Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Psyche.
Depression is Funny
Depression is something I think we're all dealing with on some level right now. With how insane 2020 has been to every single person around the world, mental health is at a serious decline. It’s real, it's serious, and I think it’s important for all to understand its depth.
By Mikayla Kraus5 years ago in Psyche
OCD is No Fun
Melvin Udall in "As Good as It Gets." Adrian Monk in "Monk." Dr. Hannibal Lecter in the "Red Dragon" series. The list of TV and film characters rendered particularly memorable by their peculiar quirks, mannerisms, and tics, is long. In reality, the number of people suffering from Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), is legion. According to BeyondOCD.org, in the U.S., about 1 in 40 adults and 1 in 100 children have OCD.
By Sherry McGuinn5 years ago in Psyche
5 Things To Consider This Alcohol Awareness Week
There’s a deep rooted stigma around alcohol, but it is rare that something that is such a common component of all of our lives is so difficult to discuss. We love to cheer for ‘wine aunts’ and to end tough days with ‘just the one’ (which never really is just one) but why do we accept this culture when we so openly condemn other drug related habits? Across the world the sales of alcohol soared as we entered the Spring Lockdown, but as we sit in our second lockdown I want you to think about your consumption of alcohol under a microscope. Lockdown allows us time to reassess our lives and to form new healthy habits, so here are five things to consider this Alcohol Awareness Week.
By Sorcha Murphy 5 years ago in Psyche
Survivors of Abuse
To even ask a domestic violence survivor to settle for a Peace Bond is like asking them to live in mental pain for the rest of her life. To ask a sexual assault survivor to settle for a Peace Bond is like telling them that what happened was okay, and also gives the abuser the chance to do it to somebody else without any repercussions A Peace Bond is basically stating the abuser is to stay away from the survivor with no record of the victims statement and or the court evidence ever coming back even if the abuser strikes another victim later in his life. To ask somebody who has worked on their mental health and trauma caused by their abuser while breaking the cycle of violence to settle for a Peace Bond it's like telling them that everything that they've done was for nothing, that their abusers actions don’t have any effect on there over all human rights and well-being. By offering a violence survivor, you are telling them you don't believe them to be strong enough to go against their abuser.
By Moon Child 5 years ago in Psyche
Bipolar Disorder or Order?
Robin Williams saved my life. It was his death that finally made me realise I had to do something to stop this crazy life I was living and face up to the truth. There was something not quite right in my head and it hadn't been quite right for a really long time! I was an absolute car-crash in more ways than one; self-medicating heavily behind the scenes because I was so depressed, then manically entertaining everybody I met so they wouldn't see right through my carefully veiled facade. I'm an actress, good at playing real characters, so it was easy to fool people but not so easy to continue fooling myself. I tried the doctor and she told me there was nothing wrong with me,which anyone who's met me knows I'm as mad as a box of frogs, so I sought a second opinion. She told me to refer myself to the local mental health service as I'd be seen quicker. Not an easy thing to do as effectively you are admitting you have a mental problem but what choice did I have?! So I made the call. Cut a long story short, I was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder Type 2, which (for anyone who doesn't know) has more depressive episodes than manic ones. Either way, it's a pain in the arse to live with and you have to "manage" it every single day or it catches you unawares! My moods can go up and down like a tart's knickers! I'd been struggling with Bipolar undiagnosed for 30 years which is a bloody long time and I was angry yet relieved. I remember the nurse once asking me how having Bipolar affects my normal everyday life to which I replied, 'I can't answer that question, this is my normal everyday life!!'. Which brings me around to the question, what is normal exactly? We all have mood swings, high and low points in our lives but for some of us it's like an extreme rollercoaster and impossible to keep a lid on. We need more understanding in the world about mental illness full stop. I've always spoken out about my mental illness. I'm proud of it. It makes me who I am and what I can do creatively. To me I'm perfectly normal and have order in my own way. Others would beg to differ but I don't care, I'm doing the very best I can and that's good enough for me. Until next time...be kind and take care x
By Charlotte Kiely5 years ago in Psyche
My Experience With: Stress, Eating and University.
I know I’ve been saying for a long time that I will do something lifestyle based and so, I am doing a lifestyle blog about things that happen on a day-to-day basis. I will be talking about my experiences with various things, some things will come back over and over again because my days are very much similar. If something else happens then it happens. Hopefully, you and I can get along and I can go along and tell you a little bit of a story about this experience I’ve had and then we’re going to talk about it. I’m going to discuss my reaction and my thoughts on the experience afterwards. Not only am I thinking about getting a dialogue going, but I’m also looking to make friends with people who have probably had similar experiences to me. Not only that though, maybe we can have a bit of a laugh and rethink this shit - maybe our minds can be changed and enlightened together. Or, you can just be here to enjoy the story and listen to me ramble on. If you want to read this in my voice then I kind of sound like a cross between Freddie Mercury and Scar from the “Lion King”. So get the full ‘experience’ there. So immersive.
By Annie Kapur5 years ago in Psyche
Mental Illness Is Real
Mental illness is something no one wants to talk about. Its real. Some people are ashamed of it, do not want to talk about it and get laughed at it. It is no laughing matter. People take their lives in behind humility and shame. Some people suffer in silence. It is sad when people feel like they have no one to talk to but unfortunately, that’s how things are these days. People hide their feelings for fear of being called crazy and sometimes fear of being called stupid or fear of losing friends.
By Nerissha Hunt5 years ago in Psyche
