I'm a social but studious 20-year-old studying health sciences in Toronto. I'm the oldest of 3 siblings. I was a competitive figure skater and I loved to coach other kids.
I was 9 when I was first formally diagnosed with anxiety. I think I had anxiety much earlier, but I was too young to understand what I was experiencing.
My first admission to hospital was in grade 12. I hadn't been sleeping. I ditched all my classes, was very impulsive and would do things like run to the CN Tower from midtown and back in the middle of the day. But I also had severe depression with suicidal ideation. It's a dangerous combination when you have the impulsiveness to act on your thoughts. My family was nervous to leave me alone. My mom slept in bed with me at...