#BraveTogether
A short tale about anxiety, hardships, support, and self-discovery. Written in the honor of Mental Health Awareness Month.
**Trigger Warning**
Mild mentions of self-harm and suicidal tendencies.
Stood on the bridge in silence, heart heavy with despair
Wearing the battle scars, she looked on.
Whispers drifting to her ears, you are worthless my dear
Surrender your heart to mind's beautiful prison.
.
.
.
Anxiety.
It's so much more than just the unexplainable, irrational worrying or a natural response to stress.
Racing heart and sweaty palms don't even come close to explaining the worst of it.
It's the journey that takes you to that point; the wild ride of thoughts and emotions that only a human mind could carry you on that cripple your body and soul.
It's that persistent critical voice inside you that dims every freckle of light within, whispering the devious words in your ears that you eventually end up overthinking before bedtime. And before you know it, all of your worst fears become a reality in your dreams and nightmares.
And it would still linger until that emotional flooding completely capsizes your relationship with yourself.
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After a restless night of tossing and turning, Casey awoke from the little sleep she could manage in between. For a fleeting moment, she felt at peace; you know that tiny reprieve one is blessed with right after opening their eyes for the first time in the morning when all is well for a split second because your brain forgets all the awful stuff?
Casey lived for that moment.
It was her only solace. The only time when the voices in her head would be in a deep slumber and she could finally breathe and reclaim the control that her inner demons seemed to steal away so easily.
Today, though, Casey found it a little harder than usual.
She blew out a deep breath as she could feel those voices in her head stirring awake. It's like the events of the previous day had seeped a newfound strength into them, threatening to obliterate any progress she had made in the past year.
Dr. Jules would be so disappointed.
There it was.
And even though the better part of her knew this would not be the case, today it just didn't seem to have enough will to fight back.
Usually listening to affirmation manifestation videos on YouTube followed by checking her messages from work was how Casey's mornings usually started. Today though, she just didn't have it in her to do any.
So, instead, she slightly turned her head to glance at her now sleeping husband beside her, desperately hoping to draw some strength from her other half who truly completed her in every sense of the word.
