James told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay that while those difficult conditions have been his constant companions since he was a kid, it wasn’t until adulthood when they started to manifest themselves in more physical and visceral ways.
“It got to the point of not being able to leave the house, shaking/hiding and most notably not being able to catch my breath,” he added. “While life wasn’t conducive for traditional therapy, I knew it was deeper than I could do on my own and tried to understand what was happening and why, through friends, family, and as many responsible resources as I could read/listen to.”
So the words “just breathe” became a mantra for him whenever he was having an episode. While the song started as a somber waltz, it was brought to life in a more vibrant manner during the pandemic.
“The song needed something happier, something with more energy, something that looked at my anxiety and depression and said ‘smile,’” he added.
Tickets to see Kristopher James open for, and then back,Nashville’s “tiny giant” Laura Reed at Palladium Theater's Side Door Cabaret in St. Petersburg on Friday, Aug. 9 are still available and start at $25.
Readers are invited to submit their own events to Creative Loafing Tampa Bay’s things to do calendar.
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