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.

51 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.

Top 100 35
- 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. 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 500 217
- 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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3. 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.

Top 500 231
- 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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No one understands what I am suffering from. My new doctor has decided I am taking a far too dangerous drug, so he is weaning me off. I must suffer again for the length of this weaning...

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4. 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.

Top 500 303
- 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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5. Now You've Recovered

I have written a poem about recovery from mental illness. It touches upon the fact that someone who has recovered is now living a brand new life, and they must answer the question, "Now that you've recovered, what will you do?"

Top 500 306
- By Charles A Cino
- Published by Family Friend Poems November 2016 with permission of the Author.
Inspiring Poem On Starting Life After Mental Illness

When you recover, what will you do?
When you recover, will you still be you?
Will you be stronger, will you be new,
When you recover from what you've been through?

When you recover, what will you do?
When you recover, will you still be you?
Will you be stronger, will you be new,
When you recover from what you've been through?

Can life get better than it was before?
Will you realize your dreams and improve your score?
Will people still remember your name,
Or will they forget you because they're ashamed?

Life in recovery may not be the same.
The rules may have changed in this brand new game.
You can pick up the pieces and make a new start,
And courage and hope keep you from falling apart.

The world all around you seems different and changed.
Things that once were now seem out of range,
But you can recapture your life and fulfill
The dreams that were lost when you took ill.

The journey to wellness takes time and is long,
And those that get well are exceptionally strong.
For depression can kill, but you have survived.
Your goal to recover has kept you alive.

Now you're recovered, what will you do?
You suffered and conquered and saw it through.
Back from the black and abyss of despair,
It is time to move on; it is time to care.
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6. Another Breakdown

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

Top 500 343
- 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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7. My Repossessed Hope

Top 500 450
- 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
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8. 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.

Top 500 451
- 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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9. 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."

Top 500 478
- 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.
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10. We Couldn't See

I was first diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 1996. In the last 21 years I was told I had a new disorder every couple of years, despite the fact that my problems have been pretty consistent. Depression and anxiety were at the heart of everything, and they only got worse with age. Sometimes when we can't deal with things, we find someone who can, whether we realize it or not.
- By Brian E Pardee
- Published by Family Friend Poems September 2017 with permission of the Author.
Dissociative Identity Disorder

Brian and I were polar opposites; he was loud and wild while I was more quiet and tame.
Despite our differences, both family and friends said we often looked and acted exactly the same.

I never understood it. My skin was unremarkable, nothing more than the average bruise.

Brian and I were polar opposites; he was loud and wild while I was more quiet and tame.
Despite our differences, both family and friends said we often looked and acted exactly the same.

I never understood it. My skin was unremarkable, nothing more than the average bruise.
Parts of Brian were mutilated. Years later he covered half his upper body with tattoos.

We were friends as long as we could remember. We were both trapped in a world we viewed as a prison.
We even grew to like the same type of girls. In our twenties we even dated two of the same women.

Brian and I met in Queens in the 1980s, both turned 21 in Ohio and toasted with our first beers.
I stayed in Ohio while Brian moved back to New Jersey for a number of years.

I had a normal life filled with normal experiences, Brian was much different.
I always made the attempt to be social, whereas Brian preferred to stay distant.

He introduced me to this little schizophrenic girl. He said she represents what he didn't think was real.
It was a few days after, he called me telling me he had become too numb to feel.

I gave Brian advice. I told him to move back to Jersey because you can't achieve what you don't try.
Brian did. When he came back, he told me when you lose the ability to feel you lose the ability to cry.

I lived a pretty normal life. I eventually found peace, although it took a while.
Brian only saw pain. He said the top of his cheeks hurt when he used to try to smile.

Even Brian didn't know when things changed, but he knew when his health went downhill.
The medication caused weight gain and disease. In the psychiatric world, hope is in the form of a pill.

I started to see Brian a lot more. Unforeseen stress changed his personality drastically.
I even started to see Brian different. It's as if he lived in a different galaxy.

Brian's mood swings became unbearable. He lost all but a few friends.
Brian can't see his own problems, but I assured him I'll be here til the end.

I often wonder what changed in him that made him change.
Was he made this way by a person, or is part of his brain just deranged?

I see scenarios where Brian would be happy. Why can't he?
There really is hope outside of those pills. Why can't he see?

Brian's tattoos started to reflect themes of distrust and betrayal.
Brian said he'd talk about his wanting to die more often, but he didn't want to seem ungrateful.

I knew human beings had good in them. Brian knew they did not.
I want to help people. Brian wants to watch your lying corpse rot.

I told Brian these doctors mean it when they swear to do no harm.
Brian said, "That ignorance is why I stabbed you in the arm."

Neither one of us could agree, because neither one of us could see
That there never was a "we," that I was Brian, and Brian was me.
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I've been asked about this poem a lot. While I was once told I had a Dissociative Disorder, this poem's describing how I personally identify with things. I feel like there's two parts of me...

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11. 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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12. My Not-Addiction

For a really long time, 2 years ago, I felt like no matter what I did, it was never good enough. Those girls still made fun of me. To cope with that, I stopped eating. I wanted to be thin enough, pretty enough, perfect enough. But I realized I was only hurting myself. It was never a full-blown addiction, but it still hurt like one. Anorexia was never something I thought I'd have to deal with, but I overcame it, and I hope all girls realize that the control, although nice to have, isn't worth it.
- By Sydney W.
- Published by Family Friend Poems February 2014 with permission of the Author.
Overcoming Anorexia

It's not an addiction,
Really it's not.
But that mirror,
It's a source of affliction.

