When you're fourteen and trying to deal with the highs, lows, traumas, and humiliations that go along with being a high school freshman, having severe anxiety can become all consuming. Chelsea Rae Swiggett's anxiety has affected every area of her life-school, family, friendships, and romance-ultimately pushing her to lose her voice, withdrawal from everyday life and school, and develop an eating disorder.
The sounds of planes flying overhead could spark a panic attack and something as simple as being called on in class could push her over the edge, convinced that everyone was judging her, mocking her. Faking sickness so she could stay home became her only solution, since she'd rather do anything than face the reality of what happened behind the school's double doors. RAE tells a story all-too-many teens today relate to-what it feels like to see the world through a lens of constant debilitating fear, anxiety, and stress.
