Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Psyche.
The Art of Healing
Part One You’re 18 years old and you’re holding onto a big secret. But it’s not just you holding onto this secret—it’s your body, too. You’ve been carrying the weight of it practically all of your life, only you just recently remembered that you’ve been clutching this secret in your shaky hands for years. Your body, however, never forgot. I mean, how could it forget? Your body has been experiencing the gravity of this secret since the very day it was given to you to keep. And ever since that day you have been slowly collapsing in on yourself. So, you’re 18 years old and you’re holding onto a big secret...
By becca bean7 years ago in Psyche
Putting Up a Front Is Dangerous
I’m very good at putting up a front so this is difficult to talk about out in the open, but I’ll do my best. Few know what it is like to grow up with an untreated disability, where my own family denied the fact I needed medication. In high school, I tried very hard to put up a front of positivity. I had no medication to help me stabilize my moods. It was hard to be so positive and smiley all time as I barely had access to therapy.
By Iria Vasquez-Paez7 years ago in Psyche
Twenty One Pilots of Love and Support
Twenty One Pilots, stylized as TØP, is a band from Columbus, Ohio, that is well known for their alternative music style. The music group, formed by members Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun, has a vast cult following of teenagers who call themselves The Skeleton Clique. Many young adults enjoy this music because they relate to the lyrics, which contain insightful and unexpurgated descriptions of common mental illnesses, such as anxiety and depression. Teens benefit from sharing their difficulties with other people, and knowing that they are not alone in feeling dispirited. Subsequently, since many TØP fanatics identify with each other via the music and the struggles they are experiencing, they form a connected and compatible crowd at concerts who help to console one another. Outsiders often see Twenty One Pilots fans as angsty, emotional kids, but in reality they are a supportive, hopeful, and united group who band together at the Tour de Columbus 2017 tour.
By Megan Becker7 years ago in Psyche
Facing Depression
Without altering one’s perceptions of god, or their idea of a higher power, I propose the idea of applying the Buddhist practices of yoga, meditation, and fasting into one’s weekly routine. The results of these acts vary some; however, hold their ground in the positive effects they have within the mind and body. I, too, support this thesis, given scientific and philosophical evidence that these acts can not only change the body but develop the mind enough to fight depression and “grow our ability to feel happiness.” (page 23, Cooney)
By Samantha Kristine7 years ago in Psyche
Depression and Why So Many People Experience It
Depression is more than feeling sad or upset. Depression is smiling and feeling the weight of your world crashing in on you. It’s the feeling of not wanting to do anything or go anywhere. Everything you once loved to do becomes dull, boring, and not worth the time or effort. You know people care, but you still wonder if it’s worth continuing. Depression is an enormous, black hole, sucking everything you once cared about into its dark, cold void, and it’s almost impossible to escape. I know, I feel it almost every day. It’s easy for people to say you’re fine, you’ll get through this, or my personal favorite, “there is no excuse for you to be depressed.” Those with depression know this and believe me if we had the option to “turn it off,” we would. The truth is we’re not okay, we’re hurting, and we’re fighting every day to keep on living.
By Crystal Ward7 years ago in Psyche
What I Know About Insomnia
What everyone knows about insomnia is that it means you can’t sleep. So people see something like a Lunesta commercial and think, “Oh sometimes I have trouble sleeping. I must be an insomniac.” People think insomnia is lying in bed feeling wide awake, like you have too much energy. That’s what it is. You have too much energy, so you just need to do something like exercise or take a bath or have a bowl of cereal at 2 AM. Your body and brain are clearly not in sync, that’s what it is.
By Andie Pabon7 years ago in Psyche
The Autism-Schizophrenia Connection
I just read this article saying that autism and schizophrenia are genetically linked. Apparently this was already suspected but studies had only been done in western populations. A new study from Japan now adds more evidence based on the genetic studies of people around the world.
By Angel Mann7 years ago in Psyche
Pain Is a Catalyst for Joy
A few years ago, I found myself in my apartment bedroom crying on the floor. I was looking out of my window, up at the moon and wondering why my life was falling apart. I felt grief and sorrow, as if someone had died, but the truth was that several parts of me were dying that night. That was the week in between me breaking up with my ex-fiancé of three years and me quitting my job which I found to be soul-sucking and very unethical. Yet looking back, there have been several times where I have thought to myself: "That time in my life was one of the best things that could have ever happened to me." I have genuinely felt grateful from the bottom of my heart for having gone through that experience. Even though it was gut wrenching when I lived though it, it was one of the most liberating moments of my life!
By Elyssa Maridueña7 years ago in Psyche
Adulting with Depression
It's been one month since I've been on antidepressants. Now if you know me, or read my article on medication (see below for it), you would know that I have always had a fear of taking any form of medication. Fear of how it might change me, how I would feel afterwards, and how I would act once I started taking them. But I had to accept what was and that was this: I couldn't control the chemical imbalance in my brain. I couldn't control the fact that there were things I wanted to accomplish in life and I felt like my body simply didn't live up to my mind's capacity. I couldn't control the days where I was feeling super low and the other days where I was erratically high and moving at all speeds. It was all very inconsistent and super depressing, so I caved. Or so it felt that way.
By Aurea Gonzalez7 years ago in Psyche
Demi Is No Less of a Role Model After Relapsing - This Is Why
The day I was seeing Demi’s ‘Tell Me You Love Me’ tour I was excited to say the least. So excited that I broke my usual rule of containing my endless love and admiration for Demi, and instead couldn’t stop talking about the recent release of her single "Sober" and how devastated I was for her. My mum, being the ignorant and judgmental woman that she is, responded by saying, “Well she’s not a very good role model then is she.” What my mum doesn’t understand is that Demi is only human, and in a society where young people are overwhelmed by social media’s unattainable image of perfection, doesn’t that make her the perfect role model?
By Lovatic Love7 years ago in Psyche
