Jessica Purvis
Bio
I am a 22 year old student therapist. I am passionate about mental health, women's rights, and women's health. I love to write, both fiction and non-fiction. I also enjoy riding horses and rock climbing.
Stories (6)
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What It's Really Like in a Mental Hospital
The media like to portray psychiatric as dark places where only the truly insane dwell. Watch a movie where a character is in a psych hospital and you will most likely see them being given electric shock treatment, restrained, and drugged up to the eyeballs. I spent a week in one of these hospitals when I was struggling with depression and tried to commit suicide. I would like to set the record straight about what really happens when you are admitted to the psych ward.
By Jessica Purvis7 years ago in Psyche
How To Regain Your Confidence After Falling Off a Horse
In November of 2013 I had a bad riding accident. I had spent the summer looking after and riding a mutual friend's horse. I loved this horse but he was ornery to say the least. He had chucked me off a few times but I'd always just dusted myself and jumped right back on. This particular incident didn't end as well. I was riding him bareback when he suddenly decided he wasn't going to listen to me, I sternly told him "don't fight me." Next thing I know I am sailing through the air thinking, "I can fly." Obviously what goes up must come down, and I hit the ground about 3 feet away from the horse. I landed directly on my back and had the wind knocked out of me. It felt like forever before I was finally able to suck in a breath. I eventually managed to stand up and walk the horse back to his stable; as I was putting his bridle back I started coughing into my hand. When I pulled it away I saw blood. I showed my mother who rushed me to the hospital, all the while I was continuing to cough up blood and my breathing was ragged. When we arrived at the hospital the trauma team was waiting for me. I was strapped to a backboard and given emergency x-rays along with a CT scan. I knew it was bad because they bought the x-ray machine to me. I was terrified. 40 mins later I was told that I had collapsed my lung and had a compression fracture of one of my vertebra. I spent the next 3 months unable to lay flat, turn my head, or lift anything weighing more than 5 lbs. I was sure that I would never get on a horse again but I did. Here's how I managed to regain my confidence.
By Jessica Purvis8 years ago in Petlife
3 Useful Counselling Skills to Help Your Relationships
Counselling skills are what therapists use when working with a client. You may think that only counselors would have use for these skills but you would be wrong. Anybody can make use of these skills to improve their relationships, become better listeners, or be more of a support to their friends and family.
By Jessica Purvis8 years ago in Humans
5 Ways That Therapy Can Help You
Many people think that only those with a mental illness can benefit from therapy. Or that only "crazy" people undergo counseling; but that just isn't true. Anyone, regardless of whether they have mental health problems, can get something out of therapy. Here's why:
By Jessica Purvis8 years ago in Psyche
5 Things Not to Say to Someone With Depression
When you find out that someone you care about has depression it is natural to want to help. It is important to choose your words carefully when offering advice to those with depression; you may end up causing more harm than good. Here are five things that you shouldn't say to a depressed person and what you can say instead.
By Jessica Purvis8 years ago in Psyche
Living with Endometriosis
Endometriosis is a disease that can affect women of all ages. Despite the fact that most people have never heard of it, one in ten women experiences endo. Many women go undiagnosed for years, only finding out that something is wrong when they can't have a baby. This article isn't meant to take the place of medical advice but to tell my own personal experience with endometriosis and how I have dealt with it.
By Jessica Purvis8 years ago in Viva
