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

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1. 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.

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- 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.
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2. Mysterious Pain

I have struggled with anxiety for many years. It is such an awful thing, and for people who don't have any idea what it is like, it is hard for them to understand. They think that you can just pull yourself out of it. One day I was so anxious and overwhelmed by these feelings, and I started to write. This is what came to me. For any of you who struggle with this, you are not alone. I hope that you will somehow learn to overcome it. Unfortunately, I have not, but I will never give up hope.

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- By Peggy Stewart
- Published by Family Friend Poems July 2011 with permission of the Author.
Poem About Anxiety Disorder

With her head hung low
and nowhere to go,

she can't explain

With her head hung low
and nowhere to go,

she can't explain
this mysterious pain.

It comes on so fast.
How long will it last?

Her heart is just pounding; her head starts to spin.
Please go away; she does not want you in.

She's uncontrollably crying.
It feels like she's dying.

Her body is trembling; her hands start to shake.
She feels so helpless with this horrible ache.

Someone, please help her; make this go away.
She can't stand to feel this way one more day.

Someone, please help her; she's down on her knees.
She's scared and helpless and hopes no one sees.

With her head hung low,
not knowing where to go,

she tries to explain
this mysterious pain.
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3. Broken

Suffering from PTSD can be difficult at times. It takes a special kind of person to understand how to handle someone who tends to fall into "a dark place" and re-lives traumatic experiences. Lucky for me, I found that person almost 7 years ago and am so grateful to have him at my side when I need him the most. Thank you for loving me and never feeling that I'm just too broken!
- By Tonya
- Published by Family Friend Poems April 2015 with permission of the Author.
Poem About Loving Someone With PTSD

If I turned around and walked away, would you notice I'm gone?
Would you even care?
When you look at me, do you see the smile on my face,
Or do you see the tears I fight to hold inside?

If I turned around and walked away, would you notice I'm gone?
Would you even care?
When you look at me, do you see the smile on my face,
Or do you see the tears I fight to hold inside?
Do you see a strong, willful woman I portray,
Or the scared little girl who never quite goes away?
If I broke down and lost all control,
Would you know how to handle me,
Would you hold me 'til I stop shaking,
Kiss away all of my tears?
Would you know how to lift me up
From a place far below recognition?
You see a sexy, loving woman,
But I'm so much more.
I'm sad,
I'm lonely,
I'm unpredictable,
I'm broken,
I'm irrational,
I'm complicated.
You say you want me,
But you don't even know.
You see who I let you see,
Who I've always let you see,
But what about the real me,
The everyday me?
The girl who never seems to get anything right
The one who could break down at any given moment
And have no clue why?
I try so hard to fight away my doubts.
For a while they bury themselves away,
So far away that I think they're gone forever,
But I guess nothing lasts forever,
Because the pain and tears always find their way back to me.
Can you handle me,
Can you handle ALL of me?
Am I worth the time?
Do you really love me enough
To stand by me through all my troubles,
Or am I just too broken for you?
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Beautifully written right from the heart. Carry on telling people how you feel; don't keep things bottled up like my son did. Unfortunately, he's no longer with us. See my poem, "Jonathan's...

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4. Another Breakdown

This poem is about breaking down after you hold onto pain for way too long and then it finally just escapes you.

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- By Shaydee A. Ault
- Published by Family Friend Poems April 2018 with permission of the Author.
Poem: Experiencing A Mental Breakdown

It's hard when you're always lying,
Always hiding the way you feel.
Losing your sight on truthful words,
Forgetting what is real.

It's hard when you're always lying,
Always hiding the way you feel.
Losing your sight on truthful words,
Forgetting what is real.

It's hard when you forget to laugh
And you're scared that someone might see.
Hoping no one saw your face,
As you struggle to remember how to breathe.

It's hard to pretend you're happy,
And you're terrified someone might ask.
It's becoming harder every day;
It's becoming quite a task.

You feel when your body shakes,
As it searches for something to hold.
Though the temperature feels hot,
Your heart and mind feel cold.

