Hailing from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 21-year-old America’s Got Talent Season 9 contestant Anna Clendening not only has a gift, but an inspiring story to share.
Clendening who suffers from severe anxiety and depression was at a stage just a few months ago where the weight of self-hatred and fear kept her bedridden.
The disease has been with her since she was a young girl, but the condition worsened when her talent took her to the next level.
Even her parents fell in despair and felt like their parenting had failed as they watched their daughter fall apart.
But something happened that helped Anna get back on her feet—music made its way into Anna’s suffering heart. She began to earn more confidence in her singing and her guitar skills. She never expected that the best anti-depressant would come in the form of her notes and lyrics.
When she was asked to take the stage in front of the four discerning judges of America’s Got Talent, she almost backed out. But with words of encouragement from AGT host Nick Canon, Anna eventually gained enough confidence and walked to the stage. She was greeted by a loud applause from the thousands of people sitting before her.
Though she almost broke down, Anna Clendening finally overcame her self-doubts and fears and began to sing.
Depression is hard to deal with… It’s not something you can wash away by simply saying that everything will be okay. It’s a battle against yourself, so you have to be stronger than you’ve ever been to win—and that’s exactly what Anna did.