Hi, everybody.

I was brought up by a severely schizophrenic mother and an emotionally disturbed father. Sad to say, both were abusive and neglectful of myself and my brothers and sisters (there were five of us in all).

I now find that when mentally ill people act out their symptoms around me, I will have flashbacks and unpleasant memories that can cause me to go deep into depression.

There are many mentally ill people in the city of San Diego, California, where I live. Because I walk or take public transportation wherever I go, I encounter them on a daily basis. They are on the buses and trolleys and on the sidewalks, talking to themselves, making violent threats against people who pass by, urinating and defecating in public, and exhibiting disturbing behavior in general.

Unfortunately, they remind me of the eighteen year period of my life that I want to forget: my childhood. My parents were a lot like these people.

Does anyone else have this problem?