Dear Anxiety and Depression,You have become an all to familiar presence in my life. From the wave of incompetence that often washes over me as soon as I wake up, to the heavy ache that nuzzles itself beside me as I sleep – you are the unwanted intruders that force themselves into the comfort of my being. You haunt me with my own thoughts, and use my fears and insecurities against me. Time and time again you feed me lies by telling me that I am not worthy - that I am not good enough for success or deserving of love. Sometimes you even tease me by leaving for a short while, giving me a small glimpse of freedom - only to quickly return with new and more powerful tricks up your sleeve. / Together you are the dichotomy that makes it absolutely impossible to get through even the most remedial of tasks. Anxiety, you keep me awake at night by preying on my paranoia, causing me to obsess over every stupid mistake I have ever made, and reminding me of all the things that I have not done. All the while, Depression you cast your cloud upon me by keeping me in bed all day, and telling me that nothing matters anyway. This unrelenting battle in my mind puts me in a state of frantic melancholy – constantly sending me to the brink of madness. Learning to understand how to live with you is like learning how to live in a body that is not mine. / You are the wildfire that will stop at nothing to destroy every sign of life within its path, and I am the blackened remnant of a forest. Gasping for breath in oxygen depleted air – I desperately cling onto the slightest bit of life I can find. I fight to gain control over this insanity. I will not let you win.