Your throat feels like it's closing,
And your legs feel like they're weak.
You try your hardest to grasp a breath,
But there's not even enough to speak.

Your hands remain unsteady,
And your heart pounds like a drum,
And even though you can barely walk,
You fight the urge to run.

You scream as the world starts spinning,
And your knees drop straight to the ground.
You realize in that moment
You're just having another breakdown.
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5. Panic Attack

My name is Brittany, and I suffer from panic disorder, which stops me from doing regular things. I can't go into a store or car, for example, without having a panic attack. I write a lot of poetry so I thought I'd share this with you describing how I feel when I have one.
- By Brittany
- Published by Family Friend Poems July 2011 with permission of the Author.
Closing in all around me,
a fear I can't describe.
All shaky and confused,
I think I'm going to die.

Closing in all around me,
a fear I can't describe.
All shaky and confused,
I think I'm going to die.

Thoughts so unsettling
are blocking everyone's attempts.
When all they try is to help me,
I can't make sense of this.

My heart hurts,
my head hurts,
and crying about it
only makes it worse.

Nobody can ever
truly understand,
and unless you've gone through it,
you wouldn't stand a chance.

It's just anxiety,
another day of black.
You must think that I'm crazy.
It's just another panic attack.
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I'm Rose, I'm only 14, and have suffered from severe anxiety and social anxiety since I was around 10. For the past 2 years I've suffered from depression, this poem literally lit up my heart....

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6. The Ruse

No one can truly understand depression unless you either live with it or love someone who lives with it. This poem is dedicated to my beautiful daughter who has been suffering from depression for so long I don't remember when she wasn't depressed. All I can do is try and love her through her pain...
- By Annabel Sheila
- Published by Family Friend Poems July 2008 with permission of the Author.
Poem Unmasking The Hidden Struggle Of Depression

She's beauty, style, poise and grace,
At least she appears to be.
But no one knows the girl who hides
Behind the face they see.

She's beauty, style, poise and grace,
At least she appears to be.
But no one knows the girl who hides
Behind the face they see.

Her self-esteem is all but gone,
Of her ego there's barely a trace.
There's so much pain behind the mask
She wears upon her face.

Depression has controlled her life
With far too many tears.
Her smile is fake; she's good at it;
She's been doing it for years.

The cover is what attracts us
To the story within the book.
And she's afraid that without the ruse,
No one would bother to look.
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I myself have a daughter that is now going to be 26 in a little over a month. She doesn't leave the house at all, she comes to my house and to her Dr's appointments but not by choice. They...

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7. 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.

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- 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
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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...

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8. Signed, Your Mind

I have been struggling with depression, generalized anxiety disorder, and panic disorder for about a year and a half now. My poem is from the point of view of your mind, because with these mental illnesses, you're in constant battles with what's going on in your head. I want to spread awareness and erase the stigma attached to mental illness.

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- By Emma
- Published by Family Friend Poems December 2015 with permission of the Author.
Poem About Anxiety And Panic Disorder

Get dressed, love.
You're going to be late.
You look at yourself in the mirror,
The one you really hate.

Get dressed, love.
You're going to be late.
You look at yourself in the mirror,
The one you really hate.

Put it down, love.
It's caused you so much pain.
You're going to do damage.
You don't want to be called insane.

Stand up, love.
Your tears make you weak.
Wipe off that black mascara,
Proof of sadness upon your cheek.

Take your pills, love.
You must try your very best.
Forget about your dizzy spells,
The tightening in your chest.

Chin up, love.
No one can know your thoughts.
You must act like you're happy
While your heart just sits and rots.

Smile a little, love.
Let me see those pearly whites.
No one has to know
What you thought about all those nights.

Breathe for me, love.
Your pain won't be forever.
Take my hand, and I'll take yours.
We'll get through this together.
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I'm a 15-year-old female who was diagnosed with general anxiety disorder and severe depression two years ago. I love the way this poem expresses how I feel almost every day. It's hard to get...

