Goddd yes I wasn’t “straight As” but still passed majority of my school subject grades and did get full marks on my uni degrees, but I had kinda just… Floated through the entire segment of my life? “Disassociated” definitely works here. It was only after I had finished education entirely, finally got medicated to solve the constant ADHD noise, that the burnout kicked in. Still going through it tbh. But it also gave way for me to properly learn to accept myself and everything I had suppressed. Started playing with my appearance more, stopped worrying about what others think (well… sort of… I’m working on it still) and ultimately am happier with myself for it. I look at past photos of me, and my ID and see how miserable I looked and know that I need to get it updated and it would look so much less… empty in the eyes.

Positive praise and such I do love - but I’ve found I can’t properly express it outwardly in the moment? I think that’s to do with past stuff and still unravelling the emotional web that I used to suppress myself, and it’s roots… but we’re making progress slowly :3