I have become increasingly stressed with the worsening situation with the Delta Variant and fears and anxieties about the possibility of restrictions being put back in place. As a result, I am really struggling with this memory again and have started having very vivid dreams where I am re-living the memory, and in some dreams the memories are much darker than what happened in real life. I am afraid that I may just have to deal with them until the situation with the Delta Variant improves in my community and I no-longer have to worry about tightening of restrictions.

As I think back on the memory and the anxieties that it created, I am wondering if the way I have coped with them by avoiding riding in the middle; waiting until the driver is in before getting in a vehicle; and waiting until the engine is running before putting on my seatbelt has made these anxieties and the memory even worse. I wonder if the anxieties would become more manageable if I try to face them rather than running from them. I wonder if I were to ride in the middle seat of a truck between two females; get in the truck and buckle-up; and wait in it for the driver if that would help to let go of the memory. I am wondering if others have ever tried to face an anxiety and if it helped them to control the anxiety and not be so bothered by the memory that caused it.