ALONG THE BARREN ROAD

Tag: anxiety disorder

  • Mental Illness And Misinformation

    Mental Illness And Misinformation

    —

    by

    Justin Farley

    What’s something most people don’t understand? It’s astounding how many people still completely misunderstand mental illness. Well, maybe not astounding because it’s hard for me to understand despite personally dealing with it for a large percentage of my life. But I guess what I’m referring to is the amount of people who believe mental illness…

  • Failure Is A Key To Success

    Failure Is A Key To Success

    —

    by

    Justin Farley

    Success is how well you’ve done with the potential within yourself. The potential for love, for honesty, for self-awareness, for growth, for forgiveness. Success is how well you’ve polished your soul and only failure and heartache can make you aware that it even needs cleaned.

  • Hope in Mental Health Recovery

    Hope in Mental Health Recovery

    —

    by

    Justin Farley

    Real hope for recovery from mental illness depends on realistic expectations and flexibility.

  • Stopping the OCD and Anxiety Spirals of Negative Thoughts

    Stopping the OCD and Anxiety Spirals of Negative Thoughts

    —

    by

    Justin Farley

    “A fourth thought arrived. Then many more”–so begins the hell of the spiral down to a panic attack or at least misery. This quote is a perfect description of how the spiral of anxiety starts and morphs into full blown panic from a single thought. Oh, if only you could avoid the first worried thought…

  • Why Do Adults Lose Their Imaginations?

    Why Do Adults Lose Their Imaginations?

    —

    by

    Justin Farley

    A post and a poem that examines using your imagination as an adult and attempts to answer the question: Do adults lose their imaginations?

  • Monsters – Poem About Anxiety Disorder and Fear

    Monsters – Poem About Anxiety Disorder and Fear

    —

    by

    Justin Farley

    Monsters Poem about Anxiety Disorder and Fear Fear waits for me under the bed – a faceless monster made of shadow that slithers towards me in the darkness the moment my head hits the pillow. Devouring my dreams. Splitting the seams of sleep. Replacing yawns with racing thoughts. Justin Farley

  • A Guided Meditation for Panic and Anxiety Disorders with Hypochondria

    A Guided Meditation for Panic and Anxiety Disorders with Hypochondria

    —

    by

    Justin Farley

    Meditation is often touted as a great solution for alleviating anxiety and stress. And it can be, but for those of us who have anxiety disorders, meditation and stillness runs counter-intuitive to our body’s natural desire to run and distract ourselves whenever we’re alone with our thoughts. I wanted to share something that has really…

  • Losing Myself Poem About Mental Illness and Recovery

    —

    by

    Justin Farley

    Losing Myself I’m losing myself in pieces –every year fragments of my soulfeel swept away by time. My identity constantly decreases,and I’m beginning to feel like a strangerwithin the confines of my own mind. Yes, I’m losing myself in pieces –the jigsaw puzzle’s lovely imagehas jumbled into an abstract mess. But my search for meaning…

  • Poem about Depression, Anxiety, and Bipolar Disorder

    —

    by

    Justin Farley

    Wavering Emotions What pulls me out of bed in the morning? What lies beyond the break of day? Some days find me bouncing to work, others a struggle to summon the energy to play. How do I slay this elusive dragon that renders me depressed and without drive? My heart longs and desires to flourish,…

  • Internal Fire – A Poem

    —

    by

    Justin Farley

    Smoke fills the lungs. Warning signals run in desperation to alert the mind in a race that’s become all too familiar. Flames engulf my entrails like dry twigs thrown on a campfire on an August night. In frantic panic, eyes search for aid, but people pass by as if nothing were amiss. Surely someone must…

  • Living With Fear – A Poem About Anxiety Disorder and Mental Illness

    —

    by

    Justin Farley

    Living With Fear – A Poem About Anxiety and Mental Illness Close your eyes.Keep yourself blindTo the hideous beastThat hides beneath this veil of security. Pretend you can’t see meFor who I am –A scared, frightened, shell of a manRaging in the solitude of fear’s prison. I can’t even stand the visionThat stares back at…


Join my newsletter to receive new poems along with reflections on nature, spirituality, and mental health (usually a few times a month). My emails are intentional and never spammy—just words to carry with you.

Unsubscribe at anytime.

Processing…
Success! You're on the list.

My Poetry Collections

the book cover of Nature's Bounty by Justin Farley— a poetry collection about the beauty of nature with subjects on birds, plants, trees, animals, the forest, and God.
A deep poetry book about the beauty of nature and the natural world by poet Justin Farley.
the book cover of Frozen Rivers by Justin Farley— a poetry collection about depression and the hardships of mental illness, balanced with nature poems on the season of winter.
Deep poems about depression and the hardships of mental illness, balanced with nature poems on the winter season by poet Justin Farley. Book 1 of the Seasons series.
a mental health poetry book about joy and nature poems on the season of spring
Inspirational poems about mental health, healing, and spring by poet Justin Farley. Book 2 of the Seasons series.
the book cover of Summer Days Sunburnt Nights by Justin Farley— a mental health poetry book about bipolar disorder and nature poems on the season of spring
Deep poems about bipolar disorder and being neurodivergent, balanced with nature poems on summer by poet Justin Farley. Book 3 of the Seasons series.
the book cover of A Voice in the Wilderness—A Chapbook of Poems About God by Justin Farley. It is a deep Christian poetry collection about contemplation, the spiritual journey, and finding grace through Jesus.
A contemplative, prayerful Christian poetry book about the spiritual journey and discovering God’s grace, mercy, and love.
the book cover of Thorns of Love by Justin Farley. It is a deep love poetry collection about sadness of breakups, divorce, and heartbreak.
A deep love poetry book about the pain of break ups and the heartbreak felt when relationships end by poet Justin Farley.