Latest Stories

Most recently published stories in Psyche.

The Breakup that Finally Made Me Get Help
I'll start by saying that this was not an easy article for me to write and it took me some time to work up the courage. In the end I felt like the struggles I am facing should be talked about, because it's a story many might relate to in secret. Maybe by sharing my own journey and showcasing my demons, I can inspire those who need it, to confront their own mental health issues too. This article is about a fresh start, something accessible to us all and something that comes first from looking inwards.
By Nessy Writer5 years ago in Psyche
Quitting Instagram and Facebook for 21 days. Second Place in Fresh Start Challenge. Top Story - February 2021.
Taking a hiatus from social media is no revolutionary idea at the start of the New Year. A survey of 2,000 people by the Wexner Medical Center finds Americans are making adjustments to social media usage. More than half have changed their social media habits over time, and 1 in 5 make it a point of taking social media breaks.
By Katie Manning5 years ago in Psyche
Medicated
I was diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder back when I was in high school, but I felt like my relationship with mental illness started many years before that. When I was 8 I was diagnosed with Tourette’s syndrome and it became a permanent part of my identity. At some point I remember doctors (or maybe therapists?) throwing OCD into the mix as well. I felt like I had a laundry list of things that described who I was and defined who I would be. My days were full of routines and rituals in between playing make believe on the playground and trying to disguise my ticks as part of my charming personality. I learned early on how to try to conceal the things about who I was that might be different or embarrassing. Some, I couldn’t, so I would get mildly teased or I’d become an annoyance to friends and family. For the most part, I was a normal kid, but from a young age my mind seemed to buzz to the point of explosion and I was constantly figuring out and adjusting my plan of fitting into the mold I thought I needed to fit into.
By Trish Felecos5 years ago in Psyche
Pattern Identified & Amended
Twice is a coincidence, three times is a pattern. This year, I’m taking a compassionate, but honest approach to looking at the unhealthy patterns that I propagate in my life, owning them without shame, and taking responsibility for them. What this looks like in practice is enacting accountability to create meaningful change. Only then, do I feel like I can truly start fresh. By examining the mental and emotional clutter of the past, I can maintain a cleaner future.
By WICKI5 years ago in Psyche
Man's Search for Meaning
"When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves."― Viktor E. Frankl, Man's Search for Meaning
By Eyda Ayerdi-Seibel5 years ago in Psyche
Van Gogh - Genius, despair and true beauty
Aquamarine blues, golden yellows, an already beautiful scene made all the more enchanting seen through the eyes of Van Gogh. It’s hard to deny that he perceived the world differently, desperately trying to translate the swirling colours of the natural world into art.
By Josh Chandler Morris5 years ago in Psyche
Me and My Moods
Recently I started a bullet journal again and it’s been both helpful and frustrating. I’m realizing more and more how badly I am addicted to instant gratification, and at times it’s nauseating. I find my lack of patience, disturbing. My inability to wait for things, all things, is out of control lately. As I type this, I should be sitting in my therapist’s office explaining all of this to him. Sharing the emotions and rollercoasters of yesterday, of the last few weeks. Getting some much-needed weight off my shoulders. Instead, I am taking his advice and writing.
By Tabitha White5 years ago in Psyche
Self-Love
My wellness goal in 2021 is self-love. I chose self-love because I have finally realized that I cannot do anything to better myself without it. Without self-love, weight lost is weight gained back. Self-esteem nurtured is self-esteem shattered. Healthy boundaries established are healthy boundaries crossed. And the pattern of self-sabotage and self-loathing continues.
By Carissa Strongwell5 years ago in Psyche
Shame is not the name of the game.
As the first month of 2021 comes to a close, I feel as if I'm no closer to my new years resolutions than I was two months ago. I can feel this year in my soul though, the deepest parts of it. 2021 will be a wonderful year! Not because I have spoken it into existence, not because I'm somehow owed a good year after a series of bad ones. This will be a wonderful year, because my soul feels it.
By Tee5 years ago in Psyche
This Year I Want to Die
In my twenties I used to start the new year with strict resolutions, I followed them for a month, then usually forgot about them by the time the sun began shining again.
By Moni V.5 years ago in Psyche
On Diagnosis and Change
My childhood was a mixed bag. I mostly have early memories of living in unsavory conditions and of repeated abuse at the hands of my biological father, but I also remember my mother’s marriage to my step-father, moving into a beautiful house, and my family suddenly having money. We travelled a lot. My siblings and I got left behind in a lot of Las Vegas hotel suites while our parents gambled and partied and their friends picked fights with WWE wrestlers. That last part isn’t important, but it’s a fun little tidbit. Their friend was fine, if you don’t count the broken nose.
By Cat Bog5 years ago in Psyche
Taking Time to Explore Inner Landscapes
There is bottomless silence, broken only by the deep breaths of a slender, naked figure as he pushes further and further down a lonely tunnel. He is surrounded by palpable darkness but moves forward with intention.
By ,.,5 years ago in Psyche