Mental Illness Poems

Poems about Mental Health

Discovering you suffer from a mental illness can be devastating. When faced with this challenge, most people work hard to pursue treatment and inform themselves about the disease. Even still, keeping a positive outlook and attempting to maintain good communication with your loved ones can become extremely challenging. Sometimes, despite your best efforts, you may feel deep sadness and frustration because of your illness. Such feelings are normal, and should not be repressed. In fact, expressing them to a close friend or through writing can help you to cope, and even thrive, despite your mental illness.

53 Poems about Anxiety and Panic Disorders

1 - 20 of 53

Sort By

1. Hello, I Love You, Goodbye

I have always struggled with mental illness. Pretty much everyone struggles with something. I think that everyone has missing pieces and gaps that need to be filled. My mental illness affects my daily life and religious beliefs. If your focus isn't on the person and their well-being, then what are you trying to fix? Everyone has worth because they are a person, not because of anything they say or do, especially not something out of their control that they are born with or into.
- By Taylor Jones
- Published by Family Friend Poems January 1, 2024 with permission of the Author.
Broken People Are Still People

hello, I love you, goodbye.
Sometimes I wonder why I try.

most days seem the same;

hello, I love you, goodbye.
Sometimes I wonder why I try.

most days seem the same;
others still seem to cause some pain.

I tell you I'm happy
but it's hardly the truth;
it's just easier for me to say to you.

I seem fine on the outside,
but inside, it worse -
always wondering about my ride in the hearse.

you tell me I'm fine,
I tell you, look harder.

my worth doesn't come from being someone's daughter.

you see, we all have struggles, no matter our age,
and while others are trying to pick up our pieces -
they drop some, we lose some, everything freezes.

so please, look closely when treading the ground -
there's pieces of people scattered around.

Now, I'm not trying to blame or
cause any trouble,
I'm just stepping outside
my own little bubble...

I'll always be here for you,
out among the rubble.
More...
Go To Complete Poem
- Stories 0
- Shares 2
- Favorited 1
- Votes 1
- Rating 4.00

2. The Room Of My Life

Anne Sexton is a famous poet known for writing about challenging topics, often expressing despair in her work. In the poem "Room of Life," she reveals the troubled life she led through vivid imagery, including objects that seem to take on a life of their own. Sexton sees each object in her room as a reflection of her own life, including the books, the typewriter, the phone, and even the windows. She feeds both the world outside and her own inner world, but she struggles to find meaning in her existence.

Famous Poem
- By Anne Sexton
Here,
in the room of my life
the objects keep changing.
Ashtrays to cry into,

Here,
in the room of my life
the objects keep changing.
Ashtrays to cry into,
the suffering brother of the wood walls,
the forty-eight keys of the typewriter
each an eyeball that is never shut,
the books, each a contestant in a beauty contest,
the black chair, a dog coffin made of Naugahyde,
the sockets on the wall
waiting like a cave of bees,
the gold rug
a conversation of heels and toes,
the fireplace
a knife waiting for someone to pick it up,
the sofa, exhausted with the exertion of a whore,
the phone
two flowers taking root in its crotch,
the doors
opening and closing like sea clams,
the lights
poking at me,
lighting up both the soil and the laugh.
The windows,
the starving windows
that drive the trees like nails into my heart.
Each day I feed the world out there
although birds explode
right and left.
I feed the world in here too,
offering the desk puppy biscuits.
However, nothing is just what it seems to be.
My objects dream and wear new costumes,
compelled to, it seems, by all the words in my hands
and the sea that bangs in my throat.
More...
Go To Complete Poem
- Stories 0
- Shares 22
- Favorited 2
- Votes 6
- Rating 4.33

3. My Repossessed Hope

Top 500 482
- By Evangeline King
- Published by Family Friend Poems January 16, 2023 with permission of the Author.
Gasping for air
I cling, I cling
to whatever's left
to anything

Gasping for air
I cling, I cling
to whatever's left
to anything

Walls closing in
room spins, room spins
Getting so dizzy
this ride needs to end

Fist hammers down
the pain, the pain
Sunshine is gone
There's nothing but rain

Fall to my knees
I cave, I cave
Tide swept me up
now I'm lost in the waves

Too tired to fight
Can't cope, can't cope
No way to regain
my repossessed hope
More...
Go To Complete Poem
- Stories 0
- Shares 44
- Favorited 3
- Votes 15
- Rating 4.67
4. Panic

