In another time, Ansel Johnson may never have received the help he desperately needed to overcome the deep depression that hung over him every day of his teenage life.
Now 20, he has turned his life around – and dragged himself up from his lowest point, when he self-medicated with prescription drugs and self-harmed, leaving him scarred for life.
In Sharjah, where he now lives, Mr Johnson is returning to education – as much of his years in high school in the US and UAE were plagued by mental health problems.
“I had bouts of paranoia and long periods of feeling inadequate since I was 13,” he said.
“I grew up with that feeling. I assumed it was teenage angst, so didn’t get any help.
“It got gradually worse, I was feeling low all the time, sinking deeper into this feeling of hating myself.
“It evolved into a general apathy for life, a disdain and a lack of interest in living.”
His problems began to manifest when he reached high school age and began interacting with girls. When he moved to the UAE to attend a private school, the problems worsened due to the lack of integration, he said.
“School was very segregated between boys and girls, so it didn’t encourage normal interaction,” he said.
“It led to a lot of aggression and testosterone, and I became even more lonely.”
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Read more:
Dubai support groups helping tackle stigma of mental health problems
Panic attack, acute anxiety disorder - the results are debilitating and frightening
Masculinity under siege: why some men are more likely to turn to suicide than women
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Mr Johnson went back to America after four years in the UAE to continue high school, where his apathy and anger only increased.
There, he began self-medicating with Xanax, a prescription drug used to treat anxiety disorders, panic disorders and anxiety caused by depression. Misuse of such habit-forming medicine can cause addiction, overdose, or death.
“I was taking three a day when I was in high school,” he added. “It got to the point where I couldn’t remember the last four months of my senior year.
“I was like a zombie, and would drift between classes and wake up in a haze later in the day with no recollection of what I had done or how I had got there.
“I had done badly in high school and community college, and thought I had no future. That’s when I started self-harming, just to feel something.
“I got very drunk one night and cut my face with a broken glass. The next day I realised I had to get out of that environment.”
In January last year, he returned to the UAE where his aunt was a counsellor who recommended sessions at the German Neuroscience Centre.
“I didn’t want to talk as it made me feel weak but, eventually, I figured out I had to speak to someone about what I was going through,” he said.
“I went to therapy and was diagnosed with ADHD and major depressive disorder.
The group didn’t judge me, but understood me. It helped me to get out of the rut I had been in for years.
“I was lucky my parents supported me, I know there are plenty of people who don’t see this as a real problem but it is more common than people think.”
The Vines - In Miracle Land
Two stars
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Four-day collections of TOH
Day Indian Rs (Dh)
Thursday 500.75 million (25.23m)
Friday 280.25m (14.12m)
Saturday 220.75m (11.21m)
Sunday 170.25m (8.58m)
Total 1.19bn (59.15m)
(Figures in millions, approximate)
Details
Through Her Lens: The stories behind the photography of Eva Sereny
Forewords by Jacqueline Bisset and Charlotte Rampling, ACC Art Books
Saturday's schedule at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
GP3 race, 12:30pm
Formula 1 final practice, 2pm
Formula 1 qualifying, 5pm
Formula 2 race, 6:40pm
Performance: Sam Smith
2.0
Director: S Shankar
Producer: Lyca Productions; presented by Dharma Films
Cast: Rajnikanth, Akshay Kumar, Amy Jackson, Sudhanshu Pandey
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
The lowdown
Bohemian Rhapsody
Director: Bryan Singer
Starring: Rami Malek, Lucy Boynton, Gwilym Lee
Rating: 3/5
Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club race card
5pm: Abu Dhabi Fillies Classic (PA) Prestige; Dh110,000; 1,400m
5.30pm: Abu Dhabi Colts Classic (PA) Prestige; Dh110,000; 1,400m
6pm: Maiden (PA); Dh80,000; 1,600m
6.30pm: Abu Dhabi Championship (PA) Listed; Dh180,000; 1,600m
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup (PA) Handicap; Dh70,000; 2,200m
7.30pm: Handicap (PA); Dh100,000; 2,400m
TICKETS
Tickets start at Dh100 for adults, while children can enter free on the opening day. For more information, visit www.mubadalawtc.com.
The UAE's journey to space
If you go
The flights
Etihad (etihad.com) flies from Abu Dhabi to Luang Prabang via Bangkok, with a return flight from Chiang Rai via Bangkok for about Dh3,000, including taxes. Emirates and Thai Airways cover the same route, also via Bangkok in both directions, from about Dh2,700.
The cruise
The Gypsy by Mekong Kingdoms has two cruising options: a three-night, four-day trip upstream cruise or a two-night, three-day downstream journey, from US$5,940 (Dh21,814), including meals, selected drinks, excursions and transfers.
The hotels
Accommodation is available in Luang Prabang at the Avani, from $290 (Dh1,065) per night, and at Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp and Resort from $1,080 (Dh3,967) per night, including meals, an activity and transfers.
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The specs: 2018 Bentley Bentayga V8
Price, base: Dh853,226
Engine: 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 550hp @ 6,000pm
Torque: 770Nm @ 1,960rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 11.4L / 100km
Du Football Champions
The fourth season of du Football Champions was launched at Gitex on Wednesday alongside the Middle East’s first sports-tech scouting platform.“du Talents”, which enables aspiring footballers to upload their profiles and highlights reels and communicate directly with coaches, is designed to extend the reach of the programme, which has already attracted more than 21,500 players in its first three years.
Overall head-to-head
Federer 6-1 Cilic
Head-to-head at Wimbledon
Federer 1-0 Cilic
Grand Slams titles
Federer 18-1 Cilic
Best Wimbledon performance
Federer: Winner (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012)
Cilic: Final (2017*)
Rooney's club record
At Everton Appearances: 77; Goals: 17
At Manchester United Appearances: 559; Goals: 253
BRIEF SCORES
England 353 and 313-8 dec
(B Stokes 112, A Cook 88; M Morkel 3-70, K Rabada 3-85)
(J Bairstow 63, T Westley 59, J Root 50; K Maharaj 3-50)
South Africa 175 and 252
(T Bavuma 52; T Roland-Jones 5-57, J Anderson 3-25)
(D Elgar 136; M Ali 4-45, T Roland-Jones 3-72)
Result: England won by 239 runs
England lead four-match series 2-1
A State of Passion
Directors: Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi
Stars: Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah
Rating: 4/5
Sri Lanka-India Test series schedule
1st Test July 26-30 in Galle
2nd Test August 3-7 in Colombo
3rd Test August 12-16 in Pallekele
