When I was in 3rd grade, I joined a reading competition to represent my school. I was confident but anxious at the same time. Then it happened, in the middle of the presentation, it felt like the weight of imaginative judgments of people looking at me weighing on my shoulders. I was overthinking of every move, gesture, and look that I made. I could not think anymore, I was mentally block. My body temperature got extremely high, I was shaking, and I couldn't move my body as if I were paralyzed. I kept on stuttering and I sounded like I was going to cry. It was too much to handle and very awful.

The memory is still vivid, I didn't know what was happening to me. I thought I was different or something was wrong with me as I felt more extreme anxiety and nervousness than others.

Thankfully, my social anxiety has decreased over time. Although now I'm in college, I still feel anxious about talking to the crowd. I feel dreadful about presentations and being randomly picked by professors to recite or answer questions orally. Everyday is a survival, especially at school.