In. Out. In. Out. Just focus on breathing, and maybe the world will melt away. In. Out. In. Out. Just focus on breathing, and the shaking might stop. In. Out. In. Out. Just focus on breathin,g and the panic will subside. In. Out. In. Out. Regardless of what I tell myself, the world doesn’t melt away, the shaking doesn’t stop, and the panic doesn’t subside. Instead, I find myself riding the wave of another anxiety attack—a terrifying reality that had seeped into my life, showing no sign of leaving. My anxiety has never presented itself in one form, instead shifting from mild social anxiety to debilitating fear of the future or even academic anxiety. This chronic cloud of darkness made itself at home within my mind, creating doubts, confusion, and attacking my sense of self. I decided that it was best for me to suffer in silence because verbalizing my fears meant that they were actually real, and this terrified me. I would rather bottle up everything because it was so much easier to pretend that I was okay than to acknowledge that I wasn’t. My stubborn self didn’t realize that if I simply put my feelings into words, it would take away some of the power they held over me. It wasn’t until mid-panic attack that I discovered how words could combat my anxiety. As I tried to focus on my breathing and calm myself down, I started speaking aloud about what was troubling me. With each word that came out, my shoulders felt a bit lighter, my shaking started to cease, and my panic lessened. That night, I realized the power words hold in my own life, and it changed me. While it may sound counterintuitive, my anxiety has motivated me to pursue higher education and become an advocate for mental health in youth. While I haven't quite been able to help on as wide a level as I want to, I've started at home with my family and friends, explaining the importance of prioritizing mental health. It's been especially impactful with my friends as I've been able to help them find the resources they need to learn more about their individual struggles. There’s a common misconception when you're young that you have to be happy all the time and that if you have “dark thoughts,” there is something wrong with you. My goal from now on is to build a career where I can help fight this misconception. No child should feel as if they are defective because of their mental health, so I hope to help raise awareness among children as to what mental health disorders can look like, as well as ways to cope and overcome these disorders.