When my brother and I were young, we were woken up in the middle of the night by both of our parents screaming.
A space heater had fallen over in the living room and the whole downstairs area was on fire.
We had to evacuate the house using the upstairs window. I twisted my ankle when we jumped. I will never forget that fire as long as I live. Even though it did not cause significant damage to the house, I still have PTSD from the fire. During the winter months, I never use a space heater. I don’t have a fireplace in my home either, for the same exact reason. I have a gas furnace in my home and I have a routine service checkup performed on the gas furnace each and every year. I trust the professionals at the furnace repair and installation business. It absolutely gives me great peace of mind to know that the system is in tip top shape when the winter months are here and I have to run the heat. I barely sleep at all during the winter months. The thought of a fire in the middle of the night is still a fear that keeps me up. I have had several therapists tell me that hypnosis could work, but I don’t believe in that sort of thing. I think it is healthy to have a fear of something like furnace fires. They could actually happen and I don’t want to ever be a victim again. It’s not like I am afraid of the boogeyman or something that isn’t real.
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