Trapped in My Own Mind - Loser Story
← Back to stories
aishaspirit

aishaspirit

Jul 20, 2025

⛰️
#Addiction

Trapped in My Own Mind

28, born and raised in Cairo. On paper, I’m doing fine—I work in IT, have good friends, a supportive family. But inside, I’m drowning. For years, I’ve lived with anxiety and depression, but here in Egypt, people still think mental health issues are “just in your head” or a sign of weakness. So I hid it. I forced myself to smile, laugh, go out, but the second I was alone, the silence hit me like a storm. I couldn’t sleep without replaying every mistake I’ve ever made. I scrolled social media endlessly, feeling worse seeing everyone’s “perfect” lives. Then one day at work, I had a panic attack. I thought I was dying. That moment scared me enough to finally admit I needed help.

There’s a comeback in this one.

I started with anonymous online counseling—it felt safer than talking to someone face-to-face. Eventually, I found a therapist who understood my culture and didn’t make me feel crazy. We worked slowly—breathing techniques, journaling, challenging my thoughts. It wasn’t an instant fix, but for the first time, I felt hope. I’m still healing, but now I speak openly with a few close friends, and I even share resources with others who might be silently suffering like I was.

Community reactions

In short

I thought I had to suffer in silence because “men don’t talk about mental health” here. It almost destroyed me. Asking for help saved my life.

✓

There’s a comeback in this one. I started with anonymous online counseling—it felt safer than talking to someone face-to-face. Eventually, I found a therapist wh…

Read the full story

Respond in the ways the author welcomes and discover shared experiences.

📲 Install the app Create account Sign in

More stories

Cut at the final callback, again

Twelve years of theatre training and four final callbacks this year have brought four rejections. I hide the hurt on the ride home. With savings running low, I am questioning whether loving this dream is enough to keep going.…

Lost my scholarship and I'm a first-gen student

My grades slipped while my mom was in hospital, and I lost the scholarship keeping me at university. The appeal was denied. As a first-generation student facing $11,000 a semester, I feel like I am letting everyone down.…

A client owes me $6,200 and stopped replying

A startup still uses my design work but has stopped answering a $6,200 invoice. That money was two months of rent. Borrowing from my sister hurts, and I am left questioning the trust that made me skip a deposit.…

All Users