The Disease: A Poem Addressing Depression & Anxiety

I’ve been trapped here too long
In the disease of my mind.
It spreads to the surface
And keeps me in a bind.

It’s a poison that lingers,
Corrupting all around.
Nothing is what it seems;
Its lies keep me bound.

It tells me I’m a failure,
Destined to die alone.
Who could love somebody like me
Despite the flaws I have shown?

It nitpicks what everybody says,
Expecting the worst in humanity.
It believes that the littlest of things
Are jabs at my existence and sanity.

To cope, I go into my mind
And hide away in dreams of light.
Yet still, the toxicity lingers here
And knocks peace out of sight.

My mind is my escape,
But it is also my prison.
Through it, I have fallen –
Feeling desperate to be risen.

I must break out of this prison,
For this is not where I belong.
This disease lies and wants me to think
That there is no way I can be strong.

People may fail, and people may be hurtful,
But I know that they still truly love me.
Sticks and stones may break my bones,
But hope will set me free.

The disease doesn’t want me to know that,
But I have learned its trick:
It’s nothing but a mere sham
That attempts to be slick.

“Trust me, you are nothing.”
Its lies have previously gnawed.
But, I know better than that;
Its logic is deeply flawed.

Although I cannot generalize
The disease that may haunt you,
Know that you are strong, no matter what,
And you can overcome it all, too.