When the place you once felt safe starts to feel like a cage, when the people around you feel like they’re trapping you, it’s hard to breathe. Even in a room full of people, your tears won’t stop, no matter how many times you tell yourself that everything will be okay.
You open up to someone you trust, but to them, it seems like a small problem, something you should just move past. But inside, it feels like a storm is taking over, pulling you under. What seems so minor to others is tearing you apart from within.
The more you stay silent, the more it hurts. But when you try to speak, the words just fade away. Your mind is overwhelmed, and you force yourself to keep busy, to avoid facing the worry that is constantly there. You put on makeup, hiding your tears, trying to keep up the illusion that you're okay, because people expect you to be strong. But the truth is, that strength is slowly suffocating you, leaving you gasping for air. On the outside, you look fine, but inside, you’re just trying to survive.