I have suffered acute panic attacks. I've been wanting to write a descriptive poem, but have found it very hard to put into words.
- By Evangeline King
- Published by Family Friend Poems January 3, 2023 with permission of the Author.
Poem About What A Panic Attack Feels Like

One thousands beats per second
It hammers ‘gainst my chest
I feel it in my temples
Tonight there’ll be no rest

One thousands beats per second
It hammers ‘gainst my chest
I feel it in my temples
Tonight there’ll be no rest

Tortured is the breathing
Fast and shallow til it’s gone
Air that’s so elusive
In this fight to fill my lungs

A mind out of control
Thoughts will not be still
People think I’m crazy
Illusions can be real

Floating round in vertigo
Raw throat can’t make a sound
Get me off this ride!
The world keeps spinning round

Tiny little tremors
Turn to quakes beneath my skin
Every limb is shaking
It seems there’ll be no end

Then here comes the thoughts
Oh, the thoughts are just a beast!
Tumors, cancer, heart-attack
On lies this mind will feast

It’s when every little ache
And every little pain
Is blown out of proportion
Courtesy of my brain

I crawl into my shell awhile
Until this horror ends
Until the monster lets me go…
In panic’s grip again
More...
Go To Complete Poem
- Stories 0
- Shares 41
- Favorited 3
- Votes 6
- Rating 4.50

5. Lie Out Loud
- By Mark Bird
- Published by Family Friend Poems March 2022 with permission of the Author.
I cry alone
But dance in crowds
I whisper truth
But lie out loud

I cry alone
But dance in crowds
I whisper truth
But lie out loud

I hide my hope
But make believe
I dare to dream
But daren’t achieve

I lose my smile
But play at bliss
I take my aim
But often miss

I walk so weak
But fake my force
I proudly speak
But hear remorse

I scream inside
But battle brave
I delve down deep
But I’m not saved

I cry alone
But dance in crowds
I whisper truth
But lie out loud

More...
Go To Complete Poem
- Stories 2
- Shares 59
- Favorited 9
- Votes 28
- Rating 4.54
Featured Shared Story

I absolutely love this poem. I do like to over analyze some poetry, but this poem could mean so much. This poem really touched my heart. I know how it feels to be there but not actually be...

Read complete story

Touched by the poem? Share your story! (2)
6. Struggling To Breathe

This is a poem that I never finished writing. It was written during an episode of intense anxiety. I thank God that it passed, so I never finished writing it. I'm a religious teenage girl, so I reference God in most of my poems. If anyone can relate to any feelings that I've had, I hope this helps them.
- By Sima
- Published by Family Friend Poems April 2021 with permission of the Author.
Poem About Anxious Thoughts

I'm feeling so scared,
I can't breathe but I must.
Thinking so many thoughts,
Trying so hard to trust.

I'm feeling so scared,
I can't breathe but I must.
Thinking so many thoughts,
Trying so hard to trust.

These fears are irrational,
But I can't make them stop.
I just wish that they'd leave,
That my heart rate would drop.

I can't catch my breath,
My heart's running a race,
Against my emotions,
Struggling to keep pace.

I struggle to breathe,
But each sound makes it worse.
My world seems so dark,
I'm trying to reverse.

Away from the triggers,
Away from the pain,
All my muscles are tense,
Why can't it be explained?

There is no good reason,
But I can't press pause.
I don't think this is normal,
I can't find the cause.

God, I need you,
I can't live on my own
You're the only one who knows
Where my fears are sewn.

Why do they come?
What's the cause of this pain?
I want to let go,
But I can't just the same.

I try to calm down,
But my fears just won't quit.
I can't find air to breathe.
I'm stuck in this pit.
More...
Go To Complete Poem
- Stories 3
- Shares 1796
- Favorited 72
- Votes 352
- Rating 4.57
Featured Shared Story

I'm almost 58 & feel this way daily! I have severe PTSD from a life of every kind of abuse you can think of & many you can't. Have had chronic pain since 1998 (24/7!), Fibromyalgia, severe...

