There was a time in my life when I thought I had it all together—a successful IT career, a loving family, supportive friends. Life looked perfect.

Then, my mother died.

Instead of dealing with the pain, I shut down. I put on a brave face, pretended I was fine, and kept pushing forward.

But inside, it felt like I was trying to hold down a rising panic—like pushing a heavy lid over something that was constantly straining to break free. 

The pressure built each day, and the anxiety kept growing beneath the surface…. read more