Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Psyche.
From Anxiety & Fear to Shining & Vibing!
I was under this overpass and the sounds of the cars passing over reminded me of my child hood. My parents would always take me to the park when I was little. We would go on walks and be outside together. I learned to ride my bike there. It was a very nostalgic moment. It was a happy memory.
By Rachel Bullard5 years ago in Psyche
There Will Always Be Trolls
It doesn’t matter who you were, are, or who you are about to become. Nor does what you’ve done, are doing, or about to do matter. There will always be Trolls in your life. No, not the cutesy kind they invented for children. These real-life ogres can be strangers, friends, and yes, even your family. They will pounce to add nasty comments on social media, creep around the water cooler at work, or sit at the dining room table making snide remarks. They are quick to criticize, highlight a flaw, and well, are just mean-spirited and nasty.
By Francesca Flood, Ed.D.5 years ago in Psyche
Racism is still a blind spot in psychotherapy
On the phone, Lucía Muriel says that she is careful when talking to journalists. Only a few psychotherapists could tell what she has to tell. The topic is sensitive, and what you read about her is often read as representative for a whole community.
By AddictiveWritings5 years ago in Psyche
Abused
Most people who have never experienced it would think that if you are abused sexually it comes from a stranger from a club or even a robber on the street. But most of the time that's far from the truth. The majority of the time it is from those close to us. People that are supposed to protect us. Unfortunately, that is the case for me as well. If I am looking on the bright side, I can say that it wasn't a family member. I was actually sexually abused by two different people. The first time was when I was about 11 or 12 by my big brother's best friend at that time. He would come and touch me and my little sister whenever no one was paying attention. At first, we thought it was a game. We would go around giggling thinking it was fun and we were pretty and cool because an older guy was calling us beautiful and rubbing on us. Soon things began to get more serious and I came to realize that something was wrong. To make sure he didn't do anything to my little sister anymore I would always distract him and let him touch me instead. I thought that was as far as it would go. I was very wrong. One day while everyone was downstairs asleep in the living room he woke me up. He told me that my mom had said for me to go upstairs and sleep in my room. I was so tired I didn't even question it, I was so sleepy that I didn't even make it to the bed. We had bunk beds and I had the top bunk so I just curled up on the carpet. I doze back off. When I wake up again he's already on top of me. I get so scared that I freeze up and don't make a sound. As soon as he entered me I made a noise causing him to cover my mouth. I just remember being so scared and in so much pain that it was like I wasn't even in my own body anymore. Even though it is embarrassing to say I also pooped on myself a little during the process. He was quick to notice. He told me to put it in my mouth to clean it off. I refused. He said if I didn't he would keep going until I have his baby. Since I was so young at the time I didn't know how that all worked, all I knew is that I didn't want to have a baby and I definitely didn't want that thing in my mouth. He finishes and all I did was clean up then go back to bed curled up in a ball. About a week goes by and I'm at school. Suddenly I'm throwing up and not feeling good. Instantly my mind flashes back to that moment. I start panicking and the school calls my mom. I eventually tell my mom what happened and my siblings ended up finding out as well. Since my mom had to take me to get tested and everything they found out since they had to ride with us. I got teased and bullied a lot at that moment. No one but my mom believed me. It was a very traumatic experience. I became depressed. I made many unsuccessful suicide attempts. There is still much more to that story but I will add more once I find out if my story can actually relate to people and reach out to others.
By KAMARIA OKIRO5 years ago in Psyche
“MDMA provides access” — therapists test ecstasy in trauma patients
When Nachum Patschenik’s father abused his son, something went wrong with the youngster. “There is a kind of death in your life, you breathe in and out, but you don’t live your life — for years,” Patschenik, now 47, tells us in a café in Jerusalem. He had lost the love of life, was ashamed, had avoided people.
By AddictiveWritings5 years ago in Psyche
The nine secrets that torment us most
Most secrets are shy creatures. They bury themselves deep in the furthest corners of the memory and rest there quietly and contentedly. Some, however, rumble restlessly underground, and yet we keep them hidden. We fear that they may cause alienation, that we may be despised or laughed at because of them.
By AddictiveWritings5 years ago in Psyche
