[STORY] How to stop overthinking and sadness permanently

I never thought mental health would become a serious topic in my life. I used to joke about having “hot girl depression” or say “therapy is for rich people with scented candles and anxiety disorders.”

But one Tuesday night, at 2:47 a.m., tears rolling down my face and ramen boiling over in the kitchen, I accidentally booked a therapy session online.

Literally by accident.

My room looked like my mind—messy. Clothes everywhere, laptop open, phone buzzing with unread messages.

I whispered to myself, “I’m fine. I just need sleep.”

But my chest felt heavy, like someone was sitting on it.

I opened Google and typed, “how to stop overthinking and sadness permanently”.

One of those websites popped up: “Free Online Mental Health Assessment – Talk to a Licensed Therapist Now.”

I clicked. Filled it. Didn’t think. Hit submit.

Two minutes later, I got an email:

“Appointment confirmed with Dr. Maya Brooks. Tomorrow. 4:00 PM.”

I froze. Therapy? Me?

(Interior – small cozy office with warm lighting, soft music, the smell of lavender. I sit on a couch, pretending I’m not about to cry.)

Dr. Maya: “So… why are you here today?”

Me (awkward smile): “Honestly? I pressed the wrong button.”

She laughed softly. “There are no wrong buttons when it comes to mental health.”

That’s when I broke.

“I’m tired, Doc. Not sleepy-tired… soul-tired. I’m tired of pretending, tired of social media highlights, tired of being strong for everyone. I can’t breathe sometimes. My heart feels like it’s buffering.”

She leaned forward. “That sounds like anxiety, maybe high-functioning depression.”

I whispered, “I don’t want to feel like this anymore.”

She asked me to start journaling, focus on self-care, meditation, breathing exercises, and to set boundaries.

At first, I rolled my eyes—“TikTok therapy things.”

But I tried.

I wrote in my journal: “Today I showered. That’s enough.”

I went outside and felt the sun on my face.

I muted toxic people.

I practiced mindfulness and emotional awareness.

For the first time in months… I didn’t feel empty.

After 6 weeks of therapy, I felt okay again. Not perfect—but okay.

Then one afternoon, I got a message. My younger brother, who always joked he was “bulletproof,” texted me:

“Where do you go for therapy? I think I need help too.”

I froze.

The strong one in the family—asking for help?

I sent him the link.

That evening, I walked past his room and saw him sitting in the dark, phone to his ear, quietly saying… “Hi, Dr. Maya.”

My heart broke and healed at the same time.

People think mental health recovery is loud and dramatic. For me, it was silent. It was washing my own hair again.

It was laughing at memes. It was telling my brother, “It’s okay to not be okay.”

I thought I went to therapy because I was weak…

Turns out, I went so I could be strong enough to save someone else too.