Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Psyche.
Staying Sober While Social Distancing for the Holidays
This year hasn’t been easy for most of us. If you’re in early recovery, you’ve not only faced the hardships related to a pandemic during an election year, but you’ve also overcome one of the most difficult challenges there is - getting sober. Now, the last thing you have to do to make it through 2020 is stay sober during the holidays. Being a time of year that is usually full of alcohol-filled celebrations and family gatherings, spending this holiday season sober and possibly away from your family may prove to be extra difficult. Here are 5 suggestions that may help you stay sober during the holiday season if you are social distancing and unable to see your family this year.
By Hailey Parks5 years ago in Psyche
At the Mind's Edge: A Drug Addict's Story
It was a chilly evening in southern California, where I found myself tensely standing on the front porch of a stranger. Steeling my nerves, I knocked three times on the door in front of me. Almost instantly, it opened, revealing a woman. Like a child in a candy store, she intently eyed me, her inspecting gaze doing nothing to hide her building nervousness and excitement. We introduced ourselves, awkwardly shook hands, and she promptly invited me inside. The apartment was neatly cared for, but quite bare, carrying the feeling of a sterile laboratory. A table and two folding chairs were all the furniture that was in the main living room. Plain, white, undecorated walls left the place feeling all the more empty. We sat down, and after a few minutes that felt more like an eternity of idle chatting, she stood and made her way over towards her bedroom, beckoning me to follow her. 'Thank God,' I thought to myself. Small talk had never come easy to me, so I was thankful that portion of the night was finally over.
By Nikki Layne5 years ago in Psyche
My Abused Childhood
I remember the beginning like it was yesterday. I was a child of divorce and we moved around a lot for my mother to find a good place for us to live. However, when I was a little girl, I did not know the truly terrifying nature my mother possessed. I learned the beginning of it when I was five years old. We were living in Hawaii and staying with a nice family that treated us like family. Even though I was a child, to be honest, I was also a brat that would cause my mother trouble and it would stress her out so much that her anger got the better of her till her parenting skills no longer became parenting skills.
By Sarah LaChance5 years ago in Psyche
Someone and everyone controlled Denise
All I left with was a bag of clothes. I couldn't live like this anymore. I went and picked the baby up from the drug addicts mothers house and my daughter from daycare. I slipped away and stayed at a friends house for a couple of days just too clear my head. At this point I had no clue what to do. My family had been terrible to me so I didn't want to go back there. I could not be with the drug addict anymore and I knew no matter what I did everyone from both sides were coming after my kids.
By Denise Harris5 years ago in Psyche
Let's Talk About Mental Health
I can remember the first time I had an anxiety attack. I didn’t understand what was happening. I was at a Halloween dance at school. I stopped breathing. I stopped feeling. I dropped to the floor. I was surrounded by my friends. They were trying to reassure me that I was fine. I couldn’t stop crying. The school nurse was called to take my vitals and check me out. I was going through a pretty rough time. My great- uncle Arthur had just died a few months before this. I was close to him. I watched him take his last breath. I was devastated for months. Nobody tells you that losing someone that close to you can send you into a very dark and lonely place. I dealt with anxiety daily, never really knowing what the sharp pains in my ears and chest were. Never knowing why I would lose my breath so randomly. Nor why I had to constantly by tapping my fingers or drown my thoughts with loud music.
By Dominique Rodarte5 years ago in Psyche
He tried to kill me, but let's save his life
I was woken by the drug addicts mother telling me that the drug addict was locked up in our house and he was about to commit suicide. She told me that I was the only one that he would listen too and the only one that could save his life. What?!?! He tried to kill me last night. You remember that right? These were the thoughts going on in my head as I scrambled around in a confused fog trying to get my clothes and shoes on.
By Denise Harris5 years ago in Psyche
9 Books To Help you Process and Heal From Your Anxiety
When the history books are written about 2020, I’m betting the word “anxiety” will come up a lot. Whether it’s the panic buying of toilet paper or the nagging worry that even a much-needed hug is potentially dangerous, there’s a lot to be anxious about, from the slightly frivolous to the downright depressing. But of course, even without the pandemic, there would have been plenty of causes for anxiety in 2020 — the U.S. election, yes, but also in the general course of being human and loving other humans. As with so many things, though: part of the solution is books! Here’s a selection of books about anxiety to help you manage it and begin to heal.
By Claire Amy Handscombe5 years ago in Psyche
A Beautiful Day
It was a beautiful autumn day. The leaves were still clinging to the trees, the colors blazing in reds, purples, and oranges. The sun was shining and the clouds were feather-like and wispy. Neighbors were walking their dogs in light sweaters and cardigans, comfortable in the sixty-six-degree weather. The windows were open, the wind carrying the laughter of the children a few houses down as they chased each other around the trees.
By Maggie Justice5 years ago in Psyche
The Power of Thoughts
Needless to say, this year has been a clustercuss of unforseen and unwaranted events all wrapped up with a mask and a bottle of Purell sanitizer. For some it has included self isolation, baking endless amounts of vegan banana bread recipes found on instagram, and contstant work and/or personal zoom calls. For a lot of us, it has meant that that monster, tamed and tucked far away in the attic, by the name of depression has decided to come back down and make itself evident yet again. It has caused a fury of picking up of pieces, controling anxiety, and yet again, taming the monster and tucking it tamely back in the attic.
By Charles Thompson5 years ago in Psyche
LOVE IS NOT ABUSE
More than 3 million incidents of domestic violence are reported each year, including both men and women. Nearly 20 people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner in the United States. During one year, this equates to more than 10 million people. One-third of women and one-fourth of men will have experienced some sort of interpersonal violence, and for one-fourth of women and one-seventh of men, it's severe. What is less talked about, though serious, is emotional abuse that ranges from withholding to controlling, and includes manipulation and verbal abuse. The number of people affected is astronomical. Emotional abuse is insidious and slowly eats away at your confidence and self-esteem. The effects are long term, and can take even longer to recover from than blatant violence. We hear from many people who are in abusive relationships, and even those who have left relationships, but say that they love their abusive partner. They wonder, “Why do I love someone who has hurt me so much?” It can feel strange, confusing and even wrong to love someone who has chosen to be abusive. While these feelings can be difficult to understand, they aren’t strange and they aren’t wrong. Love isn’t something that just disappears overnight. It’s a connection and emotional attachment that you create with another person. Love comes with a lot of investment of time, energy and trust. It’s not easy to just let go of a life you’ve built with someone, whether they’re abusive toward you or not. What starts off as well intentioned forgiveness turns into forfeiting your life for someone who is never going to be capable of being a truly healthy partner. Controlling, abusive partners need help. You are worth more in this life than waiting for their sickness to get better. You are worth a partner that respects you exactly as you are. You are worthy of a partner that does not control you or force you to hide parts of who you are. What if you even had a partner that was there to be a catalyst – even to your own personal growth in a healthy way? Imagine how far you could go in your life by shedding what is dragging you down. The longer you stay, the more difficult you will find the truth something you believe. Experiencing abuse will eventually rob you of your self-worth. Being the victim in these relationships can cause you to think, “If only I had dressed better, or cleaned the house better, or been more affectionate… then maybe the fight wouldn’t have started.”
By Alexis Sharde5 years ago in Psyche
