Carrie Berk: Overcoming Anxiety and Finding Self-Confidence

Carrie Berk, a successful author and influencer, learned to manage anxiety and embrace independence through self-discovery and writing.

### Carrie Berk: Overcoming Anxiety, Discovering Self-Worth, and Embracing Authenticity
* 😨  Berk's anxiety became debilitating when she experienced physical symptoms like a **racing heart, shortness of breath, and intrusive thoughts**.
* 💔  She faced personal insecurities and negative self-talk, especially regarding her writing career, fearing she would **always be in her mom's shadow**.
* ❤️  Berk openly shared her experiences with her first heartbreak, emphasizing the **importance of authenticity** in connecting with others.
* 📚  Writing her solo debut book was a transformative experience that helped her realize she didn't need to **prove anything to anyone**.
* 🦋  Berk's journey with anxiety and OCD is ongoing, but she has learned to **change her response to these challenges**.
* 🎤  As a social media influencer with nearly **3.9 million TikTok followers**, Berk strives to be **authentic and relatable** in sharing her struggles.
* 👩‍👧‍👧  While she is grateful for the writing experiences she had with her mom, Berk has embraced her identity as a **20-year-old woman navigating adulthood**.

- Why is it so hard? Oh! I did it. Right now, when I opened that thing. Hi, my name is Carrie Berk. I am an author, journalist, and social media influencer. I have almost 3.9 million followers on TikTok, and I just came out with my solo debut book, My Real-Life Rom-Com. Hmm. So I was sitting on the couch one night just eating a cup of cereal, watching TV, and just suddenly could not catch my breath. It was the middle of the pandemic. Class of 2020, no prom, no graduation. It was a really hard year for me to begin with. And on top of that, I just had this sudden internet fame, and I really could see how cruel people could be. I mean, I had 12-year-olds sending me death threats in my Dms. For a while, to me, anxiety was just, you know, the butterfly sensation you get before a test.

or I used to be a performer. I would get those butterflies
before I got on stage. But I realized that it was
so much more than that. It can be something so
painful and debilitating. My heart was constantly racing. I couldn't catch my breath. I wasn't hungry. I had this constant track of
intrusive thoughts in my brain that I could not escape. I had been searching for a light switch that would just turn off the anxiety, and I think it was that moment, like six months into therapy, when I just realized I
wasn't gonna get better. The only thing that was gonna change was the way I responded to it. And like, don't get me wrong, I'm still learning about anxiety and OCD as new symptoms arise, but now I understand
it more than I used to. I take things personally all the time. I'm so oversensitive. I
overreact to everything. I'm just calling myself out right now.

It's so bad. I just overthink every single situation. So I started writing when
I was eight years old. I've written 21 children's
books with my mom. A personal insecurity is that an 8-year-old cannot publish
and write a book by herself. Like she needs help. That negative voice in
my head would be saying, You're nothing without
your mom behind you. You're never gonna have
your own voice as a writer. You're always gonna be in her shadow. All of those voices often get in the way. I mean, I'm very grateful for those experiences I had with my mom, but at the end of the day,
I am not an 8-year-old who writes about cupcakes anymore. I'm a 20-year-old young woman, and I'm experiencing this
crazy world that is adulting. I talk very openly about
my first heartbreak, when I find out he's breaking up with me.

and it almost felt like a form of grief. I just could not stop sobbing. And it sounds silly because I was 16, but at the time it felt
so real and heartbreaking. I had never gone through
something that deep. When we talk about our struggles
in our authentic manner, that's what can really help
people and resonate with them because then they're able to relate to you and level with you. What was that actual moment
like when I got my heart broken? What was it like when
I dropped to my knees and my surroundings went blurry
and my fingers went numb? That's a feeling that
a lot of 16-year-olds who have been in love
will be able to relate to. Once I wrote my book, showed myself, proved to myself that I am good alone as a writer, I realized I didn't need to... I realized I didn't need to... I realized I didn't need to
prove anything to anyone.

And although I love my mom, and I respect her and her work that she does, I'm good alone too.

Influencer Carrier Berk on self-perception, anxiety, and loss

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Carrie Berk: Navigating Anxiety and Internet Fame

Carrie Berk, a popular author and social media influencer, struggled with sudden internet fame and the cruel side of it, leading to debilitating anxiety.

Her experience with therapy and realizing the need to change her response to anxiety has helped her better understand and cope with it.

Despite still learning and facing new symptoms, Carrie now has a deeper understanding of anxiety and is working on how she responds to it personally.

Overcoming Self-Doubt and Finding Personal Voice

Writing 21 children's books with her mom, the speaker struggled with the insecurity of not being able to succeed on her own.

She also openly shares her experience of heartbreak at 16, emphasizing the importance of authentic storytelling to connect with others.

Ultimately, she learns to overcome self-doubt and embrace her identity as a writer.

But first, I need to ask: are you looking for advice on how to express your feelings to your mom, or are you seeking support in being independent?