Helpful ideas with unwelcome past reminders

[Whistledown99]

Moved away over twenty years ago to start a new life. We are happy.

Over the past few months, people I used to know have started turning up near our house & in the same village, possibly having moved here now too.

I cannot change my route or routine. These people trigger bad memories. Any helpful ideas how to keep my mind busy? I do not want to be reminded of bad times/these people. I am not the same person as I once was.

I hope you are ok. This is clearly shaking you. Maybe they have changed too in 20 years? Or maybe not. I don’t have helpful suggestions for keeping your mind busy, but the things that stand out are: 1) do you have anyone close to you to talk to so you don’t have to deal with the memories on your own? 2) do you need outside help, as in, are you at risk of harm from these people? and 3) is it time to do therapeutic work on what happened - or go back to it / try again if you did this in the past?

You posted late last night. I hope you managed to sleep.