Tya’s story

"After years of believing that life had nothing in store for me, I eventually reached peace. I feel at peace with myself now."

Imagine yourself as a purple puzzle piece in a set of green pieces. Your piece is uniquely shaped, but the other pieces don’t seem to have a place for you. Does this sound familiar?

I’m a writer of Asian descent and have lived experience of neurodivergence, poor mental health and systemic barriers due to my identity. It felt difficult to understand myself and accept the body that I’ve grown into. In fact, it took me around four years to remove my COVID-19 mask in public because I’d grown so comfortable with wearing it during a very insecure era of my life.

But after living most of my teenage years with anxiety, I’ve finally begun to bloom in unfamiliar environments.

My experience of anxiety and low mood

During a significant academic transition, the world went on hold because of COVID-19. At just 11 years old, near the end of Year 6, I left feeling confused and as if I was on “the edge” almost everyday. When we were supposed to travel and sit our SATs, it was mandatory to quarantine.

Living in solitude for a long period of time gave me the chance to discover new hobbies, play video games and watch my favourite YouTubers everyday. However, my anxiety levels continued to increase. I was constantly worried about my friendships, appearance and education. I felt like I was being left behind. Dealing with my parents’ divorce at the time didn’t help either.

By the end of Year 7, I was alone. At least I felt alone. It became a chore to attend school, socialise or even get out of bed. My absence was noticeable, to the point that someone from school had to visit my house.

Eventually, I found the courage to ask my mum to book an appointment with the GP. During that appointment, I expressed my raw emotions and my GP made a Child and Adolescent Mental Heath Service (CAMHS) referral for me.

Accessing various types of support

Finally, after months of trying to access CAMHS, I was able to receive support. My journey with CAMHS began around September 2021, and came to an end in August 2026.

Throughout that time, they provided me one-to-one therapy, family therapy and art psychotherapy sessions, where I was later diagnosed with low mood, autism, social and generalised anxiety. With my one-to-one CAMHS therapy sessions, I grew comfortable in communicating my emotions and issues.

Having to face anxiety and low mood is not easy. I’ve had to try different medicines to see which one is the most effective.

Whenever I feel stressed or overstimulated, using my noise-cancelling headphones and listening to audio helps me. If this happens in crowded spaces, I often go to somewhere quiet and focus on my breathing.

In 2024, I received regular key worker sessions from my local Elev8/Via, a wellbeing service for young people. They recommended Shaw Trust and Skills Connect’s careers support services. My college industry coordinator and careers advisor also helped me to think about my academic journey and how to be financially aware.

After getting rejected for A-levels, I felt quite embarrassed and upset with myself. However, the careers advisers at my college helped meexplore my options for the next school year, based on my academic background and goals.

I was placed into a pupil referral unit (PRU) due to my emotional and attendance challenges in mainstream school.

They also held workshops which helped me to discover my potential, like when I won the Papatango Young Playwrights Award in 2024 for my monologue about a teenage girl navigating her mental health and friendships.

From July to August 2026, I graduated from The Evoluer House’s incredible workshop series called, ‘Holistic Me.’ This programme covered an introduction to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), how to be prepared for college or university and more. I was chosen to be a 2026 Class Representative, which helped me to gain the confidence to deliver my speech at our graduation.

If it wasn’t for the support I received from these organisations, I believe that I probably wouldn’t have come this far. I can proudly say that I’ve been able to turn my lived experience into meaningful change as a Young Leader for the Mental Health Foundation.

After years of believing that life had nothing in store for me, I eventually reached peace. I feel at peace with myself now. I’m capable of embracing solitude and have a few friends that I feel comfortable speaking to about my mental health.

Information and support

Anxiety
 
Talking to your GP about mental health
 
Tools and resources