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9. Life Is An Illusion

Suicide has always been a haunting ghost in my mind. An easy way out or great escape? I have battled the fight most of my life. I actually wrote this after cutting my wrist in a mental hospital. But it has become one of my favorites. Mainly because I was willing to take my last breath but instead was given more life. It isn't intended to promote suicide but to give insight into the mind of someone who has contemplated it. Good vs evil. Heaven and hell. Giving up or pushing forward.
- By Trisha
- Published by Family Friend Poems July 2015 with permission of the Author.
Poem About Giving Up Or Pushing Forward

Surrounded by people yet all alone
Trapped within this solitary zone
A world where chaos and hate overtake
Every bit of happiness that may try to escape

Surrounded by people yet all alone
Trapped within this solitary zone
A world where chaos and hate overtake
Every bit of happiness that may try to escape
Laughter and smiles never seem to last
Because I am haunted by memories of my past
Running the distance with nowhere to go
These are the days of my life, a Broadway show
Screaming for help, does anyone hear
The demons of death are coming so near
Echoes in my head tormenting me all day long
Breaking the woman who was once very strong
What does serenity mean anyway
Is it the swag in my step or just the words I say
Deep rooted evil no time for a soul mate
Wondering why joy is always a day late
Suicide is the easy answer many times I've tried
Happiness seems to be the tears I have cried
Unable to distinguish what's real from what's fiction
Hope is an illusion, an optimist's prediction
What will it take to get me right
A visit from the devil on a lonely night
Angels prepare to battle and take a stand
To remind me of their holy land
When I want to give up, they push for me to be strong
In my head I hear their harmonious song
A tranquil state I now find myself
Dealing with the hand in which I was dealt
Good vs evil, what does it really mean
Am I dirty when I appear to be clean
Life is an illusion a constant mind trick on me
Who knows what my fate will be
Heaven and hell are both fair game
Will I succumb to peace or fall down in shame
Surrounded by people yet all alone
Trapped within this solitary zone
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10. Little Schizophrenic Girl

I've been to the mental hospital on five different occasions. I believe the third or fourth time I met the girl I wrote this poem about. I'm not sure we ever spoke verbally, but like those of us who are mentally ill, her eyes communicated what her voice could not.
- By Brian E Pardee
- Published by Family Friend Poems September 2016 with permission of the Author.
A Girl I Met At The Mental Hospital

Little Schizophrenic Girl, heavily medicated so she can't feel the pain.
She will never leave that hospital, never again feel snow or rain.

Tears rolled down my cheek the very first time I looked into her blue eyes.

Little Schizophrenic Girl, heavily medicated so she can't feel the pain.
She will never leave that hospital, never again feel snow or rain.

Tears rolled down my cheek the very first time I looked into her blue eyes.
3 a.m. she's in the hallway hugging an old woman while she cries.

The mental hospital is a holding cell for God's rejects,
A place you will feel nothing but sadness and neglect.

Only 17 years old, a beautiful young girl so sweet and innocent,
Doing life for a crime she didn't commit, there was no sin committed to repent.

Just the way things are, that was 11 years ago and it still hurts me.
A wonderful heart with a tortured mind, something I wish I didn't see.

It still weighs heavy on my heart, it still makes me cry.
I can't forget the sadness I felt the first time I looked into her glassy eyes.

I'm not sure she knew where she was, never be someone's girlfriend or wife,
'Cause she'll never leave that wing of the mental hospital; she'll never experience life.

How can the hospital workers have the strength to do that job?
They're trying to help the cursed, while other lazy people steal and rob.

She barely ate, the medication took away her sense of taste.
I don't think she even knew where she was; counseling sessions were a waste.

A living, breathing, caring heart, a mind with no thoughts like she's brain dead.
The emotions were unbearable, never comprehended a word she said.

Don't worry, you'll feel bliss in heaven, because you were tortured in this world.
I'm still praying for you, Little Schizophrenic Girl.
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It's so true. My daughter had 28 hospital admissions in her short battle with mental illness. I lived through as much of those 13 years as I could as I couldn't abandon her or stop hoping for...

