In December 2023, I joined a wonderful volunteering team—Kind Hearts. This project was dedicated to helping teenagers facing psychological challenges or other problems they couldn't manage on their own. The team was remarkable, and the environment felt like a warm, welcoming home where anyone could arrive at any time and be greeted with big hugs.

Most activities of this club were online, though some events occurred offline. At that time, I was an online volunteer. The project had a Telegram channel where organizers posted each volunteer’s profile with a brief description. This allowed teenagers to choose the person they felt most comfortable asking for help. There was also a chat for volunteers, where I connected with others who were incredibly friendly. The organizers informed us that our work would begin soon, and I was excited to get started.

However, as other volunteers began their assignments and were contacted for help, I found myself left out. Time passed, and with no one reaching out to me, my initial enthusiasm faded, leaving me with doubts about my worthiness and the trust I could inspire in others.

Fortunately, one day, my patience was rewarded when a girl finally reached out to me. I remember my joy vividly, but that feeling quickly dissipated after reading her message.

She wrote, “Hi, I have something that's been worrying me all the time. I don’t think anyone could understand if I shared my problem. Can I trust you?” I responded positively, and she continued, “This summer was, honestly, boring for me. I love detective, thriller, and horror stories, and I may have overindulged in that content. I started watching videos on murder cases. I know it sounds strange, but that’s where I am. At first, it didn’t scare me; I found it interesting. But with time, I began to fear that I could end up like those people. I felt sick thinking about it. From what I read on Google, the initial thoughts of murderers were exactly like mine. Since then, I've been having panic attacks. What if I end up doing something like that one day? This thought has been consuming me, even now. Please, help me.”

Reading this left me utterly shaken. The idea of murder terrifies me, and I usually avoid even thinking about it. And now, here I was, confronted with it. How ironic, isn't it?

Initially, I was unsure about my ability to help her with such a significant issue. I felt it was beyond my capacity. But as I re-read her message repeatedly, I could not help but feel a deep sympathy. I cried, overwhelmed with empathy, and after much hesitation, I decided to help her through this.

From the following day, we began working together. I shared my schedule with her, and she shared hers. Every day, I checked in about her fears, offered advice, and suggested ways to manage panic attacks. After a month of daily conversations, I identified the root of her problem. When she talked about her fear repeatedly, it seemed she was working through it, but in reality, she was avoiding it. It had become an illusion she had created to cope. She was just making serious a problem that actually never existed. When I explained this to her, she was surprised and for a long time denied it. Finally, she agreed that her behavior had been holding her back. This was our turning point.

After six months of hard work, countless conversations, and many psychological exercises, she finally overcame these thoughts! Her anxious feelings no longer bothered her. I was incredibly proud of her resilience, and she thanked me more than a hundred times. She was my first and most memorable client in this project. Through her determination and self-awareness, she triumphed over her struggles.

After that, I continued supporting other teenagers, offering them the encouragement they needed. Also, that girl offered me to be friends, so we are in touch to this day. In this way, I helped someone see the vibrant side of life. I know that my work was small, but I believe that I helped make the world a slightly better place.