Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Psyche.
High and Away
I sat in the darkness of my room taking in the cold summer breeze of Toronto through my half-open window. I have always wondered what the neighbors thought of my morning routine since I could never get myself to get a curtain to shield my occasional nakedness; What they imagined of such obscenity - The salaciousness - Day, and night, sunrise, and lights-out.
By Joshua Dedricks5 years ago in Psyche
Feeding the Beast
The day I really started to get a handle on my anxiety was the day I started viewing it as something separate from myself. Many people wear their Anxiety on their sleeve, almost like a badge of honour. There's nothing wrong with accepting anxiety as part of you. In fact, it's refreshing that mental health is becoming less stigmatised. Normalising mental illness is progress, but we should maintain our vigilance to help those who suffer to heal. It's fine to put your hand up and say, "I have anxiety", but you wouldn't put your hand up and say, "I have cancer", and do nothing about it. Even though we wear the anxiety, we need to prevent the anxiety from wearing us.
By Jessie Waddell5 years ago in Psyche
Abuse Is Never OK
I just got off the phone with the DA (district attorney) who is assigned to my case from a domestic violence incident that took place in November 2020. I have been reading all the self help books, seeing counselors, contacting my local domestic violence victim witness programs, everything I can think of to help me make better choices to get myself out of this cycle of abuse.... but I have still made some not so great choices in regards to the person who continues to hurt me. I know I'm not alone, so I'm going to share with you some of the things I learned today from speaking with the DA assigned to my case, as well as some things I have learned on my own "the hard way".
By Wendy Sanders5 years ago in Psyche
It's not too late.
CW: talk of divorce, depression, and suicide. Also bad words. When I was thirteen, my absolute favorite song was “Face Down” by the Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. One might ask, and reasonably, what business a child from a decidedly nonviolent background had identifying with a song about a woman’s abusive relationship. There are a few answers to this.
By Savannah Stoehr5 years ago in Psyche
My Mothers Daughter
When I got pregnant with my son at 23, I was living in my own apartment, and my off/on boyfriend of 7 years had his own place, too; we had been out on our own for almost 4 years. I had a steady job; I was just a server, but at the busiest restaurant in town, working full time hours, so the money was great; he had a stable job; we had two cats and a dog already and although I was surprised, I was excited when I got my positive pregnancy test... i loved kids and had never knew much about what I wanted to be in life, the only thing I had always been sure of was that I had always known I wanted to be a mom.
By Mystery Magic Gurl 5 years ago in Psyche
Surviving #MeToo
Content Warning: rape, sexual violence, and depression I remember that moment so clearly. I don’t remember what day it was, just that it was shortly before Halloween of that year. I don’t remember what time it was, only that it was late. But I distinctly remember the moment he leaned back from me, looked down at me with wide eyes, and asked, “Did I just rape you?”
By Aisling Rose5 years ago in Psyche
mirrored
Where do I even begin about talking about my teenage years and what songs kept me alive during the time that I felt so lost. Each song will explain my feelings as to why I have emotional connections to each, and I may also get a bit personal so there may be some trigger warnings as I get personal.
By Charity Valdez5 years ago in Psyche
Diarist: Sea letters
Since I was young, writing letters was my primary mode of communication: letters from camp to my best friends back home, letters to my pal studying abroad in Germany, emails from work on ships, and as check-ins with my chosen family around the country. I saved as many letters as I could in a file called "correspondence."
By Joe Nasta | Seattle foodie poet5 years ago in Psyche
No, They Really Are Trying to Make You Crazy
…a form of psychological abuse in which false information is presented with the intent of making a victim doubt his or her own memory, perception, and sanity. It may range simply from the denial by an abuser that previous abusive incidents ever occurred, up to the staging of bizarre events by the abuser with the intention of disorienting the victim. - Wikipedia
By Julie O'Hara - Author, Poet and Spiritual Warrior5 years ago in Psyche
5 Reasons Why I Choose to Talk About My Problems
I don’t get small talk. Hello. Hello. How are you? I am fine. (I am not okay, and I haven’t been for a while. Life’s hard. But, I am aware of my problems and trying very hard to work on them. You can’t say that no one cares. No, saying that I am okay, is lying. This exchange is what is wrong with the world, all of us pretending to be fine when we are not. Pull yourself together, just say I am fine).
By Debdutta Pal5 years ago in Psyche
