Thank you for sharing this, it is quite reassuring to hear you triumph over things that sound very familiar to me. I try to tell myself that everything is going to be ok, but intrusive thoughts will sometimes win. However, I still try to remain grounded and true to myself. I too struggle with putting up a mask sometimes . So I would like to ask you, do you have any tips for “breaking out of your shell”? Sorry if that sounds vague or not specific enough, I can’t think of any way else to describe it.