Read complete story

Touched by the poem? Share your story! (3)
7. Suicide Note

My poem is about my attempted suicide, which happened in 1996. I took 400 sleeping tablets and remained in a coma for 4 weeks. At the time, I was suffering from mental illness due to post traumatic stress disorder because my memories of being raped at nine years old were beginning to affect my ability to live a normal life. I became stuck in the psychiatric system for many years. My life became unrecognizable.
- By Stephen K. Treharne
- Published by Family Friend Poems April 2021 with permission of the Author.
Attempted Suicide

A tortured mind for twenty years,
now I write my final words of life.
Every line soaked with
sorrowed ink; I cannot hide how

A tortured mind for twenty years,
now I write my final words of life.
Every line soaked with
sorrowed ink; I cannot hide how
I feel about this maddening world.

Monsters raped me at the age of nine,
caged me like an animal, left to die.
My inner self all broken and twisted.
The child in me that day was destroyed.
I became the victim of innocence.

Crushed up pills smoothed into snow,
stirred slowly into sweet black coffee.
The final sip drips down my chin.
Tears splash on words of anger,
leaving stains of memory behind.

I look at the clock for one last time.
Early morning sun shines through the
bedroom window hugging my soul,
drifting towards the quiet light of belonging.
My eyes close, time begins to fade.

I woke up in a meadow full of honeybees.
My fingertips brushed through the morning dew,
as petrichor rose from the ground.
A stream flowed into the lily pond below.
dragonflies rested on the water's edge.

An unexpected touch on my shoulder,
I turned to see my grandfather.
"My dear child," he said, "you cannot stay here,
you have work to do." He kissed me on my head,
and said, "Goodbye, we will meet again one day."

Pure light pulled me back like gravity.
My eyes opened; doctors had saved my life.
Poison pumped from my empty stomach.
Every hole drowning with black charcoal.
The pain unbearable, I wanted to die again.

A voice whispered in my ear,
my lost mother said, "You are a survivor,
live your life, break the chains of your
shackled mind. Let peace enter your soul."
I found home that day, I was free, I was alive.
More...
Go To Complete Poem
- Stories 0
- Shares 144
- Favorited 23
- Votes 73
- Rating 4.60
8. Exhale Anxiety

Take a deep breath and exhale all that anxiety. I wrote the poem I needed to hear. My anxiety is still high. I’m going to write my way out. I hope this helps someone else dealing with it. Sending you peace and calm.
- By Raquel Franco
- Published by Family Friend Poems April 2021 with permission of the Author.
Embracing Calmness: A Poem For Anxiety Relief And Serenity

I send anxiety
a cease and desist letter.
I close her mouth.
Unbind her gnawing disquiet,

I send anxiety
a cease and desist letter.
I close her mouth.
Unbind her gnawing disquiet,
slow my train track heart.
I manifest settle,
a steady river in my veins.
I proclaim calm,
a relentless hymn on my tongue.
I end the riot in my chest
and exhale.
More...
Go To Complete Poem
- Stories 0
- Shares 24
- Favorited 4
- Votes 11
- Rating 4.36
9. Another Trigger

Anxiety can be debilitating and is on the rise. This poem is dedicated to my daughter. Her struggle is real but thankfully she is getting better.
- By Jim D. Prime
- Published by Family Friend Poems December 2020 with permission of the Author.
Living With Anxiety

A storm is coming, my chest is tightening and it's hard to breathe.
Like a giant noose, life is smothering me.
I would do anything to not feel this pain.
Make it stop, I want to laugh again.

A storm is coming, my chest is tightening and it's hard to breathe.
Like a giant noose, life is smothering me.
I would do anything to not feel this pain.
Make it stop, I want to laugh again.

The thought of being scared is so frightening.
Another trigger, it's happening again; is everyone watching?
Everything matters, nothing matters, my life will be ruined again.
Paralyzed, afraid to move, the walls are closing in.

Everyone has disappeared, they think I don't care.
Truth is I don't want to be alone; I am so scared.
Please be patient, I know I can be withdrawn.
I need all of you more than ever; I'm not really gone.