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11. Internal War

This poem is very personal to me and was inspired by the everyday struggles of having a mental illness, specifically anxiety and depression. Having worked in mental hospitals, I know I am not alone in this. Every day is a battle, but every day is also a win to be proud of.
- By Laura Campbell
- Published by Family Friend Poems June 2014 with permission of the Author.
The Everyday Struggle With Mental Illness

Every day is war to me,
A struggle to obtain reality.
A shower, my make-up, putting on my shoes.
It's hard to see the point some days,

Every day is war to me,
A struggle to obtain reality.
A shower, my make-up, putting on my shoes.
It's hard to see the point some days,
And no one has a clue.

I have been deemed so many things
By those who wouldn't know.
High maintenance, a worrier,
A girl putting on a show.

I've been trained to feel unworthy,
Ugly and hard to love.
The pills, they make me tired,
But I get by just enough.

Sometimes I feel that I'm one mistake away
From losing all I've suffered for.
While every day is a success,
I am tired of my war.
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I think this poem was a very good insight into what it is like to have anxiety, I am currently having an attack now and it is nice to have proof that I am not alone. Most of my friends don't...

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12. Dad

I wrote this poem when I was upset with my dad. He didn't understand that I was trying my best not to have another panic attack, and when I did, I tried as hard as I could to come out of it. But he didn't understand. He didn't see my point.
- By Sami Chester
- Published by Family Friend Poems July 2011 with permission of the Author.
Poem Explaining Panic Attacks Are Real

I know you may not think so,
But I'm trying really hard.
I don't do it on purpose.
I did not pick this card.

I know you may not think so,
But I'm trying really hard.
I don't do it on purpose.
I did not pick this card.

I'm trying my very best
To get this hurtle jumped,
But no one else is there
To help me out of this slump.

I don't know what you want from me.
Give me a hint or clue.
Please give me a sign.
I don't know what to do.

If you only knew
How much I struggle in this war,
Maybe you would be there
To pick me up off the floor.

It's time to stop pretending,
Time to open up your eyes,
To give me a hand
Instead of looks and sighs.

It's not that I don't love you,
And it's not that I don't care.
The fact is I need help too;
I need somebody there.
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13. Panic Disorder

Just wrote how I felt when I have a panic attack.
- By Brittany
- Published by Family Friend Poems July 2011 with permission of the Author.
Tightness in my chest.
I can't breathe.
The only time I can escape
is when I fall asleep.

Tightness in my chest.
I can't breathe.
The only time I can escape
is when I fall asleep.

Constant nausea,
constant fear.
How did this happen,
knowing I'm safe here?

It's a constant worry
another will strike.
I worry about it all the time.
It makes me lose my appetite.

My sight darkens,
my life flashes.
My worries control my thoughts,
my heart crashes and burns to ashes.

You have no idea what it's like
to live one day in my shoes.
Maybe if you did,
you wouldn't judge me as you do.
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I am 13 years old, but I've gone through so much, well I believe I have at least. All my life I've grown up with harsh punishments, including intense beatings using belts, bamboo, and my...

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14. Breathe

This poem is about my experience with anxiety and how I am still trying to breathe and work through the hard times. I know there are people out there with experiences like mine, and I hope this poem will help people know they are not alone.

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- By Tiffaney L. Ganci
- Published by Family Friend Poems April 2018 with permission of the Author.
Living With Anxiety

Panic, worry, darkness closing in around me.
These are some of the words I could use to describe my anxiety,
but nothing I can say could speak of its entirety,
as I cry internally thinking I've lost my sanity.

Panic, worry, darkness closing in around me.
These are some of the words I could use to describe my anxiety,
but nothing I can say could speak of its entirety,
as I cry internally thinking I've lost my sanity.

Doctors, counselors, saying there's something wrong with me.
My parents telling me to calm down and stop being so crazy.
But how can I calm down when the world around me
is spinning out of control and I can barely see?

