Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Psyche.
Pandemic Anxieties
It’s no secret that those of us suffering from anxiety have noticed some changes in our mental health throughout this global pandemic. Some may be improving, feeling less anxious about things like social gatherings, public appearances, or just being able to enjoy staying home. Others may feel like the weight of the world is on their shoulders as they struggle with feelings of isolation and fear, worrying about their loved ones or how they will make ends meet. Maybe those who had never experienced anxiety before are feeling lost in unfamiliar thoughts and feelings. Whatever it may be, we are all going through changes. I’ve talked with a few individuals and asked them to share how this global pandemic has altered their mental health, specifically anxiety.
By Shaley Speaks6 years ago in Psyche
Art Therapy - How It Can Be A Useful Tool In Recovery.
I have always found solace in art based hobbies. There is just something about art that allows me to relax. I have felt this way ever since I was a teenager. I remember sitting in art class at school, I’d be so focused on the work at hand; a drawing, piece of pottery, a Warhol pop art reproduction. In that hour I would completely zone out from the world around me.
By Erin Shields6 years ago in Psyche
My Body Dysmorphia and Social Media
Body insecurity is common among most of us, maybe our shape is something we don't like, it could be our face symmetry or skin issues. For some they can "cope" with their insecurities but for others like me this becomes an obsession and debilitating to their daily lives. Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) is described by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition as a "diagnosis involving distress due to a perceived physical anomaly, such as a scar, the shape or size of a body part, or some other personal feature". OCDaction.org state that "According to the NICE guidelines, it is estimated that approximately 0.5-0.7% of the UK population have BDD. Clinical samples tend to have an equal proportion of men and women across all age groups. In children and young people, body dysmorphic disorder usually has an early-adolescence onset at about age 13. Although symptoms can be found in children as young as 5, it is rare for children under 12 to be diagnosed with BDD. "
By Ruby-Jessica Smith6 years ago in Psyche
Second Chance
I always craved the nightlife. However I was vastly over weight for a majority of my life, meaning I was never very good at being a part of it. As I now know, having bipolar is something that means I shouldn't allow for the nightlife much in my life anyhow; it was fall and the bipolar delusions were strong and I was struggling very hard internally with the paranoid thoughts that flooded my mind day in and day out. The thought of being talked about behind my back, and people not liking me, was never far from my mind. I never felt like I fit in, it didn't' matter if I was at one of the kid's football games or at work at the strip club I felt like no one liked me. I never stayed at a job for much longer than six months because I would get overwhelmed with the feelings that my coworkers were out to get me. The struggle had me in full force by 2008 when I had lost all the weight after my gastric bypass surgery.
By Tosha Maaks6 years ago in Psyche
I am Anorexia
ED trigger warning...read with caution. This is only to show how an eating disorder like anorexia consumes one's mind. Let me introduce myself, I am anorexia. I slowly began to make myself known. Want to start a diet? You'll have to know the numbers. You let me know you bit by bit until we are attached at the hip. I become you until you no longer are yourself. Your family and friends won't recognize you. Very soon you will no longer recognize yourself as you slowly disappear in black and white.
By Madeline Keys6 years ago in Psyche
Bullying & Anxiety
hi, I’m Cristina. Growing up, I was bullied constantly because of my looks, i was always this shy and quiet type of girl. I had no friends, and no one wanted to sit with me because I didn’t “look like them.” Every time I would get bullied, I would stay quiet. It was this fear of getting bullied again. I started to isolate myself, look in the mirror every morning and tell myself that I am not good enough.
By Cristina Marie6 years ago in Psyche
In The Corpse
When I stopped wanting—wanting to work, make, feel, be—I started sleeping a lot. I don’t know if you know this, but there’s a kind of limit on how much one person can sleep. Even after hitting that limit more than a few times throughout my life, I still couldn’t tell you what it is. I haven’t done any testing. All I know is that it exists. A thin line, dictating your ability to sleep and to not.
By Zoey Hickman6 years ago in Psyche
