Anxiety is a dark, towering figure.

It stands in front of me, blocking my way.

It will never move and won’t let me through.

I say I’m going out, but anxiety tells me no.

It holds me down and pins me to my bed.

Depressions laughs as I cower.

Its bulky figure and shadowy mass envelopes me day and night.

They work as a team, pushing me around wherever I go.

Some days they won’t let me move.

And at night, right as my mind starts to slip into the

sweet release of sleep,

anxiety grabs me with its talons,

sinking them into my mind.

It makes me think of horrible things,

things that make me want to escape my own mind

but I can’t escape no matter what the doctors say.

My mother tells me to exercise and distract myself.

But how can I when depression is holding me down and not

allowing me to leave my sheets?

They tell me to go to school and socialize but how can I

absorb anything through this thick cloud of numbing emotions?

They tell me to ignore my panic attacks but how am I supposed to learn as my body shakes while I cry and scream and try to run from my own mind as my breath is stolen from my lungs?

They tell me that I bring this upon myself but tell me, do you choose to have the flu?

I never chose this life. I never wanted to be afraid to go to the store.

I hate having simple tasks like calling a friend or picking up a package to be a terrifying experience that takes hours of building up to even consider doing it.

I cannot always fight these monsters.

But they are here and they’re not leaving anytime soon.