Halloween 2016

[Lionheart]

Man, I remember in the 70's when I was young, Halloween was my favorite holiday...I got to play dress up and go around collecting candy from my neighbors and there was no fear of anything bad happening.

Later, as I got older, I went to Halloween parties, stayed home and passed out treats, or simply made some popcorn and watched horror movies.

Today, we have people running around dressing as scary ass clowns :clown: when it wasn't even Halloween yet.

I'd hate to see the horror that would ensue if I were to run into one of these clowns, ....late at night, ....in the dark, .....with my PTSD!!! Can you say "Pepper Spray"???? I knew you could. ;):):O_o:

Anyway, what used to be lots of fun is now triggering for me and I wonder if anyone else has a problem with it nowadays?

I mean ya gotta take the kids to the mall to get candy, have it passed through a metal detector, so there are no razor blade-laden apples to bite down on etc.

I just wonder what has happened to us socially today? Can people like us (PTSD sufferers) really still enjoy Halloween anymore???

I have been invited to a Haloween party next weekend and I don't see myself as attending. Should I go and face the fear or stay home in a relatively safe environment and just watch some ghost stories on the tube?

I can't decide. My child-self wants to go out and play while the adult in me says stay home and be better for it.

So anyways, are you able to enjoy Halloween, I wonder, or is it fraught with nightmares for you too?

 

[The Albatross]

Lion, if you have good memories about the holiday... why not set up a strategy and endeavor to go? I have good memories about that too. As an adult, my most favorite Halloween was an all woman blow out... the theme was "A bitch, a witch or a hag". It was really fun and hilarious. I (notably) was the only "hag" - and I was a really good one and enjoyed it immensely as at the party I was quizzed about why I decided to do that and it was decided to be by the holistic women at the party (there were many) my base nature of trending to take the "road less traveled". I saw that is empowering personally, but initially they thought it was a self worth issue and changed their minds - and it made for a lot if really interesting conversation.

I vote for endeavor to go.

 

[The Albatross]

You are an intuitively creative man... you could have a really great time with this.

Added in edit: P.S. If you need some laughter, go see Madea's Halloween. A bit risqué but fun and the whole audience in the theater almost was laughing.

 

[Lionheart]

Maybe I could go as the cowardly Lion, that way no one would recognize me. Ahem *Cough Cough :p:happy::laugh:

I think you are right, I need to reclaim this holiday for myself, I can always take the pepper spray and a baseball bat to allay my fears, huh?

Might be nice. I would be amongst friends, and there will be a warm firepit to enjoy as well. Might not be so bad after all.

It is this coming Saturday night. I'll let ya know how it goes.

 

[The Albatross]

Maybe you could go as the lion on your profile photo? "Healing Warrior"? If you're gonna costume bro' do it with conviction! And remember the aim is to have fun? ;)

 

[Friday]

I looooove Halloween. One of these years I'm actually going to remember I tend to get knocked out of commission for a few weeks in Sept/October, so not put my costume off until the month before (dang it! Again! Oh well, one of these years I'll be what I decided to be about 5 years ago). And last year I made a wee bit of a mistake in going to a -major professional- haunted house when my anxiety was up..

(Bad idea! Self? How about we exercise a LITTLE common sense and don't go jump-scare yourself when already edgy? It's like roller coasters. Yes. I Ordinarilly love them. Not. When. My. Anxiety. Is. Up. Then it's just about the most stupid way to die, barring becoming one of the three toothpick related fatalities per year, that I can think of. Stupid. Avoid stupid. Can we maaaaaybe do that?).

...And I had to make some major concessions during the zombie paintball (yes to the paintballing, awesome, no to the torchlight corn maze, yes to taking lots of breaks, etc.). And trick'o'treating in the shaaaazaaaaaam! Neighborhood is always fun, but parties & after parties I generally need to pass on, unless there's a lot of dancing. And even then? Play it by ear. Check my energy levels, and run with whatever actually feels fun at the time. Ditto, set up rest days between activities. None of this today AND tomorrow AND the next day AND business. It doesn't matter how actually fun something is, Im gonna be wiped out from it.

So, do I have to do a lot to make it fun / not set myself up for failure? Yep.
Worth it? Absolutely.
I love Halloween :D

 

[The Albatross]

In my darker days I split my face in half and painted it and dressed ambiguously and stood in profile... people would ask me what I was and I would simply say in profile, "I'm Schizophrenic" and then turn to display the other profile and say, "So am I". (obscure song lyric) I knew something was wrong then but not really what. Not pc now but it had impact and I love the obscure and have had a lot of fun with it in many ways.

We did a haunted house once and I was voted to be one of the scariest rooms because I had all number of giant toys, my mister and I made a crate painted in UV paints and I installed black lights... I would sit frozen in the toy box with other large "toys" and when groups would look hard at my tableau to see what was "scary" I was dressed and made up as a doll and would animate and would only say "Mama... ma ma, maa ma..." whilst climbing out of the box. Freaked people out.

So far no invites but I always have a costume at the ready.

 

[Lionheart]

Ya know, I was Wiccan, several years ago, and I still have a small cast iron cauldron that I like to place charcoal disks in. I could set some patchouli incense ablaze (what fun)....it has a nice effect with the heavy smoke rolling out of it and I could wear my black hooded cloak.

I dunno but, this could really be fun after all!!!

Thank you for the inspiration and the suggestions @The Albatross and @Friday I think I will go all out this year and have some overdue fun with it!!!! :barefoot::):giggle:

 

[The Albatross]

If you do the Lion Healing Warrior, bring that magnificent staff or yours?

 

[Lionheart]

Yes, I will...I am in the process of adding some deer hide to the bottom part of the staff and think it will be nice when I get it all finished out.

Again, thank you for the suggestions!!!

:hug:'s

 

[Ronin]

I have a damned complicated relationship with Halloween, both for the date & a lot of other things, but as to 'can people with PTSD actually enjoy it'? Damned yes.

At least I'm planning to. Time to get the acting & love for costumes up. Right after I check everyone I need safe is still safe, and having some form of fun or at least at peace, too.

 

[Gs172003]

Man, I remember in the 70's when I was young, Halloween was my favorite holiday...I got to play dre...

Maybe try church trunk or treats ( if you aren't against that ) or zoo functions