Grab my hand, I can feel the ground; please don't let go.
Having you with me helps more than you will ever know.
Let me talk, let me be silent, listen either way.
Thank you for understanding; I think I can make it another day
More...
Go To Complete Poem
- Stories 0
- Shares 450
- Favorited 32
- Votes 83
- Rating 4.48
10. I Don't Know

I was recently diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder, and it has been quite a struggle. I'm struggling to identify and express the intense emotions I feel. Sometimes it's frustrating because I don't know my triggers. Not only do I suffer from BPD, but I also struggle with depression and anxiety. It's very lonely, so I turn to writing as my sense of comfort.
- By Kayla L. Jenkins
- Published by Family Friend Poems September 2020 with permission of the Author.
Struggling To Express Intense Feelings

I don't know how to tell you I'm afraid without feeling weak.
I don't know how to tell you I'm hurting and how I wish this pain would cease.
I don't know how to tell you I'm lonely without feeling incomplete.
I don't know how to tell you I'm tired and how I wish this burden would decrease.

I don't know how to tell you I'm afraid without feeling weak.
I don't know how to tell you I'm hurting and how I wish this pain would cease.
I don't know how to tell you I'm lonely without feeling incomplete.
I don't know how to tell you I'm tired and how I wish this burden would decrease.

I don't know how to tell you I'm angry without feeling guilty.
I don't know how to tell you I'm exhausted and how I wish to find some release.
I don't know how to tell you I'm confused without feeling lost.
I don't know how to tell you I'm devastated and how I wish to find inner peace.

I don't know how to tell you I'm breaking without feeling broken.
I don't know how to tell you I'm sinking and how I wish this storm would cease.
I don't know how to tell you how all these emotions overtake me.
I just pray you hear the words I attempt to speak.
More...
Go To Complete Poem
- Stories 0
- Shares 216
- Favorited 30
- Votes 38
- Rating 4.29
11. Love Is Patient

When you suffer from depression and anxiety, it makes life hard and love even harder. Your life is a mess and you can barely deal with it. You don't think you'll ever find true love. Then suddenly you do. This poem is relating to how you know you have "the one."
- By Haileigh B. Johnston
- Published by Family Friend Poems June 2020 with permission of the Author.
Poem About Loving Someone With Anxiety And Depression

You tell me every day
How much I mean to you.
Now it's time for me to say
What I know is absolutely true.

You tell me every day
How much I mean to you.
Now it's time for me to say
What I know is absolutely true.

I know how much you love me
And just how much you care.
You don't always have to say it
Because you do just by being there.

I know you really worry
Every time my mood seems to change.
I want you and only you,
No matter how often I act strange.

I may not have life figured out,
But trust me, that's okay.
Because with you, no matter what,
I have the strength to make it through each day.

You love me on my bad days
More than you do the good ones.
You love me more when you've had enough
And think that you should run.

You always know when to hold me down
But never hold me back.
I know I fail at tasks a lot,
But you always pick up the slack.

Don't ever doubt yourself
On if what you're doing is right.
Just know that I am so thankful
To have a man like you in my life.

I know I'm not always the best
When it comes to getting things done,
But that is why I have you
And how I know you are the one.
More...
Go To Complete Poem
- Stories 0
- Shares 5326
- Favorited 94
- Votes 473
- Rating 4.61
12. Life Behind The Mask

I have suffered from a mental illness for a long time after suffering abuse as a child. My life hasn't been easy and neither has my battle with my illness. I've written this poem, as I know a lot of people suffering with mental illness will be able to relate. I want people to know they are not alone and to spread awareness of something that is still quite a taboo subject. For us suffering, the struggle is real.
Warning - this poem references self-harm/suicide attempts.
- By Louise
- Published by Family Friend Poems June 2020 with permission of the Author.
The Struggle Of Living With Mental Illness

Deep inside her mind,
Behind a picture-perfect smile,
Lies a desolate, lonely place
She hasn't visited for a while.

Deep inside her mind,
Behind a picture-perfect smile,
Lies a desolate, lonely place
She hasn't visited for a while.

A place of worst nightmares
Where her demons lie in wait.
Their armour made of trauma,
memories she cannot shake.

Last time she was trapped there,
Equipped with razors and a knife,
She overdosed on tablets
And almost took her life.

