Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Psyche.
Coping with Holiday Depression
By: Marlene Affeld Loneliness is a word used to express the pain of being alone, solitude is a word used to express the glory of being alone. Learn to know the difference. Express your feelings. It’s all right if you prefer your own company for the holidays and avoid connecting with family and friends. It's your choice. Don’t let family or friends pressure you into feeling otherwise.
By Marlene Affeld7 years ago in Psyche
The Emergence of Scarlett
Sometimes I really think that I may be insane. My mind wires are never not ignited and my thoughts are never fluid. Picture a train station where trains are supposed to show up on time, one by one. My thoughts, however, are more like a pile-up. Rushing at various "stops" or ideas, beliefs, and overall responses to everyday things.
By Jay Williams7 years ago in Psyche
Emerging from a Long Period of Poor Mental Health
Recently I’ve had a few good days in a row, more than my usual sporadic one good day in the straddling mess of bad ones caused by anxiety and depression. I feel different, like I have a purpose and motivation that just didn’t exist a couple of weeks ago. I hesitated to write this for days and kept it as a draft for even longer because I was afraid that putting it into words might break the magic of feeling somewhere close to normal. I wanted to share how I felt though, because even if it’s only a fleeting period of good mental health, I managed to get here once so I can do it again; and so can you.
By Alicia Brunskill7 years ago in Psyche
Here Is Why It's Important to Have Someone to Talk To
In the world of connectivity, information is at our fingertips. If we feel sick, we search the internet for answers based on our symptoms and diagnose ourselves. There are even treatment solutions online. With a click of the mouse or push of the finger, we all become instant medical professionals.
By Chris Ricks7 years ago in Psyche
In Sickness and Mental Health
It is a scary world out there for people living with mental health conditions. For example, changing medications can be scary. You never know what side effects are going to occur as your body chemistry changes, nor do you have an immediate way of controlling them when they start.
By Katie Williams7 years ago in Psyche
10 Books Written by Schizophrenics
Schizophrenia is not easily understood. However, there have been various books written by authors who have been diagnosed with schizophrenia have tried to portray their surreal experiences. Though words on a page will never translate the true struggle of mental illness, it is an outlet of expression and a form of storytelling. These books are a key to the minds of others, and it is a privilege for us to be able to read them.
By Morgan E. Westling7 years ago in Psyche
Who Needs a Therapist When (Pt. 2)
Me. I need a Therapist. Thank you internet for being one. All tips will go to someday affording a real professional. So I have sleep issues. Just not the sleep issues that any of my medical and therapy professionals have expected. I'd tell them I had nightmares and they would prescribe sleep aids and talk about insomnia solutions. Only, the nightmares never woke me up—if anything, they caused the opposite. I am, and have always been, a champion sleeper. Pretty much at will, I can sleep 10, 12, or even 14 hours. I can wake up in the morning, do necessary things like walk the dog or take the trash out, lay back in bed, and be asleep in minutes. I'm great at napping, and it takes a Herculean amount of anxiety and stress before it impacts my ability to fall asleep. Even then, a "sleepless" night is any night where I get less than six hours.
By Haybitch Abersnatchy7 years ago in Psyche
The Trauma Hijack
We've all heard of the fight or flight response. What's not as well known is the freeze response that's also a potential automatic response to danger. This is particularly relevant in the #metoo era to help understand people's seemingly unusual reactions during traumatic events.
By Ashley L. Peterson7 years ago in Psyche
Losing Someone You Don't Know
When I was five years old, I lost my father to several types of cancer. Of course, I knew him, but I didn't really know him. For the last seventeen years, I have dealt with that loss of someone I didn't know. My sisters, my mom, they dealt with the loss of a father and a husband, and there's no way that I can understand the pain that they are suffering, just like they can't understand mine. It's a weird thing losing someone you don't know.
By Sarah Cowman7 years ago in Psyche
