Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Psyche.
Staying Home with Family at the Cost of our Mental Health
With this pandemic, many of us are put in the situation of having to stay at home at the cost of our mental health. Renting our own place is too costly and most places are closed, so being at home stays the most convenient choice, even if it means having a few mental breakdowns once in a while (I write this amidst one).
By Christine Do5 years ago in Psyche
When will it get better?
I am broken, I look around and see people living their lives, holding hands, watching the sun go down or sitting together at a cafe planning. Thats not me, and I fear it never will be. I want to be happy, to smile and laugh and wake up each day with renewed faith that something wonderful is coming. Yet I don’t, I am on my sofa curled with a blanket crying, and I cry and cry until my partner comes home.
By MoriaCavandish5 years ago in Psyche
Dear Black People: Nothing Replaces Therapy.
The last few months of being a human being on this planet have been tough. For Black people, it's been devastating. We have openly witnessed and watched our community members being murdered and lynched in the streets like they are nothing. We don't lynch animals so I can't even make that comparison, nor would I want to. That's something that society has apparently reserved only for Black people. The videos that are circulating are, in the words of Killer Mike, murder porn. I read an article yesterday about a bar in Long Island, my stomping grounds in the US, that was actually taking bets on how many shooting deaths there would be over the Labour Day weekend in Chicago and New York City, with the winner being offered a cash prize. Their Twitter post with a picture of the gambling board literally said, "Let the shooting sprees begin!" I want you to take this in for a moment. A bunch of people really believed that the best use of their time was to spend their hard earned money betting on how many people would die? Now the fact that they specifically chose Chicago and NYC, two cities whose gun violence happens predominantly in lower income, Black communities and other communities of colour tells you everything you need to know about their feelings towards us. Think about the privilege and arrogance a human being has to have to do something like this. Acknowledge the fact that they knew there could only be one winner and were willing to lose their money over this. That is how much they do not care about Black or Brown lives. That is the kind of hatred and racism that is alive and well in some white communities. There were 25 unique names of people who bet. 68 people liked the post on Twitter. This is just the one we found out about. Like all the incidences of police brutality against Black people that go unrecorded, who knows how many more bars like these exist with this type of reprehensible behaviour happening.
By Whitney Smart5 years ago in Psyche
Meantime Chronicles
Hey there, how's it going? My name is Adrian Chambliss and I suffer from depression. I won't go into too many details, but I imagine I'm like most people in the sense that I don't like talking about my feelings or even acknowledging them. It's not that you mind talking about it, but some things tend to kill the mood and you don't want to appear to be a downer. I get it. That's why I wanted to do a daily blog thing to help navigate my own journey while I work through getting better. My hope and goal is that by the end of this, I'd have something to help explain myself to others, as well as give a sense of calm or normalcy for some.
By Adrian Chambliss5 years ago in Psyche
How I Took Back Ownership of My Body
I struggled with my body for as long as I can remember though I never had a problem until I entered middle school. Since I was four years I saw myself with a massive stomach even in reality I was skinny. I was always active as a child, I never really overate, and my family had a pretty healthy lifestyle so even now I don't understand where those thoughts came from. They were just there and I continue to live with them.
By Billie-Jules5 years ago in Psyche
Natural Ways to Manage Anxiety
No matter who you are or what you do, no one is immune to bouts of stress or anxiety. With the daily stressors of our day-to-day life and busy schedules, it's natural to occasionally feel overwhelmed and anxious. However, it's important to learn the right ways to cope with anxiety or it could cause lasting damage to your mental and even physical health. While all coping skills won't work for everyone, there are some generally accepted ways to manage anxiety.
By Sasha McGregor5 years ago in Psyche
The Circle
The Circle I find myself in a familiar room. There’s the smell of incense and tobacco with hand rolled cigarettes all over the living room coffee table. I stare at the same Starry Night that hangs on the back wall. So often I find myself here and never am I excited to come. I’m here to get what I need and get out. That’s all. Some time passes. Finally, I’m greeted by my “doctor,” the man responsible for my weekly fix. He smiles at me, and I feigned a smile back. “What’ll it be this time?” he asks. “Just my usual. Enough to keep me going for the week.” I subconsciously scratch my head. It’s as if I know it’s wrong for me to be here. I ignore the thought and wait while my “doctor” gets my prescribed dose. He weighs it out, bags it up and sticks out his hand for payment. I cough up 80 dollars out of my 240 dollar weekly paycheck. I immediately head towards the door, meds in hand. “See you next week!” the “doctor” calls out. “See you next week,” I mutter with contempt in my voice.
By Kristopher Michael Cafaldo5 years ago in Psyche
Depression With A Capital D
Many people have had an episode of deep depression, nearly always precipitated by a traumatic event in their lives. For a brief period in their long lives, they get totally knocked out by life. These people describe these episodes as some of the darkest days of their lives. They shudder when asked to talk about it and almost all are brought to tears when recounting their days of depression. For some, it was a shock to know that there could be such a dark place in their own minds. Some have even described it as being as close to hell as they ever want to get. They are permanently scarred by this encounter with severe depression and never want to be in that place again. Welcome to my neighborhood. This is where I have lived my entire life.
By Anne Humphrey5 years ago in Psyche
Heavy
I lay awake, gripping my blanket tight around my shoulders with one hand and holding my pillow close with the other. My eyes are closed, but I can't sleep. I've been like this for hours, shifting restlessly, longing for the sweet release of sleep. But it just won't come. I am fully aware that each restless toss and turn drives me further from my goal, but the movements come unbidden.
By Vina Lethane5 years ago in Psyche
