Latest Stories

Most recently published stories in Psyche.

A New Outlook on Life
My name is Rachel, and I'm a recovering addict. It took me a long time to be able to come to terms with the fact that I was actually an addict, that people didn't do heroin recreationally. I was incredibly offended the first time one of my dealers referred to me as an addict. Who the fuck did he think he was, calling ME an addict? Sure, I got dope sick if I didn't use every single day, but so did he, and he needed me to drive him around and do his bidding for him, so where did he think he was coming from?
By Rachel Arquette8 years ago in Psyche
Drifting
Mental illness is months of being confined to half of your bed, because the other half is piled with clothes. It's when your first thought upon waking each day is: "I can't wait to go back to sleep." Your alarm goes off for the ninth time; you snooze it.
By Lissa Jade8 years ago in Psyche
It's 2017 Let’s Stop Making Excuses for Stigma and Ignorance
Let’s face it, in today’s world, people still have ridiculous and unrealistic beliefs about mental illness. Consider the recent Las Vegas shooting, which in itself was a tragedy. There are more people stating that the fact that he was on antipsychotic medication and had mental health issue was the cause instead of looking at things such as the gun laws, and other underlying reasons behind what happened. Even though in the US, it’s easier to buy a semiautomatic assault rifle then get a prescription for a controlled substance.
By S P8 years ago in Psyche
I Like Being Sad.
"You can get addicted to a certain kind of sadness." This line from Gotye's song has resonated with me ever since I first heard it in 2012. There are times when I'm really happy and life is great, but there are always unpleasant memories that surface at any given time. I'm not depressed (I hope not) but I am sensitive. Most of my sadness stems from relationships with guys, gender norms we females have to live up to, and me constantly worrying about my future as a prospective software developer/software engineer. See? I still don't even know what I want to do exactly, hence the "/" between the two professions. I also get upset when I hear about current events such as the racism that spiraled as a result of the current political state in the U.S., poverty, pediatric cancer deaths/cancer in general, domestic abuse, violence, natural disasters, and plenty more. I am a lucky woman who has the best of things. I have an amazing family, supportive friends, a college education (still in progress), financial stability (family wise), a house, sufficient food to eat, and great health (knock on wood). There is a lot more gratefulness where that comes from.
By Ankita Upadhyay8 years ago in Psyche
On These Black Feelings
Generally, the black feelings are described by a single, solitary word. They are described by the word depression. I don’t want to use that word for them. We’ve taken the word depression and warped it until even someone who has been diagnosed barely recognises the word anymore.
By Emma Kitsch8 years ago in Psyche
Recognizable Symptoms of Bipolar Depression
Prior to being diagnosed with a hormone disorder, doctors who I went to were completely and totally convinced that I was bipolar. I can totally see why they thought I was; the hormone disorder I had mimicked it perfectly — with the one exception of having physical symptoms as well.
By Ossiana Tepfenhart8 years ago in Psyche
Do the Signs of Depression Between Men and Women Differ?
Many people suffer from depression — it's a common mental health issue. It also comes with a lot of symptoms that are difficult to cope with, like migraine and body aching. And most of the time, the presence of depression is questionable. But, there are times when depression does follow up from a tragic and stressful event that occurred sometime in a person's life.
By Jacqueline Hanikeh8 years ago in Psyche
Isolation Therapy for the Over-Empathic
Let me start by making one thing plain: If you grew up with siblings, friends, cousins and plenty of people your own age being kind to you, you won't relate. This is going out to the Only Child, the Friendless, the Bullied. This is for the kids who grew up learning a lot of solitary games, and knew how to have fun solo.
By SR James8 years ago in Psyche
All About Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Well, hello there! Thank you for stepping into my office, have a seat. I’m about to take you on a pretty intense ride: the OCD ride. If you know me pretty well, then you already know that I suffer from OCD and know how debilitating it has been for me. If you haven’t read my OCD story, let me know and I'll tell you more about it. Thanks!!
By Tara Frey8 years ago in Psyche
Abyss
Sometimes when we are going through a rough patch, we don't know what it is to feel, we feel numb inside and sometimes the feeling never seems to leave the body. The pain screams in the pit of our stomach, the thoughts run all over the body making it feel colder. What will happen if we stop feeling?
By Emily Buehner8 years ago in Psyche
I Had No Idea
I'll start off by saying that I had to grow up early in life, and for some absolutely obscene reason this made me believe that I knew more than other people my age. That's because of my experiences and the decisions that I've already made, decisions that people should not have to make at my age, or any age for that matter. I knew what the heck was going on in, well, life.
By Francesca Skoda8 years ago in Psyche
Physical Symptoms of Depression
There are numerous people across the world who suffer deeply with depression. And it's not a joking matter. There are individuals that got the mental condition through a really stressful situation, a cause, or the depression randomly appeared without a reason — it happens. And it's also frustrating, because depression literally controls your life. It's tough to handle, but with certain medications, focusing on clearing your mind, and doing activities that help, it's possible to overcome it.
By Jacqueline Hanikeh8 years ago in Psyche