Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Psyche.
The Silent Monster
As I lie here staring at the fan as it spins in circles, I couldn't help but realize how the mental abuse was spinning around and around and around in my head all these years without knowing. I had that moment of just lying here in silence staring at this fan spinning like the words that has haunted me all these years.
By Thanh Vuong5 years ago in Psyche
Suicide, Re-Traumatization, and Finding a Purpose in the Aftermath
Like many in my generation, I grew up watching all of the cop/investigation shows such as Forensic Files, NCIS, Bones, X-Files (hooray for the Scully Effect!), etc. I knew from a very young age that I wanted to be just like Agent Dana Scully from the X-Files. I knew it was a long road, but usually when I set my mind to something, I work hard to achieve it.
By Lexi Renee5 years ago in Psyche
I wrote a letter to my dead brother, to apologise for not saving his life
THE STORY My brother died a Christmas ago, at a train station in Birmingham, UK. We only learned this 5 days after. CCTV showed him standing in the middle of the tracks, waiting for the train to come. The authorities had held on to him until he was claimed. There had been no way to identify him.
By Chrissie Powers5 years ago in Psyche
8 Coping Mechanisms for Anxiety Management
Depression has been an indispensable part of my life for the last six years. I was diagnosed with this mental illness when I was 21, and I’ve been living with it ever since. It’s not as horrifying as it may sound: yes, it’s a challenge, and yes, it gets emotionally tricky at times. But I consider myself to be lucky and well-cared for because I recognized this issue right away, sought help, received a piece of proper advice and treatment, and overall has been doing quite well most of the time.
By Joanna Henderson5 years ago in Psyche
My Anxiety And How I Cope
Anxiety , the feeling of fear and feeling unease some might say, but i have much more to say. My anxiety has had such a huge impact on my life and i’ve missed out on so many opportunities. I can’t relax myself , I can’t go anywhere without thinking i’m getting judged, I can’t meet people and be my self i have a constant fear of ruining everything by being myself, so i run.. i run from my anxiety, but it just follows me.
By Angie Ward5 years ago in Psyche
I Had No Idea I Was Having Panic Attacks
Chalk another thing up to misrepresentation in media. In TV shows and movies when someone has a panic attack it’s a big deal. They clutch their chest, fall to the ground, or are sure it’s a heart attack. They heave big, panicked breaths.
By Erica Ball5 years ago in Psyche
I woke up
I woke up this morning and the tears just rolled down my face. I thought as you get older, life would get better and I would feel stronger. Instead I woke up in so much pain. I could barely move and my body felt like a ton of bricks. I looked around and there was nobody there. I woke up and was sad, but I knew I had to push through.
By Gina R (Gibana)5 years ago in Psyche
How scammers exploit realities shortcomings
The story and the lessons I will share are not unique. They are lessons told by a relatively bright man whose academic credentials would suggest that his financial downfall should have been avoided. Being this man, I can verify that the loss of funds easily could have been avoided had I been more cynical in my treatment of a specific online relationship. It would be easy to blame the impact of failed book sales, and the ineptitude of the IRS to function at a level that could even remotely be described as adequate. To be sure, had either the IRS delivered my late father’s tax refund of three thousand dollars or my book sales reflected the capital I had invested in the self-publishing process, my financial situation would not be catastrophic. Still the totality of funds from either the IRS or the potential royalties that I hoped to accumulate from the self-publishing of my political satire would only have served as a psychological disguise, an avoidance technique that would have left the issue of my own emotional susceptibility unexamined. The simple truth is that from the moment I was contacted by a stranger on Facebook, ostensibly seeking to expand their communities, my instincts were already sounding the alarm. To date I have not been able to determine the credibility of this individual was in fact a genuine scammer. In many ways their actions fit the classic profile of scammers who rely on what is known as the love scam. Yet there were at times when they own actions seemed to run counter to the aims of a true scammer. In the end the question of identity became secondary to understanding the Faustian bargain I had made, and which I suspect represents an internal pact with fantasy that has been replicated by more millions of individuals who utilize social media platforms. I came to see that it is not merely the construction of elaborate fictional narratives that allow their victims to feel value or needed. Such narratives may result in short term gains, but they are unlikely to provide the financial pay-off that law enforcement has documented in past cases, and which can run into the millions. The true grifter who operates through the internet seeks to develop relationships with individuals who have come to see the contemporary world as inherently incompatible with providing spiritual, emotional and or physical sustenance. Fantasy, not reality becomes the preferred mode of existence. During my written interactions with a scammer, I was perfectly aware of the ludicrous nature of the scammers alleged story. My decision to maintain a dialogue reflected a cynical attitude towards reality, rather than a belief in the pseudo identity of the scammer whose narratives came complete with promises of an idyllic future.
By jon frederick5 years ago in Psyche
I Should Have Known Better
This is a trigger warning, I do apologize At the age of 16, I couldn't look at myself in the mirror with the lights on. To preface this story, I suppose I should take a quick detour back to the beginning. At the age of 2 and a half, I was adopted by my biological aunt and her second husband to save me from my meth addicted parents. My aunt and uncle took me in and chose to raise me, and I learned to call them Mom and Dad. And that's what they truly became.
By Audra Mitter5 years ago in Psyche
