I wake up in the morning and wait for the rush of racing thoughts to fill my brain. I wait for the swirl to begin: I need to do this, I need to do that, this isn’t done yet, what if this happens. I keep waiting, and the thoughts never come. I feel a sense of calm. My heart isn’t racing. My chest isn’t tight. I can think clearly, without thoughts constantly racing through my brain, for the first time maybe ever. This is the day after I started medication for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

I’ve put so much pressure on myself to be perfect and succeed, I’ve experienced anxiety and depressive symptoms over the years. In fact, my psychiatric diagnoses have centered around anxiety and depression the past six years, and I’ve gone to therapy and tried many psychiatric medications trying to be well. But all these years later, even after trying all the medications, I’m not well.