They Can't See the Anxiety Behind the Disguise
Beating…faster…faster
My heart is pounding a hundred miles an hour.
Cold, so cold,
My hands are freezing and feel like ice.
Trembling, I’m trembling.
I can’t stop this involuntary movement my body is making.
My eyes are darting back and forth,
From side to side.
I take one step after the other,
Left foot hitting pavement,
Right foot hitting pavement.
I keep my head up to disguise the discomfort I’m feeling.
People will look at me and smile and I’ll return the smile,
All the while worrying I may be seen as the fraud I am.
Strong?
Confident?
Her?
Can they see my heart beating through my shirt?
She isn’t strong.
Can they see my eyes shifting back and forth, my hands shaking violently?
She isn’t confident.
Can they see the anxiety swimming through my veins,
Like the blood I need to stay alive?
Swimming through me like the blood that is making my ever worried heart pound, harder and harder?
Do they see my truth?
Do they see me?
They smile.
I smile.
They walk past me as I continue on with my disguise.
This post originally appeared on The Anxiety Chronicles.
I’m a stay at home mom and wife and a part-time college student, studying to become a social worker. I’ve been receiving therapy for my anxiety for a couple of years now. I blog about my experiences and what I learn, in hopes of helping others overcome their anxieties or to just feel understood. I enjoy reading, listening to music and helping people whenever I can. My blog is jensanxietychronicles.wordpress.com.
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