For in this place there is no daylight,
And all her hope is gone.
Her eyes blind to any joy,
Even her own daughter and little son.

Nobody knows her struggles.
If only they would ask.
She didn't have to fight this alone
And hide behind a mask.

But she found the strength to leave
And journey onto the path to light,
Finding her hope along the way
While she regained her sight.

And it's sad, for she had done well
She had already made it so far.
Months with no self-injury.
Her cuts reduced to scars.

The clouds began to darken.
Harsh words pushing her back.
The light and hope began to dim
As she went backwards along the path.

And she tried so hard to fight,
To keep going forward, not back,
But the harsh words kept coming
As she put back on her mask.

Her fear began to return
As that dark place came into sight.
Her strength weakened by the day.
She was once again losing her fight.

And she didn't know how to stop it.
Her energy plummeted to the ground.
She screamed and shouted for help,
But nobody heard a sound.

She's now on the edge of the dark,
Again holding the razors and knife.
Please, someone help her; she's scared.
She doesn't want to lose her life.
More...
Go To Complete Poem
- Stories 1
- Shares 188
- Favorited 21
- Votes 50
- Rating 4.38
Featured Shared Story

I related so much to this poem. As a middle school girl, this line from the poem, "Nobody knows her struggles. If only they would ask. She didn't have to fight this alone and hide behind a...

Read complete story

Touched by the poem? Share your story! (1)
13. Finding A Voice

This poem is about my experience with an eating disorder from when it took over my mind to when I recovered -- this was six years, from when I was 12 to 18. The poem is a raw depiction of some of the struggles that I had emotionally, in particular the scared child that I was, being controlled by the much stronger voice of my eating disorder. Being unable to talk about and express what was happening and how I felt was one of the worst things about it, so I have tried to express that through my poem.
- By Emily E. Williams
- Published by Family Friend Poems May 2020 with permission of the Author.
Recovery From An Eating Disorder

I scream, yet I am not heard.
I try to talk, but my mouth won't open.
I am not myself anymore,
but I can tell that to no one.

I scream, yet I am not heard.
I try to talk, but my mouth won't open.
I am not myself anymore,
but I can tell that to no one.

It talks through my mouth
And always shouts and screams.
It tells me I'm not good enough
and stamps on all my dreams.

It tears me from my loved ones
and rips their hearts in two,
for they think that I'm dying,
but it says that that's not true.

They say I'm in denial,
but it says there's nothing wrong,
I'm so confused and lost.
I feel like I don't belong.

It's a part of me now.
I know I'm never alone,
for it's always there with me,
even when I'm on my own.

But life doesn't feel worth living,
and I just want to cry.
I want to be myself again,
But it's too difficult to try.

I let it control me now,
as it has stuck to me.
Although it lies to everyone,
I know I can never be free.

But as the months go by,
I know that I'm growing weak,
and at the rate I'm going,
my future is looking bleak.

My friends talk to me,
and I just want to reply,
but it tells them that I'm okay,
and I know that it's a lie.

I start to think that maybe
everyone might have been right,
but it tells me that they're lying,
and I am filled with fright.

I don't want to die,
but I'm terrified I might.
No one else can save me.
It's me who has to fight.

But I still cannot talk,
as it controls my mind,
so I just keep on lying,
leaving my friends behind.

I cannot fight the voice,
for it's far too strong,
I don't know who I am without it.
It's been in my head for too long.

I'm trapped in my own head,
but I know I must resist,
for if I keep believing it,
I will not to exist.

No doctor is lying to me,
no loved one wants me to die,
but it is controlling me
and making me constantly lie.

I know the truth
somewhere inside of me,
and all I can do now
is resist that voice daily.

It's tough to fight the voice
every single day.
But I know it's best for me.
I want to be okay.

The road is long and winding,
and the battle is uphill,
but recovery is the only way out,
as eating disorders can kill.

I am myself again now,
after many years,
and while it is still present,
I do not listen to its jeers.

My life is for me to live,
not to just survive.
Beating my eating disorder
was the only way to thrive.

