Don’t tell me that you understand

Because you probably don’t

Don’t get me wrong I need your support

And I care about you more than you could know

But just because you wrestle with worry every once in a while

Doesn’t mean you know what it’s like to wake up in the middle of the night

Not being able to catch your breath

Not because of an asthma attack

But an attack brought on by fear

Fear of what? You might ask

And I would tell you if I was able

I’ve been labeled as

GAD

OCD

And eventually undiagnosable

But I am not broken

And these labels don’t define me

But sometimes it seems like I am a bird

With chains connecting me to a rock

Each link a different fear

And no matter how hard I flap my wings

All that happens is my wings get sore

But I am more than a statistic in the manual of mental disorders

I am a writer

I am a dreamer

I am a survivor

And while I may be knocked down more easily than others

I can guarantee you I will stand back up

And these figurative chains that hold me a figurative rock

Will not stop me