I ended up making my life really small.
So I wanted to change that.
I knew that I needed to just
try to get out in the world again.
The last time I took a plane trip was
for my sister's wedding.
And we did months of therapy.
So in my early 20s, this is when I started
to really experience panic attacks.
Not breathing properly, heart racing.
I couldn't focus.
I was eventually diagnosed with agoraphobia.
I would say agoraphobia is a fear of being in public spaces.
It makes it really hard for me
to travel far from home.
It's not living life. It's not a life
when you're just constantly not in a good place.
I was just looking through Street View one day
and I just stumbled across a couple of things
that I quite liked.
I've always loved photography.
So this gave me the opportunity
to be a photographer.
But without having that anxious feeling.
I think that I've taken around
27,000 screen shots.
Colorful pastel colors, cacti,
architectures, desert gardens.
I love how the Google Car
kicks up dust.
And so I started putting images online.
Connecting with other people that are going through
similar struggles has probably been
the best thing for me.
And now I feel more connected
to the world than I ever have before.
Even just saying that I have agoraphobia and severe anxiety
has been incredibly powerful and important.
I'm doing things at the moment I never
ever, ever dreamed that I would do.
It's exitement combined with anxiety,
combined with everything, really.
You know, there's a lot of really difficult things
with having severe anxiety,
but I also see the benefits as well.
It's really made me see the world in a different way.
It's even better than I expected.
If you're struggling, and you're keeping it to yourself--
and I kept it to myself for a very, very long time--
it definitely doesn't help.
Open up about it, if you can.
- I'm also an agoraphobe.
I think I try to do the same thing that she did,
where you don't use it as an affliction,
you use it as your creative power.
Please don't give up.
Know that it can get better,
and it does get better.
I just hope that I'm proof
that even in your darkest times,
amazing things can come out of it.
- I did two tours in Iraq as a helicopter pilot.
But then I got injured.
And overnight, they rip off that tag
and slap "veteran" on your chest.
I didn't know where to start looking
for the next thing.
But then I realized service doesn't end when I get out of the military,
it just changes.