Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Psyche.
Life Changing Moments
Memory is a fickle thing. There are so many life changing moments that I cannot remember. The first time I laughed, the first time I cried or was angry, the time I took my first steps, the first time I read a book, or the first time I ate chocolate cake. There are so many moments that I have forgotten even though they changed my life.
By Natasha Couoh5 years ago in Psyche
You’re Not Lazy — Self-Isolation is Utterly Exhausting
Days after voluntarily entering self-isolation in March, I came to a startling discovery. Working from home, barely seeing people, meetings over Skype and phone, very little human contact… I had been voluntarily self-isolating for the better part of three years of my life.
By Gillian Sisley5 years ago in Psyche
Normal?
To some of you I look normal. I look like I have it made maybe? If you know me then you know better than to think anything close to these assumptions. I have been approached a few times at gas stations by random people asking for money. Do I give off some sort of vibe? I must. Lately, with the holidays right around the corner I have been stressed to the max. My bipolar medication I was on gave me horrible side effects including losing my hair. I am not bald but my hair is very, very thin now. I have been through quite a few medications now and every single medication has made me shake, lose my hair, make me extremely hot, or involuntary movements. I will not mention all the medications on here as I do not know if I can get in trouble or not. I realize I HAVE to be medicated now. I feel absolutely miserable without it. A chemical imbalance is so real, it's not even funny. I use to love things and have passions but now I hate everything and don't want to do anything, everyday. So what is a person to do when they're unmedicated and having to go to work everyday feeling like this and deal with people all day? I have no answers to this. My mind is blank. Isn't this a disability? My anxiety makes me manic, being manic makes me angry, being angry hurts other people. So why is it possible in this world to be this broken and be without health insurance and a good paying job?(even though I did go to school for my job) The pay at work is garbage, there is no benefits, and I had to pay for school for this crap? I could have worked at a gas station and get paid more per hour and possibly have some sort of benefits. I have done hair for 13 years now and I am ready to get out. I cannot believe I paid over 10,000 dollars for schooling just to have an almost minimum-wage based job. I make 9 dollars per hour. I understand I get tips but those are gifts from my client. Also, some days I walk out of work with 9 bucks and I'm suppose to live off of that? Are you freaking kidding me?! With this pandemic getting worse and worse day by day, more and more people are staying home and putting off haircuts. We are so slow we are closing an hour earlier now. So this means instead of getting around 31 hours I now get around 28. This pandemic is painful for everyone I totally get that but who doesn't tip these days? Do people realize my paycheck is a joke for 2 weeks? Yeah, I get paid hourly but guess what, those credit card tips I get 90% of the time are taken out of my check. This leaves me with 300-400 dollar checks for TWO WEEKS. I am traveling to the other sister salons to grab 4 hours here and 4 hours there. Oh yeah and our shifts at work are 4 1/2 hours a day now. I never have weekends off, I barely see my kid, I never get to go out and do fun things on a Friday night, I can't go out with my family and spend time with them, and the list goes on. All for a crappy job with nothing to gain and no money to be made. Realize what your stylist gives up to be in that salon to cut your hair every weekend. Realize they have chosen this low-paying job instead of sleeping in and spending time with their family. For those of you who don't leave even a dollar behind when you get a haircut, shame on you. Everyone can spare one dollar. I at least expect an apology that you cannot tip, like if you're broke and looking for a job or something like that. I totally understand some people are worse off than me but did you really need to come get a haircut if you're that broke? I don't care who you are, you do not go into a restaurant and stiff your waitress, do you? She didn't even spend money to go to school! I spent hundreds of hours at school, doing hundreds of different things to mark off in my book. I had tests, I had to be licensed, I needed models, so why no tip? Do you not respect my line of work? What do you do for a living? If you're in sales you would understand that I need tips to make a living. I get getting stiffed if your haircut is terrible or I was a jerk. But other people make me a jerk. I come to work fine and customers can be so awful. I'm bipolar so you really think I can control my feelings at this point without medication? I can only hold back so much and apologize. The customer is always right is bogus. When you come in acting like a total tool, not wanting to wear your mask the correct way, being pompous, and arrogant I'm going to smile at you and try to make you understand simple protocol. I do not make the rules these days and people still don't want to do simple things to protect my life, my family, and my co-workers, then why am I even doing hair still? Welp, I have no other options right now. This is sadly the best job I can get right now. Until I finish college I am screwed. I have applied for other jobs but they ask for a background check and the person i was 6 years ago is not the person here today. I have changed a lot but my background will forever follow me around. No employer allows me to explain either. They simply just bypass me. So now I am trying