Recovery is possible.
You can fight the voice.
You can regain control.
Recovery is your choice.
More...
Go To Complete Poem
- Stories 0
- Shares 420
- Favorited 34
- Votes 66
- Rating 4.70
14. Unclear

This poem was written during my rock bottom. I was going through a divorce and dealing with the death of my sister. I did not see a light at the end of the tunnel. I lost myself in the midst of the emotional chaos.
- By Catherine Lamberton
- Published by Family Friend Poems May 2020 with permission of the Author.
Feeling Lost And Unsure Of Who You Are

Never knowing,
Always seeking
happiness and approval,
even the words I am speaking.

Never knowing,
Always seeking
happiness and approval,
even the words I am speaking.

Constantly doubting
my choices, my actions.
Succumbing to fixes,
for temporary satisfaction.

Overwhelming anxiety,
illuminated by fear,
controlling my life.
Who I'm becoming is unclear.
More...
Go To Complete Poem
- Stories 1
- Shares 119
- Favorited 23
- Votes 30
- Rating 4.43
Featured Shared Story

For those who are unfamiliar with mental illness in all its varied forms, this is a good place to start sharing Catherine, as it's no longer a marginal disease. My son introduced me 20 years...

Read complete story

Touched by the poem? Share your story! (1)
15. Just Wait For The Sun

My poem is about holding on for better days and waiting for the bad times to pass. With all the sad news recently about Caroline Flack and mental health/suicide awareness being so prevalent in the news, this poem is just trying to say please don't think things will always be this bad. Please don't give up. You are not alone. It is a plea to anyone who might ever feel like there is nothing left to live for.

Top 100 100
- By Lisa Marks
- Published by Family Friend Poems March 2020 with permission of the Author.
Poem About Better Days Will Come

When everything's darkness
And you feel so alone,
When the rain doesn't stop
And you can't make it home,

When everything's darkness
And you feel so alone,
When the rain doesn't stop
And you can't make it home,
When it feels all is lost
And you just want to run,
It can't rain forever.
Just wait for the sun.

When family is pain,
When friends can't be found,
When you just want to scream
But you can't find the sound,
When it's all your fault,
And you feel like you're done,
Just wait for the sun.
The sunshine will come.

The storm always passes.
It won't last forever.
The rain always stops and gives way to good weather.
The brightest and warmest of days still to come.
Please wait for the sun.
The sunshine will come.

People who need you,
People who still love you
Can warm up your soul like the sunshine above you.
You're never alone,
No matter what's done.
Wait for the sun.
Just wait for the sun.

Dark clouds always pass.
I promise you, hun.
We're all waiting with you.
Just wait for the sun.
More...
Go To Complete Poem
- Stories 19
- Shares 14027
- Favorited 158
- Votes 1821
- Rating 4.55
Featured Shared Story

Wow! This is an amazing poem! I love how the poem just flows and makes so much of sense. Thanks for sharing this beautiful poem. I know you posted this like 2 years ago but I hope you're...

Read complete story

Touched by the poem? Share your story! (19)
16. Where Am I?

I suffer from anxiety and depression, so I thought I would put some of my feeling into this poem. I have friends who suffer from this also and say they can relate. I would love to hear if you feel like you can relate to this feeling also. Thanks for reading.
- By Christine G. McCloskey
- Published by Family Friend Poems October 2019 with permission of the Author.
Anxiety And Depression

Is there anyone there
to help me see,
help me remember,
remember to be me?

Is there anyone there
to help me see,
help me remember,
remember to be me?

For I feel like now
I am someone else,
and I need some help
to find myself.

Sometimes my thoughts
might drift away
with the empty look
I may portray.

You think I'm doing nothing,
but I'm doing my best
to put my busy mind
to rest.

Always so tired
trying to find the strength
and keeping my loved ones
at arm's-length.

Never wanting
my family to see
that a once happy woman
has turned into me.
More...
Go To Complete Poem
- Stories 3
- Shares 1897
- Favorited 67
- Votes 316
- Rating 4.55
Featured Shared Story

I am 13 years old and I have anxiety and depression. Being a teenage girl is scary enough. Imagine sitting in bed every night rethinking your whole life and worrying about things that don't...

