“People should talk about anxiety disorder more often. For me, it’s almost like the twin sister of depression. I wasn’t aware that my habits of over-worrying, putting too much pressure on myself were mild symptoms of anxiety disorder. Until one day it reacts, I would shiver without reason and have insomnia. Maybe we should explore ourselves a bit more and see if we should seek help.

My parents put me in an international school because they wanted me to be able to speak English. It worked, but when I had to switch to a Thai school, I had a hard time fitting in. I found it hard to give my opinions in class and to make friends. I started sinking slowly inside my own head for years, just to realize that, in fact, I blew issues way out of proportion and there wasn’t really any problem. It was all in my head. It became who I was.

I live with anxiety every day. For anyone who’s already been diagnosed with it, I’d like to say “be kind to yourself”. I know this isn’t easy, but it is doable. I keep a small journal listing things I’m grateful for. When you do something right, don’t forget to recognize it as a success before you go on and worry about the next thing. Lastly, when you have a “not okay” day, just be kind to yourself and say “it’s okay, you can take a rest.”