For 10 years, Rei Ueno, 40, worked hard as a freelance writer. He took on almost every job that came to him. It was not unusual for him to make it home after midnight -- he also played hard.
That was until five years ago, when a panic attack paid Ueno a surprise visit. He was unable to get up in the morning to go to work. Checking newspapers and the morning TV shows became a kind of torture, making him feel left behind.
He was so plagued by anxiety and guilt he even blamed himself when the bus he was riding in got stuck in traffic.