A Poem on Anxiety, by: Megan Kangas

Do you know how it feels to feel afraid of the world around you
To see news stories about tragedy and think, that could be me
To be afraid to step outside your house for fears unknown
 Do you know how it feels to have a wave of uncertainty come up every time you speak to a stranger To feel anxious over words unspoken as if they have already been said
To instantly think how stupid your words are even though they seem normal to passerby’s
 Do you know how it feels to suddenly feel so overwhelmed you don’t know what to do with yourself To become so petrified and unnerved when you think someone is staring or coming your way
To try on something that doesn’t fit, and it feels like the end of the world
Do you know how it feels to randomly get a panic attack for no reason
To feel like you cannot escape the twists and turns in your stomach trying frantically to escape its bonds
 To not be able to be that social butterfly you used to be because making friends riles up everything that you think will escape inside of you that you just cannot let go to be free
Do you know what it is like to have extreme anxiety
Because I do.