Have you ever been stuck in car to car, backed up traffic or in a large group of people when you need so desperately to make it anywhere else? Or have you ever been on a crowded escalator that you can't just walk down because of all of the people? How about this: have you ever felt suffocated? Imagine feeling all of these sensations every single day. That is just a small taste of what it like to live with the "Dynamic Duo". In this case, however, I am talking about Anxiety and Depression not Batman and Robin. As I write this in an anxiety-induced panic, I can certainly say that this Duo doesn't play around.

Living with this Duo is a tough task. Anxiety gives you this sense of urgency, such as with the escalator example. You are stuck in your tracks, but something is telling you that you need to push forward. This is especially true if you are literally unable to push forward due to your circumstances. An obnoxious amount of motivation... That is a great quality to have, right? Unfortunately that is not the case. It is more of a constant burden of things you should do, could do, should have done, could have done, or have yet to do.

It is an uncomfortable sensation having this tugging to do something in your mind when you have the actual motivation to do absolutely nothing. Thanks, Depression. Nothing is not even an over exaggeration either. I feel motivated to do just that. You can't sleep, eat, socially interact, do school work, clean, or much of anything else for that matter. What is worse is that depressive lows that make you feel like this can just spring up out of nowhere. You can be having a perfectly alright day, but something could trigger you into a downward spiral.

It is very strange to feel everything and nothing all at once. For a decent while, I only felt negative emotions or nothing else. There was a comfortable numbness about my entire being. I struggled so much, and I still do. Sometimes the Duo can try its best to get all that it can from you. From panic attacks to suicidal thoughts, the Duo is always willing to go the extra mile. Anxiety and Depression have even tested my faith on many occasions, making me feel distant in my spirituality...which terrified me.

There is a positive side to all of this though. Regardless of what low you hit with these two, there is always going to be something worth living for. It took me a long time to realize that when I was younger, but I just want you to picture something. Imagine the person that you love more than anyone in the entire world clutching onto your limp form, crying out in agony. Imagine your younger sibling having to carry on their lives knowing that you didn't get to finish yours. Imagine all of the people that love you. You may not see worth in yourself because of this Duo, but I know for certain that someone out there does. There are plenty of people that feel this way, but I will tell you something. I see worth in you. It has taken me years to see something in myself, but I don't see it because of anything that I do. I see it by how people treat me. People are worth staying for and fighting this Duo for. "Dynamic Duo"? More like Disastrous Duo. Just remember: we are loved, and we are bigger than the lows. Remember this also: we are more than just a "sad story"; this is but one chapter of many, and it doesn't make us any less human...it might even make us more human than before. Thank God.

Everything is going to be okay, maybe not today, but it will be.