Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Psyche.
being a pain patient in the middle of a drug addiction crisis
As most of you all will be aware these days, time and time again you'll see on the news something to do with the opioid crisis gripping the country, actually a lot of countries around the world. This person overdosed and died. Kids left in cars, parents passed out. Doctor shopping gone crazy, the up scheduling of medications, doctors constantly told not to prescribe too many, and they'll have to explain themselves, should that rates they prescribe opioids, be too high compared to other doctor's in the same area. Unless, of course they are a pain specialist, palliative care or cancer specialist. While changes are badly needed and I certainly agree with certain steps there are a lot of things that need to change before its too late. Before people feel that suicide is the only way out of their constant, draining and soul destroying life. See, now things have gone too far on the side of caution, pain patients, who could access their pain medications now have to jump through hoop after hoop. Like they have to prove they aren't addicts or drug dealers. You'll see your doctor for your regular medications for your non-cancer pain, especially since the new rules came in, feeling like your doing something wrong. Something you have done quite possibly for years, only to feel like your be looked at like an addict or dealer of some kind. You feel like that if you ask for an increase of medication, or just going back up to the doses you were on a month or two ago, because you gave it a go at a lower dose and it's not enough, is a luxury that you have to earn. You are at the mercy of the doctor you see. And what kills is you feel like a lap dog begging for a treat after fetching the ball for your owner, a second class citizen just for accessing the necessary medicine you need. And of course, the younger you are the worse it is.
By Louise Dickson5 years ago in Psyche
Mosaic
I gaze at the stranger that stands in front of me, staring at me. She’s a reflection of me that I can’t recognize anymore. When I lean closer to her, I notice that her eyes are like small windows. I could see everything she was keeping inside of her. I saw all of her sadness, pain, and anger. She still had a small remnant of her soul left, lingering somewhere deep inside there. But despite all of the darkness and hurt, I saw through her lifeless eyes, I saw something that caught my attention. It was a small little glint of something that I haven’t seen in a while… I saw love.
By Daniel Blount5 years ago in Psyche
A Brief Synopsis on The Dark Triad
I'll preface this by saying; I am a narcissist. For years, I have struggled to understand my own psychology and my own predatory tendencies to the people around me. Part of my methodology for protecting the people I care about is by explaining how narcissism appears in the context of any sort of relationship. However, there is an area of 'dark psychology' that goes beyond strictly narcissism and is called the 'Dark Triad'.
By Evan Foster5 years ago in Psyche
Are you depressed?
Let's face it, becoming depressed is a very real thing. It has happened to most people. Perhaps it has either happened to you, or you are currently experiencing this phenomena. Whatever the case, this article is here to potentially help assist you get out of depression.
By Christopher Jay Agudo6 years ago in Psyche
The Haze
There's a haze that happens, a fog almost, when someone physically attacks you. It's like it wraps around your mind and everything goes into slow motion. The violence of the situation can be seen in such clarity and detail, yet everything seems fuzzy at the same time.
By Wynette Richardson6 years ago in Psyche
Keep The Lights On
“Alex, you can’t sleep with the lights on. Adults don’t do that. Get a grip, turn the lights off and go to sleep,” I pep-talked myself at three-thirty in the morning, eyes glued to the ceiling. This was my nightly ritual. The skeletons in my closet were alive and well and loved to take me through a world of repeated terror every time the sun disappeared. I pulled myself to the side of the bed like a zombie and flipped the switch on my lamp causing an immediate flood of black to envelope my room. I rolled on my back, shut my eyes, and practiced rhythmical breathing, a handy method to fall asleep, courtesy of my therapist. It was effective.
By Alexandra Tett6 years ago in Psyche
Getting sober
I’m always early, maybe it is the fact that I am a Virgo, although, I don’t really believe in that. I think my anxious nature is truly caused by my anxiety and that is just a fact about me. I worry, another fact about me. This worry caused my earliness and even at my breaking point, I was still early for that, an overachiever.
By Shelley Tennison6 years ago in Psyche
Why I'm Letting Go
Let's face it: all of us face some kind of bullshit on a daily basis. It's either from being at work or getting a super weird message that throws off your whole day. I've been there way too recently than I care to admit, but hey, bullshit happens. It's how we deal with it that really makes us be able to move on from it and continue to live our lives. It sometimes blows my mind how I can hold onto something way longer, or think I'm completely over something because I told myself to be over it, but it pops it's ugly head up six months later. I used to think boxing up the bullshit and pretending it didn't affect me would work. Compartmentalize and deal with it later. Guess what? Didn't work! So what is there to do now?
By Alexandra Picerne6 years ago in Psyche