Read complete story

Touched by the poem? Share your story! (3)
17. The Fire

I cope with my anxiety and depression by writing. Enjoy.
- By Sarah Gray
- Published by Family Friend Poems February 2019 with permission of the Author.
Poem About Anxiety

The fire that rages
from within my rib cage is
weakening the bones
that should make me strong.

The fire that rages
from within my rib cage is
weakening the bones
that should make me strong.
The feeling creeps for every dark place.
It fills up my head; it's invading my space.
It's melting me from inside; I think I'm burning up.
I can't breathe or move or talk. I'm hopelessly stuck.
As people pass by, they give no second glance.
I cry out for help; this is my chance.
The fire claws at my throat; it's burning my tongue.
I think it's too late for help; the damage is done.
I down some water, which brings calmness and peace.
The fire has settled for a minute, at least.
Eventually it's burning as hot as before.
The fire rages back up from my very core.
The fire inside is one you can't see.
The fire inside, it's my anxiety.
More...
Go To Complete Poem
- Stories 0
- Shares 476
- Favorited 27
- Votes 80
- Rating 4.39
18. The Night Is The Hardest

I suffer with anxiety and depression. During the nighttime these conditions worsen. During a particularly bad night I wrote how I was feeling to deal with these issues.
- By Jessica Sturgeon
- Published by Family Friend Poems October 2018 with permission of the Author.
Anxiety And Depression From The Nighttime

Feelings of unrelenting sorrow and fear wash over me like a wave crashing on a shore,
Painful nostalgia for younger days and panic for the ones to come,
Reminiscing on days and feelings I can never get back,
Needing to feel close to someone to pull me back from this ledge,

Feelings of unrelenting sorrow and fear wash over me like a wave crashing on a shore,
Painful nostalgia for younger days and panic for the ones to come,
Reminiscing on days and feelings I can never get back,
Needing to feel close to someone to pull me back from this ledge,
Overwhelming anxiety and fear.
The moon and the stars do not provide enough light for this darkness in my mind.
Hope drains from my soul.
I can remember good times and laughter, but this makes it worse.
I can see these times, but I cannot touch them.
I am running for a light even though I cannot yet see one.
The night is the hardest.
More...
Go To Complete Poem
- Stories 0
- Shares 873
- Favorited 31
- Votes 128
- Rating 4.53
19. The Monster

I have struggled with anxiety for as long as I can remember. In April of this past year (2018) I landed myself in the psych ward after giving myself third degree burns. This poem explains some of my story--where I've been, the paths I've walked, and the new life I've stumbled upon.

Top 500 259
- By Olivia M Likens
- Published by Family Friend Poems September 2018 with permission of the Author.
Poem About Fighting Through Anxiety

Dear Anxiety,

When they ask me what I am afraid of,
I lie.

Dear Anxiety,

When they ask me what I am afraid of,
I lie.

I can never expose you,
never tell the truth about you
for fear of speaking you into existence.
You are my punisher and my captor,
my tormentor, my torturer.
You are the little voice inside of my head
telling me bad, bad things to do to myself,
things I can't talk about
for fear I'll forget who I am and turn into you.

You tell me we are one and the same, but I am not you.
I would never hurt a child the way you have hurt me.
I would never tell a young girl she is unlovable,
or fat,
or ugly,
or crazy,
or worthless.

I would never tell her to carve ugly, terrible words into her body,
to hold a flame to her skin,
until she has burned herself so badly that the pain goes out like a light
and her nerves are dead,
just like she should be.

I don't know why I listen to you
when you force me to my knees in front of the toilet.
When you send me running around the house in a panic,
searching in vain for a pencil sharpener I haven't already dismantled.
When you tell me the closest to love
I will ever come is sending naked pictures of myself
to disgusting hunters of young prey.

But I am not afraid of them.
I am afraid of the shadows of my mind
of the twisted and warped reality I am living in.

And I scream, because it is all in my head.
I scream because none of it is real.
I scream because you are clawing your way up my throat,
stealing my voice, gouging out my eyes, eating away at the lining of my stomach,
turning my bones to jello and my hair to dust,
destroying, destroying, destroying, destroying, destroying, destroying.

ENOUGH.

I have had ENOUGH. I am not you.
I never was.
I never will be.
This is only a body, and you are only a feeling, and I will rise above.

