This Facebook post is a reminder that there’s power in talking about mental health

Humans of New York always provides real-life, profound, and raw personal accounts from people — and, currently, the blog is focusing on humans in Colombia. In a story from a young Colombian student, Humans of New York captured why talking about anxiety is so important, and it’s a lesson that can help anyone who struggles with anxiety.

The blog has shifted its focus from New York City to Bogotá, Colombia, and they spoke with a young woman who said that she was the best student in her high school, but the pressure to succeed eventually led to panic attacks.

Her panic attacks became a daily problem and when she went to college, she canceled her first semester due to her anxiety.

Although this student’s story is sad, it’s unfortunately not all that uncommon. In 2012, Psychological Medicine found that 1 in 13 people suffer from anxiety globally. Yet, there’s a silver lining and a lesson to her tale.

After hiding her anxiety for years, she now says she is “working on acknowledging my anxiety.”

"I thought that if nobody knew, it didn't exist," the student explains. "But the more I talk about my problem, the more I realize that other people experience similar things. So I'm trying to express it more. I had a great teacher who told me: 'Instead of letting anxiety keep you from doing your art, let it be the thing that motivates your art.'"

Beyond using anxiety to do something productive, the main takeaway is that you aren’t alone if you have anxiety or depression. Rather than bottle those emotions up and feel more isolated, let this human of Colombia set an example for you to realize that it’s better to talk about your mental health. And trust us, you’ll find there are more people than you realized who can relate to or empathize with your struggles.