Breathe. You will get through this.

You will get through the sleepless nights,
all the internal fights,
and the days that seem right
when the world hits you with all its might.

Breathe. You will get through this.

I know you think I'm overreacting about the silliest little things,
but to me those silly little things seem like the doom the world could bring.
Can't you see, a spilled glass of milk to you can seems like an earthquake to me.

I know it might be hard to understand my anxiety,
but I hope today I have given you some clarity.

So the next time someone is scared and feels like they can't breathe,
shaking and crying, unable to see,
don't tell them they're overreacting; don't call them crazy.
Help them realize there is more to life than this misery,
and no matter the doubt inside, they will be who they are meant to be.

Breathe. I will get through this.

Because I know I am more than just my anxiety,
and one day I hope to be free of it entirely.
But until then, I will keep telling myself, quietly,
I am stronger than this. I am stronger than my anxiety.
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I completely understand you. Whenever I go to the doctor, they say nothing's wrong. But the truth is, it feels like everything is wrong. And it hurts so much, anxiety.

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15. Anxiety

I'm 20 years old and have been suffering from anxiety and social anxiety for seven years. It has affected my life in such a way that I cannot make friends, drive, or have a job. I graduated home school in 2012 because public school was just too much for me. Every day I struggle to date, I struggle to breathe, I struggle to have a life beyond the bed and couch. I take Prozac, and I see a therapist, but sometimes even their motivation isn't enough.
- By Kristal McDolgle
- Published by Family Friend Poems September 2015 with permission of the Author.
Poem About Social Anxiety

Anxiety,
I'm miserable because of you,
making plans and not following through.

Anxiety,
I'm miserable because of you,
making plans and not following through.

You have me feeling as though I am alone.
I don't feel safe unless I'm at home.

I see a stranger on the street,
want to say hi but too scared to speak.

What are they staring at?
Something must be wrong...
Is there a stain on my shirt?
Is my nose too long?

I'm shaking, find an exit, I must retreat!
Here they come! Here they come!
Quick, I must flee!

People keep telling me that I am fine
but I am not,
not in my mind.

A lump in my throat makes it so hard to swallow.
Pains in my chest consume me with sorrow.
I lay awake, restless, hoping maybe,
just maybe this will all be gone
tomorrow.
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I actually struggle with minor social anxiety and this really is how it is. I have scars on my arm from where I scratched it off in a panic attack about people looking at me. To be honest,...

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16. Am I Alone

A heartbreaking portrayal of mental Illness
- By Siobhan Green
- Published by Family Friend Poems August 2008 with permission of the Author.
I get a funny feeling,
it comes from deep inside.
I get all mad and angry,
wanting to go and hide.

I get a funny feeling,
it comes from deep inside.
I get all mad and angry,
wanting to go and hide.

My doctor calls it depression,
my dad says it's just me.
But the thoughts and feelings,
no one will ever be able to see.

Some say I'm psycho,
some say I'm just weird.
It's like I'm a different person,
and the old me just disappeared.

I get really edgy,
I want to commit suicide real bad.
Then I get a headache,
followed by feeling sad.

I wish I could get help,
I wish it would go away.
Maybe if I keep praying real hard,
it will someday.

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- Rating 4.35
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I was diagnosed schizo-effective at 35 but I was having problems way before then. I began hearing voices when I was 29. I lost who I was and became something else. I was always wild and...

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17. Music Of Wakefulness

I am only 19 and this is the first poem I've ever written. During my many battles with anxiety and insomnia, I put my late night hours into this piece, which gives it a sense of authenticity. It is a poem that almost anyone could relate to, a metaphoric piece based on the struggle of unwanted and persistent thoughts preventing much needed sleep. Although this is my first poem, it has been a product of years of depression, anxiety, and insomnia.
- By Caitlin L. Stafford
- Published by Family Friend Poems January 2018 with permission of the Author.
Experiencing Insomnia

It is in the dark of night
When insomnia sings me awake
To the tune of lullabies
And the rhythm of mindful blight.

