Latest Stories

Most recently published stories in Psyche.

Why Did Marvel Get Away With Mocking Mental Health in Avengers: Endgame?
The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been a major success by smashing through box-office records around the world, with Avengers: Endgame cultivating multiple storylines and converging them for one epic end of a saga. However, there is a major issue in society today that Marvel not only included in Avengers: Endgame, but they even made a joke of the entire problem, male depression. This brings me to the character that was used to make the jokes and the actor who I would assume either did not care what was being done or was unaware of him making a joke of a serious problem.
By Craig Arnott6 years ago in Psyche
4 Signs Your Anxiety Is Affecting Your Dating Life
Unfortunately, anxiety is a condition that affects a huge swathe of the population, to varying degrees. Some learn to live with it; others struggle, often requiring expert intervention. One area which can be considerably impacted is using a date life. Even people enjoying a seemingly contented and committed relationship can face moments of doubt, no matter how irrational this sense of uncertainty and worry might be. One major issue with anxiety is that the signs aren't always obvious. They can be underlying, lurking beneath the surface, especially when the person involved feels obliged to hide them. But here are four surefire signs your anxiety is having a detrimental effect on your dating life.
By Jonathan Draper6 years ago in Psyche
What I learnt from Therapy
Therapy and counselling can be life-changing. (There is a difference between the two: in basic terms therapy is a more focused, goal-based treatment while counselling is more of a discussion.) However, it isn't easy. You can be left on waiting lists for free sessions for ages and not everyone can afford to go private. When you do receive treatment, it’s not a quick fix. You don't walk into the therapist's room one person and walk out after the first session another. You have to put effort into working out your mind. With this being said the advice from a therapist or counsellor can be invaluable.
By Rebecca Clark6 years ago in Psyche
Can I Recover From Emotional Distress After A Car Accident
After a car accident, there is always a risk of suffering from significant injuries. These injuries may range from minor injuries such as bruises on the hands to substantial injuries such as brain injuries. After the bruises are treated, an individual may continue suffering. Maybe the other driver was texting when suddenly you heard a bang, or you were trying to park when someone slammed you from behind. These unexpected circumstances may linger in your mind for long. It’s no wonder some victims of car accidents continue to suffer from anxiety or depression long after the accident. If you have suffered from emotional distress, you can get compensated for the mental anguish as a part of the injuries resulting from the car accident.
By Nancy Ahuja6 years ago in Psyche
Willpower is a concept designed to demonstrate we will fail
I have worked with behavioral change models, hypnosis, meditation, and performance improvement for over twenty five years. I’ve become increasingly skeptical about the concept of willpower, and concerned by the marketed self-help obsession that surrounds it. It's always in the media how you might be broken and how you can pay for a product, service, or experience to get you on the path to being better. What I am sharing here is the accumulation of many years of thought, research, and exploration on this topic.
By Joseph Crown6 years ago in Psyche
Coping with eating disorder during lockdown
This is a time in our life that none of us will ever forget; we are all facing so many challenges, as individuals and as a society. For me this lockdown brought some new challenges and struggles, but also many old ghost from the past have found a place in my daily life again. From struggling to stay motivated to continue with my studies and regular exercise, to my struggle with a constant companion in my life - my eating disorder.
