A story about pressure, quiet overthinking, and what changed after finally telling someone.

Pen Name or Anonymous: Anonymous
Age & Location: 17, USA

From the outside, I seemed fine. I stayed busy at school, kept up my grades, and was always around people. Most days I looked pretty confident. But inside, I felt constant pressure to not slip up. If I had a bad game or did poorly on a test, it didn’t just feel like a small thing that I could wave away and move on from. It felt like proof that I wasn’t good enough and wasn’t doing all that I could.

Over time, I stopped enjoying the things I used to care about. Everything felt heavier than it should have, even my daily routine. I didn’t tell anyone because I thought I just needed to push through it like everyone else.

One night I finally told my best friend about how I was feeling. He listened, and that made it easier to talk to my parents. I was skeptical at first about getting therapy, but it helped me understand how extreme my thoughts had become. I started reminding myself that one mistake doesn’t define me.

I still get stressed and overthink sometimes, but that’s normal. It doesn’t take over my whole world anymore, and I can actually manage it and open up to others when things weigh too much.

What would you say to someone who is going through a similar situation?:

You don’t have to be falling apart on the outside to deserve help. If something feels off, even just a bit, say it out loud to someone you trust. It can be the start of things getting lighter.