When not in panic mode, I am a people-pleaser. I smile and make jokes and can sometimes be quite charming. But on the inside, it's still all wariness, over-sensitivity and cynicism.

Yes... and let's not forget anxiety. I am so anxious all the time.. my stomach is twisting itself in knots... yet I still smile and try not to pass it on to people around me. What else is there to do? It certainly won't make me feel any better if I drive everyone away with my 'haunted' look. I get tired of explaining why I feel like I do. So I pretend. It's a way of getting through the day