By Ema Kravanja6 years ago in Psyche
My mother taught me about suicide
The question today in my writing suggestion was if I think suicide is selfish. The topic of suicide is really confusing to me. I have a lot of conflicting feelings about the topic, my experience on this has been all over the place throughout my life. My first introduction to the subject was when I was about five years old. When I was pretty young my mother had a group of friends she would party with on a regular basis. All of these friends also had children of varying ages. When our parents where drinking they would usually have all of us kids at one person's house to keep us occupied or if we where at the same location kids would be delegated to one area. During this time one of the oldest boys in the group on a day he alone took his mother's handgun outside. He sat on a swing and shot himself in the head. His mother would say it was an accident, but I have always believed it was true. I think at the time I was too young to truly comprehend the tragedy of the situation. It did leave an impression with me though. I don't think I have the words to express how I felt about it, however, it wasn't completely negative for me. Back at that time I did believe in heaven though and maybe in my mind I figured that was better then what I was experiencing in life. Later when I was maybe eight years old my uncle attempted suicide, by shooting himself just under the chin. Holding the gun up toward his head under his jaw the bullet went up through his mouth hitting bone and changing the direction of the bullet. This caused his jaw to be destroyed but for the bullet to not reach it's intended destination. The result was his jaw being wired shut in order to heal and some life long issues with pain. I watched my grandmother grind his meals in an iron meat grinder for some time. This left a negative impression on me that after his attempt it just left him with additional problems. The remaining lessons I learned about suicide came from my mother. She would tell me she wanted to die from time to time. So many times that they left no impression on me and I'm hard-pressed to remember them specifically. I truly had no feeling about these discussions because I never believed her. I knew my luck would never be that good. I knew that if she died I would be placed with my grandparents which would have ended to hell I lived in. The only time I really had any reaction to my mother's death was when my stepfather would say I would be staying with him in order to take my mother's place and continue to raise my brothers. There was one conversation that I had with my mother when I was approximately ten years old though that did stick in my memory. It was an occasion where my mother could not get out of bed. I don't remember what I need from her or what she was supposed to be doing but I was in her room sitting on her bed. She told me she dreamed of killing herself. I probably told her she needed to stop saying that because no one was gonna react anymore. She told me that she had it all planned out. She told me she was going to take the gun into the shower with her and blow her head out. Her reasoning for the location was to make clean up easier for us. At the time it made sense to me. I told her I didn't care I didn't believe her and that I hoped to live forever, I told her she deserved to live as long as possible. It really was the worst to say to her, she told me it was awful to wish life on her. My experience with the thought of suicide probably wasn't the same as most people and it remains different to this day. I don't see it as selfish. I have never understood why people would say that. I have always felt like it was selfish of the people around someone in pain would expect someone to live in pain for their benefit. To further the thought my only goal in life was to raise my children. During their childhood my highest priority was them. I made all decisions in my life to better provide for them. I was successful in raising them all, and each of them left home and are independent and doing very well. This is wonderful but has left me with no direction and truly no reason I have found that it is worth the trouble of living each day. My point is only to show there are different views on any subject. I would not want or encourage anyone to commit suicide, I guess all I'm saying is I understand the feeling. And maybe if you have had someone in your life with these feelings you can maybe understand their thought process and pain they may be in.
By Neecee B6 years ago in Psyche
Rockfest For Recovery
'To get clean. To stay sober.' These are common phrases used to describe someone who is battling a drug or alcohol addiction. It sounds simple, right? Well, it's far from it. For some people, all it takes is an intervention, if you will, by caring family members to seek help. A few months of group/individual sessions and drug/alcohol free living will do the trick. For others, it is a life-long battle to not use drugs/alcohol on a regular basis, or, at all. Some get clean, but aren't able to stay sober for that long. Some get clean, are sober for a while, and fall back into the same patterns of behavior of using never to return to sobriety. A relapse, we call it. Fortunately, some are able to make it out alive and return to a somewhat 'normal' state of being. What is 'normal' anyway these days? Is there even such a thing? And, some just aren't able to kick the habit, and leave us way too soon. These cases are the hardest to swallow. Family, friends, and other loved ones are left behind with the memory of their sister/brother, parent, friend, or spouse.
By Jim Gaven6 years ago in Psyche
My mind is a time machine.
Ghost's of my past sneak into my mind and play tricks on me through the night time. Tiny traumas of the past, sneak their way into my mind to disturb me, even the fairy lights aren't as comforting as they were before I drifted off in this unwanted war. The war in my mind is when the ghost start to play foolish games with the past which could cause to me to panic and not play.
By Maria 6 years ago in Psyche
The Box
The door thudded closed behind her as she entered the large, dimly lit storage space. Empty but for one large crate or box in the center of the floor, there was an eerie feeling about the place which made her shiver.
By Mellie Miller6 years ago in Psyche
The Noise in my Head
Like many Latinas, my mom was raised to be of service to everyone except herself: to her husband, her children, her in-laws. Growing up in a poverty-stricken neighborhood in Mexico, she helped her own mother raise 18 children. With no formal education beyond the sixth grade, she came to the US in her 20’s and worked in low-wage jobs to send money to her mother. She remained in low-wage jobs her entire life to help support our own family.
By Yvonne Castaneda6 years ago in Psyche
Do you have baggage?
I was raised by a Cuban father and a Mexican mother on American soil and I had one hell of a time forming my own identity. My father, or Papi as I called him, stressed to me that I should be fiercely independent. He pulled me aside when I was ten years old and said, “Mija, don’t get married and have children until you have an education and a career and your own money. Don’t depend on anyone, ever.” His words scared the hell out of me because I was still playing with Barbie dolls and couldn’t imagine getting married, ever.
By Yvonne Castaneda6 years ago in Psyche