Thanks to social media, it's easier than ever to decide how you want to present yourself to the world. Of course, the pressure to be picture-perfect is so real, especially when you see everyone else's impressive, art-directed photos. That's why it's beyond impressive when people open up about how their social media selves don't tell the full story. On April 3, Amber Smith, a 22-year-old woman from Rugby, U.K., uploaded a composite of two photos to Facebook. In the top one, she's "dressed up, make up done, [with] filters galore," she says in her post. And in the bottom shot, clearly shaken, she's just suffered a panic attack. "I wanted to show that airbrushed photos on Instagram and Facebook don't necessarily showcase the 'real' you," Smith tells SELF via email.

The photos prove that no matter how "normal" someone looks, they might struggle with mental health issues, and that actually doesn't make them any less normal. A full 18 percent of Americans deal with an anxiety disorder, according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). There are different types of anxiety issues under that umbrella, including panic disorders that affect 2.7 percent of Americans. Panic disorders are marked by panic attacks, which are exactly what they sound like: "sudden and repeated attacks of intense fear," according to the NIMH. One of the crappy things about panic attacks is that they often include physical symptoms like an accelerated heartbeat, shaking, shortness of breath, and a choking sensation, all of which can further convince the person experiencing them that they have reason to feel terrified.

Even though there are some misconceptions about what kind of people struggle with anxiety—in her post, Smith says people have called her "too young" for it—mental health issues can affect anyone. "It doesn't make you weak. Mental health does not pick and choose, and it does not discriminate," says Smith.

To date, her post has been shared over 13,500 times and garnered supportive comments about how brave she is to share her anxiety with the world. We couldn't agree more—read her full post below.

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