coping
Life presents variables; learning how to cope in order to master, minimize, or tolerate what has come to pass.
Am I a Narcissist?
In the age of pop psychology and armchair diagnosis, “narcissist” has become one of the most weaponized words in the human vocabulary. It’s used to silence, to shame, and to project. But what happens when a deeply self-aware person—especially a trauma survivor—starts to wonder if they are the problem?
By THE HONED CRONE3 months ago in Psyche
The Light That Knows Its Way Home
I met Dr. Joseph Murphy one night between sleep and sunrise, in that trembling space where dream and eternity hold hands. The air was thick with moonlight, and the silence seemed to hum with the pulse of unseen wings. He stood before me, calm and luminous, his eyes shimmering like twin seas of remembrance. “Tony,” he said, his voice carrying both warmth and authority, “the Divine healing does not live outside of you, waiting to be found. It breathes within you, patient and eternal. You awaken it not by pleading, but by speaking to it as you would a beloved—gently, confidently, with the knowledge that it already hears you.” His words sank into me like warm oil into cold skin, seeping into the places I hadn’t realized were starved for light. When I woke, the room was awash in the blue-gray light of dawn, and his message echoed in my heart like a low bell: Talk to the Divine within you—it is listening.
By Tony Martello3 months ago in Psyche
Hammond House
I didn't expect to inherit anything, least of all this. The lawyer's letter said "Hammond House" which felt like a contradiction until I stood before it. Five bedrooms, three and a half baths, more house than I'd ever lived in, wrapped in gingerbread trim and painted ladies' colors that had faded to ghosts of themselves. The front yard sprawls wider than it should, dominated by an old tree whose bristles—I can't call them branches, they're too wild, too reaching—scrape and tap against one of the upstairs bedroom windows like they're asking to be let in.
By Parsley Rose 3 months ago in Psyche
Are You Dealing With Burnout?
Hey, how are you doing? How are your stress levels right now? I’ve been asked to write about “Burnout,” by several people and I listen to my readers. I have been thinking of writing about rising stress levels at work because I see it in my friends and even myself sometimes.
By Elizabeth Woods3 months ago in Psyche
The Weight of Labels
I did not get angry because I was attacked. I got angry because I felt invisible. That is what labeling does. It reduces a human being—a soul with thoughts, experiences, and convictions—into a set of categories that can be dismissed before they even speak.
By Peter Thwing - Host of the FST Podcast3 months ago in Psyche
When Inclusion Means Assimilation: Why We’re Done Playing ‘Normal’
Inclusion shouldn’t mean erasure. But for many disabled people, that’s exactly what it feels like. We’re told to “blend in,” “mask,” “act normal.” We’re praised when we suppress our natural communication styles, sensory needs, or mobility tools. We’re rewarded for being palatable, not authentic.
By Tracy Stine3 months ago in Psyche
How EMDR helped me become more peaceful with my Past…but left me with me in the Present.
There’s a wellness tool for just about everything these days. Flotation tanks, cold plunges, CBT, DBT, gratitude journals, breathwork, yoga, journalling, medication, meditation, crystals, herbal, holistic, homoeopathic...You name it, I’ve tried it. Some worked a little, some not at all, and most just reminded me how deeply annoying it is to try and meditate when your brain is busy replaying a drunk argument from 2016 while worrying if your Hello Fresh delivery driver thinks you’re rude.
By Chelsea Branch3 months ago in Psyche