I am above this, above you, above my thoughts, above it all.
And I will survive.
And I will love me.
And I will not let go.

Sincerely,
Olivia
More...
Go To Complete Poem
- Stories 10
- Shares 6582
- Favorited 180
- Votes 1369
- Rating 4.72
Featured Shared Story

I am a person with worry, fear, doubt, and with grace. I worry for those who will be hurt by me, those who will be disappointed in me, those who will care for me but leave me, and those who I...

Read complete story

Touched by the poem? Share your story! (10)
20. Puppet

To me this poem represents being controlled by something you can't overcome. For example people dealing with mental health issues. You entire life is eaten by this power and despite your efforts you can't make it any easier. I think it's one of the hardest things to experience and saddest things to watch happen to someone else. So the puppet is you and the disease, addiction, person whatever it may be is what's controlling you.
- By Katie Q. McKee
- Published by Family Friend Poems July 2018 with permission of the Author.
Feeling Helpless

The despair that holds her back tugs on her heartstrings
But like a puppet she will obediently play along

She was once optimistic and filled with joy

The despair that holds her back tugs on her heartstrings
But like a puppet she will obediently play along

She was once optimistic and filled with joy
But that way of life soon came to an end
Her mind was used as a distorted decoy
The distraction that consumed her entire world

She wanted something to change
It didn't matter if that were good or bad
She wished she could take a stand
And sometimes imagined that she had

Under the influence of a higher strength
She patiently waited untouched
Looking to anyone for the answers
With the piece of hope that she clutched

Was she weak or a diamond in the ruff?
Passing her by without looking twice
She knew this life would be tough
But she never got to roll the dice

Succumbed to her controller, she falls short
This won't be her last match
The strength she's building inside will be enough
To make that final catch

The thin, torn strings are starting to break
Soon the puppet will be free of the ache
More...
Go To Complete Poem
- Stories 1
- Shares 171
- Favorited 20
- Votes 36
- Rating 4.31
Featured Shared Story

The puppet was me. I still feel like that sometimes. Last year I had to break the strings. I was in an 8 year relationships. I was his puppet. Whatever he said to do, I had to do it or he...

Read complete story

Touched by the poem? Share your story! (1)

1 - 20 of 53

Mental Illness Poems

Poems about Mental Health

53 Poems about Anxiety and Panic Disorders

1. Hello, I Love You, Goodbye

2. The Room Of My Life

3. My Repossessed Hope

4. Panic

I have suffered acute panic attacks. I've been wanting to write a descriptive poem, but have found it very hard to put into words.

5. Lie Out Loud

6. Struggling To Breathe

7. Suicide Note

8. Exhale Anxiety

Take a deep breath and exhale all that anxiety. I wrote the poem I needed to hear. My anxiety is still high. I’m going to write my way out. I hope this helps someone else dealing with it. Sending you peace and calm.

9. Another Trigger

Anxiety can be debilitating and is on the rise. This poem is dedicated to my daughter. Her struggle is real but thankfully she is getting better.

10. I Don't Know

11. Love Is Patient

When you suffer from depression and anxiety, it makes life hard and love even harder. Your life is a mess and you can barely deal with it. You don't think you'll ever find true love. Then suddenly you do. This poem is relating to how you know you have "the one."

12. Life Behind The Mask

13. Finding A Voice

14. Unclear

This poem was written during my rock bottom. I was going through a divorce and dealing with the death of my sister. I did not see a light at the end of the tunnel. I lost myself in the midst of the emotional chaos.

15. Just Wait For The Sun

16. Where Am I?

I suffer from anxiety and depression, so I thought I would put some of my feeling into this poem. I have friends who suffer from this also and say they can relate. I would love to hear if you feel like you can relate to this feeling also. Thanks for reading.

17. The Fire

I cope with my anxiety and depression by writing. Enjoy.

18. The Night Is The Hardest

I suffer with anxiety and depression. During the nighttime these conditions worsen. During a particularly bad night I wrote how I was feeling to deal with these issues.

19. The Monster

I have struggled with anxiety for as long as I can remember. In April of this past year (2018) I landed myself in the psych ward after giving myself third degree burns. This poem explains some of my story--where I've been, the paths I've walked, and the new life I've stumbled upon.

20. Puppet