When High Performance Hid My Struggle With Mental Health

03.25.2026

When High Performance Hid My Struggle With Mental Health

by Ale Lasas

Ale Lasas shares her experience with anxiety, depression, ADHD, and severe burnout and how practices such as journaling, meditation and movement, as well as finding a support community and allowing herself to ask for help, became essential tools in her recovery.

Growing Up Feeling Different

From a young age, I was always a very creative and curious person. My mind was full of ideas, and I had strong abilities in some areas, but real difficulties in others.

Today, many of these patterns would likely be recognized as ADHD. At the time, however, I didn’t have the language or understanding to explain why my mind worked the way it did.

I started working when I was 13 years old. At 17, I entered university, and by the age of 18 I was already working in leadership roles within the banking industry in Brazil.

From the outside, it looked like success. Internally, however, I felt constant pressure to prove that I was good enough.

Some of that pressure came from the corporate environment, but a large part of it came from within. I pushed myself hard because I wanted to overcome the challenges I felt inside my own mind. Bullying and criticism during my younger years also left a mark. I carried a deep need to prove that I was capable and intelligent. Over time, that pressure became overwhelming.

When Stress Turned Into Burnout

Balancing a demanding corporate career, university studies, and my own internal expectations eventually led me to severe exhaustion. My mind was constantly racing. I began experiencing intense anxiety, sleep difficulties, and persistent stress.

Eventually, that anxiety developed into depression. I reached a point where I experienced burnout. My body and mind simply could not sustain the level of pressure I had been carrying. Ironically, even though I had already begun studying the mind and human behavior out of curiosity, I still struggled to apply that understanding to myself.

It was only when I reached that breaking point that I truly began seeking deeper support.

Searching for Tools That Could Help

During this period, I sought support through multiple paths. I worked with medical professionals, therapists, holistic practitioners, and explored alternative healing approaches. At the same time, I began studying more deeply how the mind, emotions, and nervous system interact.

Several practices became essential in my recovery. I returned to journaling, something I had practiced since childhood but had stopped during my busiest years. Writing helped me give language to emotions I had carried silently for a long time. I also returned to meditation, breathwork, grounding practices, and movement. Dancing, playing sports, and engaging in creative activities helped me reconnect with my body in ways that felt natural and regulating.

At the same time, being part of a spiritual and community environment gave me a sense of belonging that I had been missing. These different forms of support slowly helped me rebuild stability.

Learning That Healing Is Not Linear

As my life moved forward, the tools and insights I gained began naturally influencing the people around me. Friends and colleagues often came to me for guidance, and eventually I began working with others in the field of emotional and personal development.

However, life later reminded me of an important truth: healing is not linear.

A few years ago, I went through another very challenging period. I experienced deep grief and faced health challenges related to endometriosis. Around the same time, I also received my adult diagnosis of ADHD. The stress and emotional impact of that period reactivated symptoms of anxiety and depression. Even with years of knowledge, tools, and experience, I found myself in a place of vulnerability again.

The Courage to Ask for Help

One of the most important lessons from my journey is understanding that we are not meant to do everything alone. There is a common belief that once we understand mental health or learn certain tools, we should be able to handle everything ourselves. But life continues to present new challenges, losses, and transitions.

During that difficult period, I even struggled to maintain some of the practices that had once helped me. In those moments, allowing myself to receive support from others made all the difference. Asking for help is not weakness. It is wisdom.

Breaking the Stigma

Mental health struggles can feel isolating. Many people believe they must handle everything on their own or hide their difficulties from others. I often see this particularly among professionals in high-responsibility roles, including people in corporate environments, healthcare, and helping professions. There is often an unspoken belief that those who care for others should always be strong.

But the truth is that everyone needs support at times. Breaking the stigma around mental health begins when we allow ourselves to speak honestly about our experiences. It means understanding that it is okay to not be okay. And it is also okay to have knowledge, experience, and tools, and still need help sometimes.

Seeking support is not failure. It is part of being human.

Why I Shared My Story with ADAA

I write articles about mental health, emotional healing, and the connection between the mind and body, and currently I've been expanding my work to include more scientific perspectives. As part of this process, I’ve been researching organizations that focus on mental health education, research, and advocacy.

While doing this research, I came across ADAA and their “Break the Stigma” movement. This message immediately resonated with me. I believe that open conversations and personal stories are powerful ways to reduce the shame that many people still feel around anxiety, depression, and trauma.

Sharing my experience feels like a meaningful way to contribute to this movement and help encourage more honest conversations about mental health.