There is a mental illness that creeps into the dark crevices of your mind and resides there until it senses the time to pounce. Once the trap has sprung, the disease attacks without warning and without mercy. No one is immune to this worldwide apocalyptic virus. It attacks the healthy undergrad struggling to earn his/her degree, the scientist attempting to record his/her latest lab test, and even you sitting here reading this.

This mental illness is practically impossible to decipher and vanishes into thin air once an idea is struck. It tortures even the toughest of the medical student striving for his/her graduate degree right down to the unmotivated high school freshman. It attacks when you least expect it and leaves you with invisible scars that affect you for years, even decades.

No one knows where this disease originates or how to cure it. What is known is whenever you have an urgent, high priority paper due in a few hours, the illness corrupts any inspiration and transforms the at first quick one-page paper to a daunting 20-page thesis covering the most difficult algorithm known to man.

To make matters even worse, the disease has begun its agonizing taunts with my brain. As I write this, I am trying my best to push aside the distracting pains that poke like needles in my brain. I strive to complete this paper, but I fall a centimeter short of accomplishing this disease’s defeat. No matter what I say, do, or think, the disease appears at the forefront of my mind laughing maniacally and terrorizes me even more with the thought of a deadline not being met.

Along with the tantalizing distractions during a difficult time writing an important paper, this disease also can cause me lifelong consequences that can destroy my future career. With my future and my current relief both at stake, there is nothing that I wouldn’t give to satisfy the disease and relinquish me of this agony.

Why haven’t scientists found a cure for this insane virus? It spreads like wildfire, and we as unexpected, infected victims don’t know how to quench its thirst. Do we give up? Do we distract ourselves with other activities? Do we attempt to sleep away the pain? Do we cry until there are no more tears left to cry?

With the many diseases, illnesses, and viruses in the world, this disease beats them all. It brings the victim to the brink of insanity, possibly the brink of death, and recedes back to its dark crevice. You want to know the name of this cureless, antagonizing illness that I am speaking of? Writer’s block.