I remember lying in bed one night when I was about 13 years old. Out of nowhere, the room felt like it was spinning; it felt like time was passing much faster than I could keep up with. My brain was racing like a broken hamster wheel that I couldn’t figure out how to stop. 

I had a feeling of impending doom as my body became tense and I went into a full blown panic attack. I thought I must be crazy; there was absolutely no reason for me to feel this way. 

This was my first encounter with anxiety.