Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Psyche.
Peaches and Cream Screams
Dear, Readers, Before you read further, this is a trigger warning that this essay discusses self-mutilation, self-harm, and substance abuse. If you suffer from any of these, you’ve been warned, and if you can’t read this without being triggered, I would rather you didn’t read it.
By Chloe Medeiros5 years ago in Psyche
Not My Time
Anyone who has taken the time to look over the sleeve on my right arm would probably come to the conclusion that I’m obsessed with Death. I wouldn’t say I’m obsessed though...Death and I just have a very intricate and complicated relationship. The first death I ever experienced was my mother’s. I was four years old and to this day the thing that I remember the most is seeing a grown man cry for the first time. I was four, I had no concept of Death or that it meant I would never see her again. Now before you go getting all sympathetic on me, I’ll say again: I was FOUR. Save the sympathy for people who are unfortunate enough to lose their parents when it’s the hardest, like when they’re teenagers or young adults and could use the guidance. I was a young teenager the first time I considered Death as a friend, an option. I spent days in my room behind a closed door crying over things teens cry about, like boys and getting made fun of for my glasses and acne. But I also agonized over the fact that I was a living, breathing human with a fully functioning body and limbs yet somehow that still wasn’t enough for me.
By Nicole Renee Nunez5 years ago in Psyche
PTSD, inconvenient anger, and the power of forgiveness
When something traumatic happens to you, oftentimes during the recovery process you will come against something known as "toxic positivity culture". In short, this can be described as swallowing or denying an emotion, thought process, or way of coping in order to say everything is okay and nothing "bad" has tainted your head space. When I was younger, I found myself submerged in the counterculture of Vancouver's Commercial Drive. White women with dreadlocks and crystal collections that could pay off my student loans would tell me about the inner workings of the universe, how it was all connected, and the magic of sacred geometry. “What exactly is sacred geometry?” I would ask. “Like, what applications does it have?” The only reply I would get was, “It’s in everything, look around you!” I would nod uneasily, feeling like the answer was perhaps lacking some detail. They would educate me on how to set my vibration so that only good things would happen to me and I was swept up in the ideas that focusing on or even acknowledging my anger, sadness, frustration, disappointment or anything that wasn’t a constant manic joy would result in me allowing these negative energies to taint me; which would often imply I was somehow not a good person. “Low vibrational”, I would hear in very self assured tones.
By Elijah Miley5 years ago in Psyche
How Is Agoraphobia Tied to Schizoaffective?
I had to go to school with obvious agoraphobia related anxiety. Not being treated for schizoaffective comes form the depths of hell, and is very stressful. Medication is great because it helps you with stress management. Well, mental focus on breathing can also help with stress management. I have schizoaffective, which means I am schizophrenic and bipolar at the same time. I also have OCD. OCD will be something I will cover in other articles this month. I have many anxiety related disorders I'm trying to control, live with better, and contain but I have seen that I need to put myself in the hands of mental health rehabilitation centers in Los Angeles, which there are plenty of.
By Iria Vasquez-Paez5 years ago in Psyche
Antidote to Depression is Gratitude
Humorous depression memes are some of the best sources of humor for those who suffer from this disorder. Some of these are extremely funny depression memes, especially in that they lighten up a serious psychological problem. The truth is that any time in a person's life, even in the early stages of life, a person might feel hopeless. This lack of hope is what makes depression so difficult to handle.
By Dixie Welch5 years ago in Psyche
Stages of Alcoholism that Affects your Relationship With Loved Ones
The stages of alcoholism that affect your relationship with loved ones can be tough to swallow but you need to be aware of it. If you don't recognize it and have a little bit of awareness, you will be able to stop it before it causes a serious problem in your marriage.
By Seth Norton5 years ago in Psyche
Implications of COVID-19 on People With Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder that is characterized by obsessive and repetitive thoughts or behaviors that severely affect a person’s quality of life. Both people with OCD and other types of anxiety disorders battle challenging mental health conditions that are made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic. Whether a person is struggling with incessant fear about the virus, fear of the unknown, or social and economic insecurity, the normal level of worry that most people experience may be exacerbated in some people with OCD.
By Cassidy Webb5 years ago in Psyche
