Smells and Mental Illness
TW: Mental Illness mention, S*xual Assault mention There is no non-emotional way to write this. I wanted to, but I just couldn't. So here is the more emotional version. I have depression. I have anxiety. I have PTSD. All of which have been affecting me greatly. Surprisingly, or at least it's surprising to me, is how smells affect my mental illnesses. I can smell my cologne bottle (CK One), or my hairspray (Paul Mitchell) and those make me feel better. But I can do down into the Young basement and smell that someone has the same detergent as my attacker and it sends me into a crippling panic attack. It's both terrifying and wonderful how much smells can influence feelings of calm, glee, or panic. I can feel good when I go to chase to grab an everything bagel, shove it in the toaster, and schmear cream cheese on it and...