About Me
Hey There!
I’m Paulina. My first experience dealing with anxiety goes all the way back to elementary school. I remember being assigned a seat in the back corner of my class in the 4th grade and being overcome with nausea and panic. My heart started to race, I had tunnel vision, and time started to slow down. I was sweating, checked out and unable to take my eyes off of the exit. Once class was over, I requested (and was granted) a seat closer to the door and felt immediate relief. It took me over a decade to understand why that was the case - I simply thought I had a sensitive stomach and needed easier access to the bathroom (that ironically enough I NEVER ended up needing to use)..
I very quickly went from ‘preferring to sit by the door’ to being unable to participate in much of my life. Everyday experiences that everyone around me got to enjoy became difficult if accessible at all. Bigger events like being in a wedding party or international travel to smaller experiences like carpooling around town or getting my nails done caused such immense internal suffering that I spent my life masking from others and running from myself. After fighting the battle alone, in my head, for YEARS of my life, I finally started educating myself on what was going on and what my options were. It took hitting rock bottom (I’m talking being unable to leave my bedroom without having an anxiety attack) before I was ready to get the help I so desperately needed.
After many forms of therapy + medications, countless hours spent consuming as much information as I could get my hands on and many, many breakdowns, I have finally reached a point where the fears that used to hold me back from living my life are a distant memory. The purpose of this site and all that I do is to spread awareness on something I know so many others struggle silently with and provide a sense of hope that can be hard to find when dealing with these types of anxiety disorders.
If there’s one thing I’m passionate about, it’s preventing others from unnecessarily suffering for as long as I did. I will continue to share my experiences in hopes it’s validating for others, provide recommendations on resources that have helped me along the way and remind everyone that comes across this site that THERE IS A WAY OUT. The ideal life you are after is within reach and right around the corner - the sooner you start believing you are worthy of it and implementing the tips + tools provided, the sooner you can start living it. I believe in you!
