Insecurity doesn't come in one form. Sometimes it looks like perfectionism, sometimes like a need for approval, sometimes like constant comparison. Psychologist Andrea Panadés says that in practice eight types of insecurity repeat themselves - and the most common is the one social media brings to us.

The classification is clear: physical insecurity (about the body), social (fear of public judgment), intellectual (imposter syndrome), affective (fear of being abandoned), comparative, professional, moral and existential. They're all real. They all leave a trace. "Many people live by comparing themselves to others," Panadés says, "and that gets intensified by social media where everyone is presented in idealized versions."

For a Balkan audience, this is a conversation that arrives late and needed. Psychotherapy still carries stigma here - when your father says "why are you going to a psychologist, that's for crazy people," few people have the energy to explain that no, that's not the case. But the reality is that insecurities are had by everyone - the difference is whether we work on them, or push them under the rug until they start to deform daily life.

What do experts recommend? Recognizing the specific situations that activate the fear. An inner dialogue that isn't harsh. Cognitive-behavioral therapy often helps when insecurity comes from criticism, rejection or overly high self-demands in childhood. And, most importantly: understanding that self-esteem doesn't come exclusively from inside - it's fed by healthy relationships and by environments where people feel valued.

A piece of advice that sounds simple: before you open Instagram in the morning, ask yourself how you feel. If you already carry weight on your shoulders, don't drape one more cloak of other people's representations over yourself. It's a small habit. It doesn't solve everything. But it's a start.