To Everyone Struggling
Breaking Through: Facing the Walls the World Builds Around Us
They tell us it is all in our heads, but we know they tell us it is all in our heads, but we know it is not
They do not see the wars we wage,
The nights when dread and anxiety consume our beds,
The mornings bound in a mental cage.
Ironically, it is not the storms inside our minds that cause us the most grief.
Though they rage, unyielding and loud—
It is the outside world, cold and unkind,
Turning pain into a fight for the crowd.
"You're fine," they say, with a dismissive tone.
“Just think positive; it’ll go away.”
As if the weight of my relentless anxiety,
The chaos of my neurodivergent brain,
The pull of addiction’s unyielding sway,
Or the shadows of depression’s domain,
It could simply vanish in a single day.
Door's slam shut, opportunities dissolve,
Society's narrow vision confines.
It reduces us, forcing us to evolve,
In a world blind to its own defined lines.
We crave compassion, genuine care,
A voice that does not condescend.
Instead, we are left demanding our share—
The right to exist, to break, to mend.
The pitying looks, the shaking heads,
The whispers they think we cannot hear.
Each spark ignites the doubt we feel,
The guilt, the fear that draws us nearby.
"Why don't you try harder?" they ask,
Blind to the strength it takes to rise.
We must smile, breathe, and constantly mask
Our truth behind frustrated, disheartened, powerless eyes.
They make us feel the world was not made
for those like us whose paths do not fit the rigid mould of rules conveyed,
Unspoken yet merciless bit by bit.
We fight for care, for dignity's voice,
While others offer unhelpful platitudes.
Their words widen the divide by choice,
Leaving us with dismissive attitudes.
We are not fragile; we are not weak.
We are warriors in unseen wars.
Yet solace, the peace we seek,
Society's locked doors steal it.
Imagine a world where proof is not required,
Where worth is not tied to the pain we bear.
Where empathy's warmth can inspire,
Soothing the shadows of our despair.
No longer would "lazy" or "crazy" confine,
Labels reduce us to a broken design.
Instead, they would see our strength in surviving,
The courage in living, the power in thriving.
For every dismissal, each time we are denied,
We rise again, defying the tide.
Though we stumble, though we fall,
We will keep breaking through each wall.
So here is to the unseen warriors,
To the voices drowned by the noise.
To those who know life's toughest battles
They are fought without applause or poise.
Though barriers rise and judgment stings,
We carry on with resilient wings.
For the truth we hold, the one they miss,
Is that pain breeds strength and, through it, bliss?
One day the world will learn
To listen, to care, to truly discern.
To tear down the walls they have built so high
And let us finally touch the sky.
Until that day, we will push ahead,
Not just for ourselves but for those unsaid.
Every struggle faced with grace and might
Carves a new path and shifts the light.
The battle is not just within—
It is breaking through what they have built.
But each voice, each hand, each small win
Chips away at systemic guilt.
We stand strong—unbroken, whole.
Each step is defiance, each word a goal.
Though their barriers loom wide and tall,
They cannot extinguish our fire at all.
In every fight, we uncover a truth:
Empowerment begins with owning our stories,
Challenging stigma and building a world
Where thriving is the norm, not the exception.
Let this be our vow:
To honour the strength, we carry now.
To lift each other when shadows fall.
And to tear down barriers, one and all.
For every hand raised, every voice united,
The fight for compassion remains ignited.
Together, we will rise, fierce and free,
And shape a world where all can simply be.
They do not see the internal wars we wage,
The nights when dread and anxiety consume our beds,
The mornings bound in a mental cage.
Ironically, it is not these the storms inside our minds that cause us the most grief.
Though they rage, unyielding and loud—
It is the outside world, cold and unkind,
Turning pain into a fight for the crowd.
"You're fine," they say, with a dismissive tone.
“Just think positive; it’ll go away.”
As if the weight of relentless anxiety,
The chaos of a neurodivergent brain,
The pull of addiction’s unyielding sway,
Or the shadows of depression’s domain,
It could simply vanish in a single day.
Door's slam shut, opportunities dissolve,
Society's narrow vision confines.
It reduces us, forcing us to evolve,
In a world blind to its own defined lines.
We crave compassion, genuine care,
A voice that does not condescend.
Instead, we are left demanding our share—
The right to exist, to break, to mend.
The pitying looks, the shaking heads,
The whispers they think we cannot hear.
Each spark ignites the doubt we feel,
The guilt, the fear that draws us nearby.
"Why don't you try harder?" they ask,
Blind to the strength it takes to rise.
We must smile, breathe, and constantly mask
Our truth behind frustrated, disheartened, powerless eyes.
They make us feel the world was not made
for those like us whose paths do not fit the rigid mould of rules conveyed,
Unspoken yet merciless bit by bit.
We fight for care, for dignity's voice,
While others offer unhelpful platitudes.
Their words widen the divide by choice,
Leaving us with dismissive attitudes.
We are not fragile; we are not weak.
We are warriors in unseen wars.
Yet solace, the peace we seek,
Society's locked doors steal it.
Imagine a world where proof is not required,
Where worth is not tied to the pain we bear.
Where empathy's warmth can inspire,
Soothing the shadows of our despair.
No longer would "lazy" or "crazy" confine,
Labels reduce us to a broken design.
Instead, they would see our strength in surviving,
The courage in living, the power in thriving.
For every dismissal, each time we are denied,
We rise again, defying the tide.
Though we stumble, though we fall,
We will keep breaking through each wall.
So here is to the unseen warriors,
To the voices drowned by the noise.
To those who know life's toughest battles
They are fought without applause or poise.
Though barriers rise and judgment stings,
We carry on with resilient wings.
For the truth we hold, the one they miss,
Is that pain breeds strength and, through it, bliss?
One day the world will learn
To listen, to care, to truly discern.
To tear down the walls they have built so high
And let us finally touch the sky.
Until that day, we will push ahead,
Not just for ourselves but for those unsaid.
Every struggle faced with grace and might
Carves a new path and shifts the light.
The battle is not just within—
It is breaking through what they have built.
But each voice, each hand, each small win
Chips away at systemic guilt.
We stand strong—unbroken, whole.
Each step is defiance, each word a goal.
Though their barriers loom wide and tall,
They cannot extinguish our fire at all.
In every fight, we uncover a truth:
Empowerment begins with owning our stories,
Challenging stigma and building a world
Where thriving is the norm, not the exception.
Let this be our vow:
To honour the strength, we carry now.
To lift each other when shadows fall.
And to tear down barriers, one and all.
For every hand raised, every voice united,
The fight for compassion remains ignited.
Together, we will rise, fierce and free,
And shape a world where all can simply be.
About the Creator
SP
I'm a writer with ADHD/anxiety a certified recovery coach and peer support specialist. I've written 4 ADDitude Magazine,Thought Catalog,TotallyADD,BuzzFeed, and other publications. If you want follow my Instagram, it is mh_mattersyyc
Standing While Falling
Quotation from Friedrich Nietzsche "He who wrestles long with monsters should beware lest he himself become a monster. And if you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss also gazes into you. Man is not destroyed by suffering, but by the meaning he makes of it."
By LUCCIAN LAYTH5 days ago in Critique
Comments (2)
Exactly:)
This poem totally nails the struggles we face that people don’t always see. It’s like, we’re fighting all these internal battles, and society’s just like, “Oh, just think positive!” But hey, we’re not weak, we’re warriors, right? It’s a shout-out for more empathy and less judgment, because we all deserve to be seen and heard. So, here's to breaking barriers, rising above, and owning our stories with strength! :)