Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Psyche.
Little Girl Wild
Closing my eyes, I sit cross-legged on the purple suede cushion, and I wonder, what would she think of me? The room is dimmed, I've lit several candles, the bungalow is clean and I have fed myself. I begin to walk back, and I begin to call her name...
By Hadley Frances7 years ago in Psyche
PTSD and Me
The majority of my life has been filled with trauma. I have only been free of it for the last four years. My trauma began when I was just a young girl. My birth mother and father got a divorce and I was left to live with my mother. Being a daddy's girl left with a mother that didn't understand her was hard! My big brother was a mama's boy. He was a straight-A student, always (as far as I can remember) did what she wanted him to do. He was the golden boy with our mother. Because I was rough and tumble and the furthest thing from a girly girl as you could get, she didn't like me. I didn't get straight A's, was lucky, even, to get a B. And I was defiant. These led me to being mentally and emotionally abused. I was often called a little bitch, stupid and told, "why can't you be more like your brother?" Not things a kid needs to hear. I never had any support from her either. And that wasn't the worst of what I dealt with living with my birth mother. When I was around eight years old, she got involved with a truck driver that abused drugs and alcohol. She moved us in with him, and for two years, my brother and I were forced to watch this poor excuse of a human being beat and rape our mother every day. He always accused her of cheating on him, would ask my brother and me for confirmation of her infidelity. Why didn't we leave? Why did my brother and I stay and watch? We were told we would be killed if we moved. We were told if we left him, he would hunt us down and kill us all. The threat of life is an excellent motivator to make you stay in an unsafe situation.
By Michelle Frank7 years ago in Psyche
Life of an Addict (Pt. 5)
"Getting myself into some real bad shit," was definitely an understatement. The trials and tribulations that were to come with the life that I had chosen to live, and the choices that I would choose to make, would be unimaginable to anything I had ever been through up to that point in my life.
By Fellow Knee7 years ago in Psyche
Signs of a Psychotic Break That Everyone Should Know
Three out of every 100 people will experience psychosis at some time in their lives. The onset of this psychosis is known as a psychotic break. Many people erroneously believe that this is, as the word "break" implies, some kind of sudden, instant event, in which an individual goes from being "normal" to suddenly suffering from a psychotic disorder. If this were the case, it would be much easier to recognize the signs of a psychotic break early—however, a psychotic break or the onset of a psychotic episode can happen slowly or gradually, possibly beginning with more mild symptoms and progressing into a full psychosis.
By Nicola P. Young7 years ago in Psyche
Does TV News Have Psychological Effects?
We live in a world where news is constant and you don’t need to be in front of a screen to stay informed on world events. While this is a great way of keeping everyone informed, you may find yourself feeling down in the dumps when all you hear are bad news. The past few years have hard-hitting with countless mass shootings, natural disasters, domestic terrorism, outdated changes to women’s health and much more. I think the reason why these news stories are affecting people’s well-being, is that they hit close to home more than ever.
By Stephanie Murguia7 years ago in Psyche
Alkaline Trio and Anxiety
To bluntly open this article, I’ve struggled with anxiety for most of my life. That anxiety has recently been linked to depression, and there are some days in which I feel devoid of everything. I end up not wanting to move, leave the house, or even communicate with anyone. It’s a lonely trouble to face, particularly if you’re like me; someone who struggles to openly communicate or express negative feelings in fear that you may become a burden to someone.
By Nathan Sartain7 years ago in Psyche
The Things That Keep Me Breathing
There is a Predator in my brain. Sometimes it is quiet, dormant, napping, but it is always there. If I am not on guard, if I am not constantly vigilant, always on the ready, when it wakes up, it may kill me, and all of those closest to me could suffer. I don't know when The Predator arrived, or if it was always there. I don't remember a time in my life without it. It has been my closest companion in this life. Sometimes I have fallen into its embrace and let it soothe me with its poison. Other times I have rallied against it, screaming and biting, clawing, my way out of its grasp only to realize, it is never really gone. Whether I accept or fight, The Predator does not care. It knows, in the end, it will win either way.
By Paige Graffunder7 years ago in Psyche
The Importance of Mental Health
Do you have a family member or close friend who struggles with a mental illness? According to the National Alliance on Mental illness, one in five adults suffer from a mental illness. Nearly one in 25 adults suffer from a serious mental illness causing it to noticeably interfere with or limit one or more major life activities. That is 43.8 million adults in the United States who suffer from a mental illness. Out of those individuals 41 percent seek out help and treatment.
By Adelia Pratico7 years ago in Psyche