It is in the dark of night
When insomnia sings me awake
To the tune of lullabies
And the rhythm of mindful blight.

It is the spotlight of the watchful moon
And the flickering of uncertain stars
That cradle my fears
And anxious thoughts they croon.

It is in the view of the sunshine,
Where my unwanted thoughts stem,
Waiting and ripening in my head
Until around my throat they twine.

And echoing in my mind
Is the blissful song of insomnia,
Sewing itself into my skin
As daylight leaves me behind.
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I love the intimacy between the poet and these "hindrances." The relationship between nature, insomnia and anxiety around the poet at first is inviting, and calming. It isn't until daylight,...

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18. 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.
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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...

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19. 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.
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- Rating 4.55
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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...

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20. Worry Is The Game

This is my daily struggle. It's really quite unbearable.
- By Tiff W
- Published by Family Friend Poems April 2015 with permission of the Author.
Poem About Struggling With Anxiety

I sit here and feel so alone.
Things in my mind broken.
Home doesn't feel like home.

I sit here and feel so alone.
Things in my mind broken.
Home doesn't feel like home.

The thoughts creep in,
The symptoms come too.
When this happens,
I don't know what to do.

My heart races,
I feel so strange.
Anxiety is the word.
Worry is the game.

Life seems so unfair.
People places and things
Seem like they're not there.

I feel unreal,
I feel so alone.
Fear is my enemy,
The enemy is the unknown.

My life was perfect,
Just a simple girl.
Things got changed.
I entered the worry world.

I can't sleep.
Sometimes I wanna die.
I look around the room.
I find a place to cry.

Trapped in my mind,
Nowhere to go.
Worry is in there.
It took the show.

Love is no longer an essence.
Money doesn't matter.
Sometimes all I want to do
Is just jump and splatter.

Why does this happen to me?
Guess I'll never know.
I pray for help.
I pray for somewhere to go.

I want it to stop,
Go to someone else.
Sacrificing life,
Trying not to dwell.
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- Rating 4.45
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This hit deeply. I suffer from so many mental health problems. I seem to be declining now. I'm lower than I have ever been. This poem put it in perspective and words I can't figure out that I...

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1 - 20 of 53

Mental Illness Poems

Poems about Mental Health

53 Poems about Anxiety and Panic Disorders

1. Just Wait For The Sun

2. Mysterious Pain

3. Broken

4. Another Breakdown

This poem is about breaking down after you hold onto pain for way too long and then it finally just escapes you.

5. Panic Attack

My name is Brittany, and I suffer from panic disorder, which stops me from doing regular things. I can't go into a store or car, for example, without having a panic attack. I write a lot of poetry so I thought I'd share this with you describing how I feel when I have one.

6. The Ruse

7. 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.

8. Signed, Your Mind

9. Life Is An Illusion

10. Little Schizophrenic Girl

I've been to the mental hospital on five different occasions. I believe the third or fourth time I met the girl I wrote this poem about. I'm not sure we ever spoke verbally, but like those of us who are mentally ill, her eyes communicated what her voice could not.

11. Internal War

This poem is very personal to me and was inspired by the everyday struggles of having a mental illness, specifically anxiety and depression. Having worked in mental hospitals, I know I am not alone in this. Every day is a battle, but every day is also a win to be proud of.

12. Dad

I wrote this poem when I was upset with my dad. He didn't understand that I was trying my best not to have another panic attack, and when I did, I tried as hard as I could to come out of it. But he didn't understand. He didn't see my point.

13. Panic Disorder

Just wrote how I felt when I have a panic attack.

14. Breathe

This poem is about my experience with anxiety and how I am still trying to breathe and work through the hard times. I know there are people out there with experiences like mine, and I hope this poem will help people know they are not alone.

15. Anxiety

16. Am I Alone

A heartbreaking portrayal of mental Illness

17. Music Of Wakefulness

18. Struggling To Breathe

19. 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.

20. Worry Is The Game

This is my daily struggle. It's really quite unbearable.