Chapter 1: My Journey Through Depression

I was diagnosed with depression in 2013, but the symptoms had haunted me for years before that. In fact, a teacher once asked my mother why I always appeared so sad, and neither of us could provide an explanation. It wasn't until I reached the age of fourteen that I learned I was suffering from clinical depression. The following year, I also received diagnoses for generalized anxiety disorder and panic disorder.

In 2010, I was a joyful child, the entertainer of my family. By 2014, however, I had transformed into someone who felt constantly on the verge of flight. My depression was debilitating, leading me to attempt suicide once and to grapple with the impulse again the following year. Anxiety became my constant companion, leaving my hands perpetually clammy, while daily panic attacks drained my energy.

By 2018, my existence was reduced to waking up, crying for an hour, forcing myself out of bed, and moving through the day in a state of autopilot. I endured at least one panic attack each day, cons