It's not an addiction,
Really it's not.
But that mirror,
It's a source of affliction.

Not long ago,
I could look in that mirror
And see nothing wrong at all,
But now I've got nothing to show.

The pressure to be perfect,
It tears away at my body.
At first it looked like nothing,
But it had a side effect.

I wanted to be one of them,
One of those girls everyone envied.
But the price to pay was my body,
Not a small pretty diamond gem.

It was never enough,
No matter what I did.
The skipped meals
Turned my image rough.

But will it ever be worth it?
I stare and ask myself.
My image in the mirror,
Kept begging just to quit.

It became a nightly thing,
Standing on that scale.
And I was pleased to see
That the pounds kept dropping.

My hair was starting to thin.
My bones began to show.
Everything was different.
The desire was starting to win.

The pain I was putting myself through,
The constant suffering,
Everything was just a blur,
But nobody ever knew.

I don't starve anymore,
But I could if I tried.
It was a part of my life,
Now just a closed door.

It's not an addiction,
Really, it's not.
But that mirror,
It's a source of affliction.
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13. Uninvited Guest

Anyone who has suffered from depression will understand this poem. I urge you to fight. There IS a light at the end of the tunnel.
- By Vicky
- Published by Family Friend Poems October 2007 with permission of the Author.
I'm feeling broken down, my body aches
My heart, it bleeds from past mistakes
Can't stop the tears; they fall like rain
The words are spinning 'round my brain

I'm feeling broken down, my body aches
My heart, it bleeds from past mistakes
Can't stop the tears; they fall like rain
The words are spinning 'round my brain
So scared and feeling so alone
The coldness fills my every bone
No food, no sleep, can't think at all
Each way I turn, another wall
This darkness haunts my very soul
My world seems dead; I've lost control
The only weapon is my pen
Depression has moved in again
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The poet has penned down his pains in a truly pictorial ways that draws the picture of his mental condition of broken heart in the mind of the readers.

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14. 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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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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15. Baby Blues

I struggle with Depression and Anxiety, and I have this fear that I will pass the gene to my children because it runs in my family. I love kids and I do want to have some one day, but this is the only thing that would hold me back. This poem is about deciding whether I'm going to take the chance or save them from any possible hurt. I wouldn't want them to go through this, but I also wouldn't want to deprive a child of a life.
- By Katie Q. McKee
- Published by Family Friend Poems November 2017 with permission of the Author.
Fear Of Children Inheriting Depression And Anxiety

No words can describe what I feel when I look at you.
The glory of your smile brings light to this place.
So simple yet so impossible to understand.
Every move you make is taken in with grace.

No words can describe what I feel when I look at you.
The glory of your smile brings light to this place.
So simple yet so impossible to understand.
Every move you make is taken in with grace.

How could someone not want you in their life?
Like you were sent from a movie scene.
How could they just throw it all away,
Not thinking of what that could mean?

Your eyes capture mine in a second to spare.
I absorb your innocence that is ever so new.
I get lost in your soul so freely unveiled
As you gaze at me with your baby blues.

An unsettling feeling resides in my head,
One that I've been trying to forget.
A little version of myself walking around;
I guess I haven't gotten used to that yet.

I'm afraid you'll turn into me one day in the future.
That's a risk I can't afford to gamble on.
I want you to have a fair chance from the start.
I wish for you to paint a picture not already drawn.

But then I think about the love I'd share,
The good, the bad, and everything between.
I would show you this life's possibilities.
Maybe it could be different if I hadn't seen...

Your baby blues staring back to me,
Making my choice appear to be clear.
But that feeling still shakes my bones.
The only time it stops is when I hold you near.

Questions bounce back and forth in my brain.
Do you deserve this life or are the stakes too high?
Consequently my fear could turn into reality,
But who would I be if I could never even try?

I just have to look in those baby blues
And all my worries will fade into the night.
You have all the answers in your heart.
I'm trusting you that it's gonna be all right.

It's something to be cherished:
The joy you bring to this world everyday.
Run my fingers through your thin hair.
Listen closely so you can hear me say,

"Baby blue eyes,
You light up the skies.
I don't think you realize,
But you are everything and anything."

Another option I would choose
If it weren't for your baby blues.
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16. 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.
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17. 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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18. 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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19. 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.
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20. Lie Out Loud
- By Mark Bird
- Published by Family Friend Poems March 25, 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

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1 - 20 of 51

Mental Illness Poems

Poems about Mental Health

51 Poems about Anxiety and Panic Disorders

1. Just Wait For The Sun

2. 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.

3. Mysterious Pain

4. Signed, Your Mind

5. Now You've Recovered

I have written a poem about recovery from mental illness. It touches upon the fact that someone who has recovered is now living a brand new life, and they must answer the question, "Now that you've recovered, what will you do?"

6. Another Breakdown

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

7. My Repossessed Hope

8. 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.

9. 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."

10. We Couldn't See

11. Struggling To Breathe

12. My Not-Addiction

13. Uninvited Guest

Anyone who has suffered from depression will understand this poem. I urge you to fight. There IS a light at the end of the tunnel.

14. 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.

15. Baby Blues

16. The Room Of My Life

17. Broken

18. Life Is An Illusion

19. Finding A Voice

20. Lie Out Loud