Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Psyche.
16 Ways to Get Over Depression
We all encounter situations in our lives that can make us feel miserable. It could be a bad day at school, a bad break-up, or the loss of a dear pet. We become depressed and we think that all the happiness has been drained out of us. Sometimes, we might think that there’s no way out of that state of depression and nothing can make us feel better no matter what; but that’s not true. There are many ways to get over a bad mood, a bad day, or even a temporary state of depression. Here are 16 simple ways where you can get over depression without having to consult a therapist or take any medication.
By Malak Younis7 years ago in Psyche
How to Avoid the Negative Effects of Self-Judgment on Your Mental Health
Human beings cultivate strong opinions on things surrounding them. This is often negative judgment/self-talk while on other occasions it might be positive self-talk. Negative self-talk is harmful to your mental health and consequently, your lifestyle.
By Jilian Woods7 years ago in Psyche
How Diet Culture Impacted My Eating Disorder
I was 15-years-old when I first started to show eating disorder habits. It started by cutting out junk food, then soda, then carbs, and, well, you can pretty much figure out the rest. By my senior year of high school it became drilled into my routine to wake up an hour early just to work out. I was constantly skipping meals, and if things didn't go my way at cross country practice, I would beat myself up about it and work out more when I got home. By my freshman year of college, going days without eating was "normal" for me, along with a string of other self-destructive habits.
By Suzanne Gayle7 years ago in Psyche
Living with a Mental Illness
INSTEAD of being a wave of relief, my diagnosis crushed me. I had been smacked with two hyper-stigmatised labels that I didn’t want or deserve. Medication seemed the logical route, and even though I still take it regularly, I can’t shake this niggling feeling in the back of my mind that I’m not "authentically" me when I’m on them. I’m some societally subdued version of my former self. Not only have my negative emotions have been numbed by meds, my positive emotions (my crutches) too, appear to hang and exist, seeming just indifferent. The age-old adage of Jekyll and Hyde is somewhat blurred with mental illness. It isn’t a straight dichotomy, a line that says this is where my illness ends and I begin. At times it feels like you are your illness, and your illness is you. In some ways, I am unable to excuse my erratic, manic behaviour, because my illness and I (in those moments) appear as one. And it is this constant struggle to define yourself in the midst of an illness or on a shorter scale, an episode, that I have found the hardest to deal with. I myself can’t remember a time when I wasn’t anxious or worrying about what people think—but it’s a constant debate in my head as if this is just personality or illness or a mixture of both. But, one thing is for sure, that even in your darkest moments, your ingenuity and your positive moments are the authentic, true you.
By Tabby Weir7 years ago in Psyche
Photos from When I Was Suicidal
Trigger Warning: Suicide mention, dark thoughts, etc. (there’s nothing graphic, but I talk about being in that mindset). I was looking through my Snapchat memories gallery, which I forget exists a lot, and realized something that shocked me.
By Catherine Butler7 years ago in Psyche
Anxiety: A Little Understanding
Anxiety disorder is one of the most common mental illnesses. If you don't live with it yourself, you probably know someone who does. I think it's really underemphasised how important it is to understand what it's like to suffer with anxiety—especially since so many people do on a daily basis. The way people are treated when it comes to their anxiety can really affect how they handle their disorder. If someone is encouraged to suppress their anxieties, I can only imagine how problematic that could be for their mental health. Obviously, I'm not a medical professional, but I do suffer from anxiety and hopefully my experiences can shed some light on what it's like to live with the disorder.
By Katie Gaster7 years ago in Psyche
Does Social Media Hurt Mental Health?
Social media is playing a seemingly ever-growing role in our lives. But how does it affect our mental health? That's not such an easy answer, because it can be positive or negative, or a little bit of both, depending on how we approach it.
By Ashley L. Peterson7 years ago in Psyche
"Fragile - Handle with Care"
Ah yes, mental health.As cliche as it might sound, life truly can and will be a "rollercoaster."Although, I feel thatif you were to more specifically apply that metaphor, it may be more fitting for mental health, or at least mine.I don't want to ramble on providing commonly accepted notions or ideas about the ebb and flow in one's mental state... but sometimes it can be difficult to keep it all together.To bring a more personal lens to the piece, I suffered a medical condition that exclusively bred within my little cranium and in medical terms only lasted three weeks.Those three weeks defined the next eight months of my life. The definitive nature of the impact slowly erode in the following six months... and I estimate around 18 months—from the time I left intensive care. I felt normal again.
By camaïeu cally7 years ago in Psyche
March Is Self-Injury Awareness Month
Tomorrow is the first of March, and for many, that can mean a lot of great things, including the fact that spring is not far away. However, it also means we need to start a dialogue that plagues millions of individuals yearly: Self-injury. March is #SelfInjuryAwarenessMonth in Canada, the United States, and Western Europe, and self-injury is something that I—like so many others—continue to know very little about.
By Christina St-Jean7 years ago in Psyche
Tips to Improve Sleep and Manage Anxiety
You’re ready for bed. The television is off, the room is comfortable, and you’ve settled down for the night. Yet when your head hits the pillow, your mind begins racing. Did you remember to do that thing? Should you have really said that to your mother-in-law? How are you going to afford that car repair?
By Michael Jacobs7 years ago in Psyche
The Art of Breathing
Life at times is full on, fast-paced and challenging. One minute you're on top of the world and another minute you're in the slums. The mind is such a powerful system. Your thoughts literally create your perspective and your perspective forms your life. You are what you think.
By Luke Joseph7 years ago in Psyche