to start a painting and crafting side-business, but that's not even going well due to the economy. I don't know how else to make money so I do what I know, hair. It is better than nothing and some days are really good but anymore those good days are every once in a while now. I have never worked this hard in my life just to scrape by. It's ridiculous! I'm sure when I graduate I will have a problem getting a job due to my background. People can be awful and judgemental. I try not to be. I try to understand things from the other person's point of view, I really do. I try not to get upset or mad about stupid things but a person can only take so much. I hope that more people realize what someone like me goes through on a daily basis. It's hard to even push on anymore. Like what's the point? See, there is my mental illness again. But when the situation cannot change even though you have tried endlessly to change it, it gets discouraging. I write on here hoping I don't make people upset but I will always write the truth. This is my life though. I work EVERY single weekend, I cannot afford to take it off now. Hopefully, I find the right medication very soon but it does not change my situation. It doesn't change my financial situation. If you feel the way I do I hope that I helped you realize you're not alone in this. You're not the only one who feels or thinks this way. The country we live in anymore is not the place I was raised to be. That place doesn't exist anymore. I feel the world has shown it's true colors these past couple of month and they were not pretty. I try to think of other people and help them when I can and most people will use up a person like me. If you enjoy my writing please tip. It is GREATLY appreciated. With the times being so tough on everyone I really do understand if you cannot afford it I really do. I am one of those who cannot afford to read things on here and tip. But I hope you get that cash from my view at least.
By Danielle Solo5 years ago in Psyche
The Calm Before The Storm
I knew that staying or leaving wouldn’t make a difference I was set on making this work although every part of me was already broken my ability to trust was gone and the pain was permanently inked while I dripped black and screamed for a resolution. My face was blank emotionless I became cold and yet at the drop of his trigger I shattered in a crowded room tears falling, it started so small I could hide my pain confined to my room. my sensitivity was my own breaking down to movies brushing it off as being overly soft to the norm but what happened to me why did I get so weak so fragile letting everyone see what was behind the facade, my tears staining my cheeks with the longing for an apology that could only come but from the lips of a manipulator.
By Rebecca Henry5 years ago in Psyche
I don't know what to write about
I have no idea what to write about. I've had topics literally every other day except for today. My brain is coming up with absolutely nothing. I've heard that I was a good writer, and I usually don't get writers block, but this time, something is different.
By Justin Morales5 years ago in Psyche
Keep out
I step through the front door as the driver stands behind me with the last bag of my belongings. I’ve been released from the hospital because my case worker found a foster home with an opening that could take me in. Olathe, KS. Another place, another school. Ive always hated changes and starting over. Being the new person is always so awkward. Yet I have to because I don’t have a choice.
By Paige Gray5 years ago in Psyche
Navigating Trauma
One thing I learned early on is everyone has different forms of trauma. I want to share some background before I dive into the healing process. I grew up in a poor household that held a lot of neglect and abuse for me and my 5 siblings. Looking back, I describe my childhood as a whole different life than the one I am living now. On top of neglect and abuse, we also spent long periods of time in the Foster Care System. If anyone has lived part or all of their life in Foster Care, you know that there is abuse and neglect that can be worse than the environment that you were taken out of. In our situation, we were taken because or mother chose to continue using drugs over working to get her children back. Her choices led to all of us getting split up and living separately. I was adopted at 11 years old and spent the next 9 years as an only child. I never had the chance to process my past in a healthy manner and as a child, that caused me to struggle a lot. I didn't allow people to get close to me, I felt that I had to do everything on my own and I did not allow myself to get close to people. Once I felt safe and happy I would cause problems to separate myself from those feelings, which resulted in hurting myself and/or those around me.
By Paige Gray5 years ago in Psyche
Physical Attributes of Anxiety
You may believe you understand anxiety, but what you don’t realize is that everyone's experience is different. I did not used to have this disorder; I only suffered from major depression. Now, over the past two years, anxiety has presented itself rapidly in my life. It has grown to affect my daily tasks.
By Christine Hoskin5 years ago in Psyche
Scars they cannot see
Maybe you experience this yourself or know someone who does, maybe you've seen a person who does and may not know they do. Unfortunely in the world we live in now, there are still people who see physical scars and are disgusted. There still people who think it does not need to be done, there are still people who sit wonder why someone just ended their life. There are still people who claim they did not need to do that to themselves and that they were there for them. But in reality maybe they were not there at the right times.
By Sophie larissa5 years ago in Psyche
