Boss' thoughtful note to bartender who experienced a panic attack at work is a lesson in empathy

Dealing with a mental health disease can be quite challenging. But different things can help different people and sometimes, the help can come from unexpected sources. A bartender who was struggling with depression received a heartwarming note from her boss and the note was so impactful that it has become a cherished memory. The woman, who goes by @chief.maze on the TikTok, shared how she went through depression and her boss's note was a big help for her during that time.

"I’m 23, diagnosed depressed at 19. My depression was caused because I replayed all of the wrongdoings I had done in life, and in my head, with immense severity. And so that’s all I would think about for a while until it forced me into an actual depression," the woman explained in her video. "That’s probably the best way I can describe it, honestly. It would just replay in my head how disgusting of a human I was." She shared how during that phase of her life, it was difficult for her to get up from the couch for a week or even take a shower. Whenever she passed by a mirror, she would look down as it was difficult to look at herself. "And, with this depression came dissociation as well," Mazie shared. Researching it didn't help her at all.

She described it as, "When I was bartending, it was like, the table at the corner where people sit at, it seemed fake." Mazie was convinced that the table was not real. "I thought I could naturally get through this process. This is not advised by the way," she continued. The woman thought she could get better on her own until dissociation hit. Things changed when Mazie was bartending and had a panic attack. She went into the storage closet to sit through the jarring experience. "My boss walked in on me while I was having a panic attack," she shared. She tried to convince her boss that she was fine, but the person called her to their office at that moment.

"I said, 'I think I'm a disgusting human. I think I am the worst human.' And he listened. He gave me great advice 'cause I hadn't explained it to anybody," Mazie recounted. Her boss told her to go outside and sit in the grass. "Make it feel real," she recalled the boss saying. The next day, she returned to work. "The next day, I returned to work, and he got me a book, 'Les Miserables.' He gave me a book, and he wrote me a note," she revealed. The woman broke down a little as she started reading the note. "Mazie, there is a small selection of books that have made a profound impact on me throughout the years. This particular book is the only fiction writing in my top five," it stated. The boss had read the book at least 20 times and the woman broke down as she read the note. "It deals with the topic of redemption in a beautiful way," the boss wrote.

"P.S. One small bit of advice, if I may,” he added. “Worry about what you do, not what will happen to you. Anxiety barricades our minds," the postscript read. "I am really grateful for that moment, and there’s no amount of money I could repay this action with," Mazie expressed. People took to the comments to share their thoughts. @proteinnextdoor wrote, "My disassociation started at 16 and I was around 27 when the world started feeling real again." @erhacifu commented, "The book mentioned is 'Les Miserables' by Victor Hugo. There's also a musical available for those who don't read books." @joellefriend remarked, "This kind of sounds like OCD to me, I get these thoughts, too."

You can follow Mazie (@chief.maze) on TikTok for more lifestyle content.