because it's gay, just like you."

I never stop thinking about that interaction and I just couldn't respond. It really bothered me despite how simple it was. I didn't say a word and it was completely unprovoked. Soon after I decided to just walk to school from that point on. I never rode my bike again. It took way longer to get to school but I did it to conform to shitty peoples' standards.

I'm 24 now and my anxiety is really bad. I keep fixating on the way certain people talk to me online. The way that sone people can just tear me down and cause me to freeze up. I get so overwhelmed by a simple statement my mind just goes blank and I'm forced to replay what they say in my head as if it's an undeniable fact.

I'm extremely sensitive to stuff like this and it holds me back. I don't trust people. Unprovoked acts of Kindness even leave me distrustful. It feels like something is triggered when people say certain things and it makes me wonder if it's possible I have some sort of PTSD? I have no idea.