She was 15, hormonal, and confused about what was happening to her, 9Honey reports.
"Internally I couldn't stop the panic. I would worry all the time and sort of felt like there was no where to run or hide," the Sydney woman tells 9Honey.
Her mother became concerned over her daughter's change in behaviour.
"My physical appearance drastically declined," Clementine explains. "That was a sign for her. I lost a lot of weight. Mum got me into see a whole lot of specialists."
"Anxiety is a really, really lonely illness and it was so physical," she says. "I experienced nausea all the time and I would often have headaches that wouldn't go away.
Now, at 31, Clementine has learned how to maintain her mental wellness, and giving back has been key to her continued mental wellness. She has worked in child protection and adult mental health.
"The experience definitely made me want to help others," she says. "When I was going through the experience I realised how many others struggle from day to day. One in five have anxiety. We need to have more conversations about it. I speak for Beyond Blue at events as a volunteer. Sharing our stories give others hope.
"Maybe we can help just one person."
It was while working in adult mental health in a boarding house that she thought of her next idea.
"There were 12 individuals living with complex mental health issues and disability challenges that were housed in these really, really bare environments. For people who were already suffering it was hard to see. So one day I put out a call on Facebook Marketplace asking if anyone had any artworks and paintings I could put up at these houses. The response from the community was amazing."
She says residents loved the new additions to their temporary home.
Clementine's little project had taken on a life of it's own. She labelled it Project Kindness and it continues to this day, expanding into providing for those in need, including school supplies and more recently, groceries, toiletries and baby supplies.
FULL STORY
'Anxiety is a really, really lonely illness': Sydney woman's mental health battle leads to charity idea (Honey)
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