Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Psyche.
Moving Beyond the Stigma of Hopelessness:
As a Licensed Practical Nurse who has worked for over twenty years in psychiatric hospitals, there is one part of my life I have hid from my past employers and my patients: that I also struggle with mental illness and have been hospitalized. There is a word that explains why I haven’t shared what I call my “dark night of soul.” The word is stigma and it means a mark or label imposed by others that leads to devaluation and discrimination. Sociologist Erving Goffman in his ground breaking study in 1963 explained the origin of the word.
By Edward Kelly Jr6 years ago in Psyche
Dealing With Anxiety
The other day I had an anxiety attack, or shall I say another anxiety attack because there have been a few. Rather than taking medication, my doctor asked if I would be interested in attending an anxiety class. Hm, I’m not exactly a big fan of these self-help groups, but okay, I would give it a shot. As expected, it didn’t go well for me, in fact, I was kicked out of the group.
By Conny Manero6 years ago in Psyche
THE SECRET LIFE OF THE MANIC DEPRESSIVE
The Secret Life of the Manic depressive are Stephen Fry's words, coined in his two part documentary detailing his breakdown, his secret shame, and the stories of countless others that go through the debilitating effects of untreated trauma coping mechanisms.
By Yasmeen Dahdah6 years ago in Psyche
Finding a Therapist for OCD
It may seem stupid to double check that your new potential therapist knows about OCD as they're a therapist, they're there to help you right? And surely they wouldn't offer you their services if they didn't? Well, you'd like to think so but this isn't always the case. This articles was sparked this morning in my imagination after I attended an assessment at a new therapy practice in the hopes of finding a full time and long-term therapist.
By Amy Wildsmith6 years ago in Psyche
"I Only Eat Yellow Things"
Most kids are fussy with food at some point or another in their childhoods. I always tried to pretend that's what I was; "fussy". Except I took it to the extremes and would barely touch anything that didn't have a concrete certificate of approval, and even then the conditions had to be just right. My mum and dad were always brilliant and exotic eaters so it wasn't like I wasn't exposed to a vast culinary choice. I just could not bring myself to try new things, no matter how hard and tirelessly my parents tried. They took me to doctors and kept me off school to try and crack the problem. They tried being nice, they tried being harsh, shouting, pleading, every single trick in the book and beyond, but nothing anyone said could ever sway me to even hold new foods, let only taste them. I couldn't explain it, it just felt wrong. The very idea of putting anything new in my mouth overwhelmed me, like I might die. I truly would have rather gone hungry than just give something a go.
By Louisa Jane6 years ago in Psyche
The One Book Every First Responder Shouldn’t Be Without
Whether deployed or not, being in the military has its challenges and inherent hazards. The same can be said of first responders such as firefighters, police officers and paramedics. They run to danger when the rest of us flee. They often witness the worst of humanity and the most heinous of circumstances.
By Heather Down6 years ago in Psyche
Toxic People Can Be as Bad as Cancer and It Has got to Go!
“Smile and the world smiles with you if you frown you frown alone” a simple saying that I was told my whole life. I had no clue what this saying truly meant when I was a freshman writing it on the board for the quote of the day because the teacher had forgotten to write a quote yet I felt the board needed her daily quote and since I wasn’t particularly smart that was the only thing I could come up with. It was a saying my mom would say to me when I would walk around the house saying, “I’m bored” and whine and cry because I wanted something to do. Not so different than I do now, meaning I still have ADHD and bipolar disorder and I still get really bored and whine and cry about it, only I am a grown up now. Today someone told me the same quote as I laughed about the fact that my smile is authentic, and I often keep a smile on my face these days even when facing depression.
By Tosha Maaks6 years ago in Psyche
