When your worst enemy is yourself
When you overthink every decision
When everything is wrong
When happiness is elusive
When silence means judgment
When pain feels normal
When feel like a burden
When you are alone in a room of people
When you are never enough
When your panic erupts
When your heart races
When the tears fall uncontrollably
When your vision narrows
When you need to run
To escape
Certain death
And then
When it couldn’t get any worse
It doesn’t.
It fades.
You focus on your breath.
In for four
Out for four
You continue to live.
You take the next step.
You do the next task.
You pretend you are OK
Until you are.
No one knows
And you’ve mastered the art
Of faking it
Until you make it.
Because no one knows
Your debilitating fear
Of yourself.
And maybe it doesn’t get better
But you know
It doesn’t get worse.
Image via Thinkstock.