Her mind starts racing. Her heart starts pounding and she begins to overthink. Her panic arises. Reality becomes a haze behind her genuine fear. Emotions begin to take over. Minutes begin to feel like days. All of her motivation is gone and is replaced with dullness. Her mind traps you in an endless cycle of what if’s. Anxiety hits, hope seems lost. She begins to wonder, will this ever go away?

Senior Yun Yi Thomas is no stranger to the intense feelings of anxiety. Thomas has experienced panic attacks, anxiety attacks, and certain situations provoke her anxiety.

“I start to have severe anxiety when there are loud noises I am not used to and intense lighting. When I have a panic or anxiety attack it makes me very uncomfortable and I want to get out of the place I am in. I overthink the situation I am in and can start to cry at times,” Thomas says.

During her junior year, Thomas’s anxiety increased due to conflict with friends. During that time, she had support from her best friend Grace Nishimori.

“I have known Yun Yi since freshman year. As we got closer, I started noticing signs of anxiety. She had a panic attack at school and I knew she was at her breaking point,” Nishimori says.

Since Nishimori found out about Thomas’s struggles, Nishimori has been a strong support system for Yun Yi.

“I tell Grace everything, she listens very well. She always cheers me up and gives great advice and doesn’t judge me,” says Thomas.

Thomas’s friends and family are some of the biggest supporters for her when she is struggling. Another way she copes is by taking her mind off of the situation.

“I usually distract myself from the situation, especially when it is out of my control. I will hang out with friends. Eventually, the feelings go away,” says Thomas.

 Another way Thomas copes is going to her (former) guided intervention specialist Lorraine Hartkey for support and advice. Hartkey noticed some of her anxiety in the classroom.

“Based on my interactions with her, she would become very unsure of herself and in her work.  She would want affirmation on her understanding or request to see me more often. Her grades were never an indicator of her anxiety, and her behaviors; needing affirmation, talking through academic work, talking through her plans for her future and her goals, needing a more private place to converse one on one,” says Hartke.

Since figuring out Thomas’s struggles, Hartke wanted to find a solution for Thomas.

“We always discussed what was her concern, and then built a plan around moving forward.  She responded to writing things down and having a plan. She would share her concerns about not having access at home for some of her academic concerns, so she and I communicated in the evenings and before school hours with the Remind app, which seemed to be an approach that allowed Yun Yi to gain confidence in knowing that there was a person that she could confide in and communicate with outside of school hours,” Hartkey says.

Thomas was always able to communicate with teachers when she felt unsure or anxious in school.

“She was always very honest when asked about how she could be supported and she would always be very open about what she needed to help her,” says Hartke.

With the support of her friends and teachers, Thomas was able to thrive.

This year, Thomas started a club called Students Demand Action. SDA is a  nationally led student group advocating for gun control. Creating the club has helped Thomas focus on her passion.

“Starting the club has helped my mental health so much. I know I am making a difference and get to meet new people how are passionate as well,” says Thomas.

Nishimori admires her for starting this club. Thomas’s passion has even influenced Nishimori.

“She has such strong opinions and sticks to what she believes in. She is so passionate about it and now I am too,” Nishimori says.

Since her junior year, Thomas’s mental health has improved.  Hartke has seen a lot of positive growth in Thomas.

“Yun Yi’s confidence has been the most notable area of growth. Through time and providing strategies to her to help Yun Yi become independent in the management of her day, she has been incredibly successful and driven to achieve her goals.  I’m so incredibly proud of Yun Yi and her dedication to wanting to achieve her dreams, but also recognizing that when she needed support, not being scared to ask for that support,” Hartke says.

“The end of junior year was rough, I am doing very well now,”  says Thomas.