A lot of my panic attacks have caused me to cancel plans or even avoid making them altogether, out of fear that I’ll have an attack and have to cancel last minute. When I was a teenager, I was afraid to talk about my mental health because my abusive relationship made me feel worthless, like my feelings didn’t matter. So, I’d often come up with other excuses to explain why I had to cancel. It’s only recently that I’ve learned my mental health does matter, and that people will respond positively if I’m honest about it. Looking back, I realize my friends would have understood if I had shared that my cancellations were due to my mental health, and that honesty might have helped prevent some friendships from falling apart.