Anxiety has been with me for as long as I can remember. It was never an invited guest, but it settled in nonetheless. As a child, I felt the weight of worry creep into my everyday experiences. By my early teens, I faced the harsh reality of a diagnosis: generalized anxiety and panic disorder. For years, I viewed anxiety as a permanent shadow on my life’s path. However, everything changed in my early twenties when I chose to embrace my anxiety instead of resisting it.

As we step into May, we enter an important time for reflection—Mental Health Awareness Month. This month serves as a crucial reminder of the importance of mental health and encourages us to have open discussions about it.