Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Psyche.
Abuse & Mental Health
I've been depressed for a long time. It's something that has taken up most of my life, to be honest. I remember being 5 years old and looking at my mother and soon to be stepfather and saying "I wish I had never been born". My mom didn't even know how to react to that. My stepfather made me break down the sentence and define each word, thinking that maybe I didn't understand what I was saying. But I knew. I knew then, and I know now. That feeling has never gone away, and throughout the course of my life it has only progressively gotten worse. These days I don't say I wish I had never been born as much, it's usually more like "I don't know how to do this" or "I don't want to do this anymore".
By Morgan Varis5 years ago in Psyche
My Daily Struggles with Depression
My day always starts on the back-foot, the tell-tale sign for me at least : dreaded tiredness, exhaustion ; a constant ping-pong of emotions curtailing any progress that day with a voice in your head telling you these Negative thoughts revolving around like a conveyer belt or a super high way without any disregard for others in your path as you go from being a talkative, sociable person who is the funny one or the one to go to for advice- now a very harsh , cold hearted person saying all of these things which isn't really you except this is just the curse .
By Billy Byrne5 years ago in Psyche
The Anatomy of Pain
Due in equal parts to our upbringing, our earliest beliefs, the foundational relationships we had early on, or even past lives and karmic ties, we each have a unique conditioning (emotionally, psychologically and physically) that creates our own filter through which we perceive the world, and ourselves. This filter is particularly highlighted when we are in highly emotional states, such as anger, sadness, excitement or love.
By Rachel Leedom5 years ago in Psyche
Alexithymia
Alexithymia is a condition responsible for a lack of understanding and identification of one's own emotions, as well as the emotions of others. It's still in the early stages of research, so it's not widely considered an official diagnosable condition, but it's starting to gain a lot of traction.
By Eriko Jane5 years ago in Psyche
How social Media Grooms Consumers
The irony about deciding to enter this challenge is that the last thing I spent money on directly from an ad I saw on Social Media was my Vocal+ membership. Before that it was a package of amazing bath soak packets that are actually worth the ten dollars per bath, which I consider a splurge. They actually hold up to the hype. I have no regrets about dropping the cash for either of these things, but I won't be using one packet three times a week as per the company's recommendation. $120 a month on bathing seems a little excessive.
By Wendy Sanders5 years ago in Psyche
Allisons Story
He swung knocking her head up against the wall, she held her hands up trying to block the swings but the fist where hard and came down on her face with force, she drops to her knees holding one hand up begging him to stop, He kicks her in her ribs, she screams in pain she staying still as he continues to kick her hoping that it ends soon. He is about to give one more kick, he draw’s back with force for one last kick, but he stops in the mist of it, realizing while looking down at her that she had enough. He walks away while grabbing his bear off the table and leaves her there in her own blood crying trying to figure out what she did wrong.
By rachell patillo5 years ago in Psyche
Healing Yourself
Recently, I've seen innumerable posts on social media about self-care. What disturbs me is that they all suggest the same techniques. "If you are feeling overwhelmed, light a candle and take a bath." The posts report that we are all experiencing anxiety and depression "in these unprecedented times" and just need a homemade spa day to feel better. Go on a walk with your dog. Listen to some uplifting music. These social media self-help gurus suggest that mindfulness meditation will take care of the crushing stress I've been feeling for months now. The problem is... it doesn't work for me and it may not work for you.
By Lindsey Gollwitzer5 years ago in Psyche
12 ways to deal with social anxiety when you're an extrovert (Covid-19 edition)
Social anxiety. These two words hold so much agony in itself, but the worst is when it shows up when you least expect it. The fear of screwing up, of hurting someone, of being idiotic, all these thoughts hindering your everyday life... Yes, it's absolutely exhausting. And sadly, it's not only for you, but for those who surround you as well. Plus, if you're an extrovert that craves other's company, life can become like a living hell.
By Kunipatootie5 years ago in Psyche
4-Way Stop: A personality Test
The other day I was driving to post office when I stumbled upon a 4-way stop. I then got a little uncomfortable as there were 3 other cars that pulled up at the same time. What was I to do. Go first, wave my hand as if a director- signaling who goes first, or do I let everyone else go first. For someone who has anxiety (Including me) this can be a troubling event. Even though it is as simple as things come. To distract myself I began to think of other ways to look at it. This one instantly came to mind. A 4-way stop can tell you about your personality. To explain this here are a few example, but I would also like to mention that of course things are random sometimes. People sometimes act randomly for a multitude of reasons, they might just happen to feel confident that day. They might be very sad that day. You never know but this is just a theory and my opinion on it that applied to the right situation can be useful. Back to the examples. So lets say you get up to the stop sign with at least one other person at the same time. If you let the other person go before you then that may show traits of generosity, shyness, or carelessness. On the other hand though depending on how you let them go, that being the words you say or your actions it could also show traits of rudeness(if you swore when letting them go or let them go angrily towards them). That is just one small example of the many possibilities to examine, and since I said examples plural- here is another one. If you came up to the 4-way stop with someone else at the same time and you instantly, almost not even stopping, zoomed straight through then that may show traits of aggression, assertiveness, or confidence. Each of the many examples you could come up with have many different traits you can see from each one. Not just the 3 or 4 that I mention. To put this theory into a more real life scenario we can think of someone going on a date. Lets say that you are picked up by someone and are driving to some restaurant nearby. You then pull up to a 4-way stop. You also notice that someone else has pulled up at the same time as you two. Your date then sticks their hand out the window and waves the other car through. If you thought of this situation through the lens of the theory I have presented then you might think "Oh they might be the type of person who likes to be in control of things in their life." You could think of so many different traits that could be the result of this situation though. You would also know best because you are there living it and seeing how the other person reacts. Now this may just be a theory but hey, give it a try, just ponder it the next time your in the car or someone else driving and pull up to a 4-way stop the same time as someone else. "What personality traits does this reaction lead me to believe is present?"
By Tristan Mitchell5 years ago in Psyche
