"Then I don't think it's a problem. Strange things happening aren't a problem unless it makes your life worse for you."

Non-judgement is so good. "I really don't mind it. It's just-- very hard to talk around? I'm doing things differently than I used to and there isn't... Necessarily a more sane sounding explanation."

"Do you want to talk about how to come up with a saner explanation?"

"... Honestly that would be good?" Someone is eventually going to ask.

"What thoughts do you have so far?"

"It helps that most of the stuff I'm doing is pretty... Sensible? I could say I wanted to improve my life. Just... I have no idea what to say if anyone asks why now, of all times?"

"You know, you don't have to answer a question just because someone asks you."

"... And create the world's most awkward silence?"

"You can give a noncommittal nonanswer! Like 'oh, I just felt it was time for a change.'"

"...I guess if people pried beyond that they would be... Prying..."

"Yep. You don't owe people information about your life."

This sounds fake, but fake in the way that 'doing things that make you happy is a thing you could do' sounds fake. "I could be-- strategic about what I give them, anyway."

"I knew someone who gave people so little information about themself that they started calling themself a cryptid."

"--I don't think I'd want to go into the woods and be Bigfoot? But I can see why someone would do that."

"What sort of things are you interested in working on while you're here?"

"Being less terrified all the time would be good? And also having a sanity check for the--" nonsexual "--life improvement choices would be helpful?"

"Are you familiar with the usual therapeutic methods for dealing with anxiety? --I'm not a therapist but it turns out that anyone can recommend them."

"... Not really? Unless acceptance and commitment counts?"

"Well, you're supposed to do the thing that scares you."

"Well, I am existing, so that's a strong start." Look at him, making jokes at a therapriest like a normal non-terrified person.

He laughs. "--A good sense of humor is very helpful for this sort of thing."

"... I've been working on it."

"What we'd do is make a list, starting with things you are almost entirely comfortable with, and continuing to things you absolutely can't stand. You repeatedly do the thing that scares you until you can do it comfortably."

"It's horrible, I know."

He sighs. "Horrible enough that it probably would actually work."