depression
It is not just a matter of feeling sad; discover an honest view of the mental, emotional and physical toll of clinical depression.
The Little Girl That Couldn't Until She Could
There once was a girl, always happy and smiling. People would comment on her little smile and adorable dimples. She had a huge laugh for a tiny person. But nothing can last forever, right? Her little smile and adorable dimples faded, and her big laugh was silenced.
By Julia Rivard8 years ago in Psyche
Depression and Dissociation; A Story of a Cruel Coalition
We’ve all heard the sayings, the motivational quotes, the words that guide you to look at the positive. Time is a magnificent creature, they tell me, and in its passing, you may heal. What if you no longer possessed the power to look at the glass half full; Susie! your own mind is working against you. Neither does it give you enough serotonin nor the strength to overcome the replenishment of the very resource. What if your mind made you forget what it's like to feel joy? True joy, not the high you feel from a fake laugh or dancing in the dark. What if it made you forget you ever experienced the feeling too? Like it turned the pictures of all the memories you stored in your heart to black and white. So you see the young version of yourself laughing as your dad tickles you utnil you cry but you no longer remember how that must have felt like. Oh! How the weary find their way to worsen the state they are in, without intention or action. What if the weight of each day became too great? Your lungs couldn’t even handle the weight that dispersed to your chest from your shoulders. Blame the mind that’s been placed upon the two, if you may. Every breath became a conscious effort. To have to think and schedule every inhale and exhale, now that’s what I call true exhaustion. Did your legs too ever stake claim to your burdens and lose the will to carry your body? It seems like you’ll have to learn how to walk again. My words, you read, but do you feel my pain. Do you feel it yet?
By Ayesha Javed8 years ago in Psyche
Speaking My Truth: Living with Mental Illness
May is Mental Health Awareness Month and I am here to share my story of my personal experiences with mental illness. Before I tell my story, I want to share some statistics with everyone. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), mental illness affects tens of millions of people every year and half of them with mental illnesses receive treatment. So here's my personal story of mental illness. It is August 1993: I was five years old and started my first day of Pre-K. Being the new kid was difficult and troublesome. Interacting with the rest of the students was not easy. Growing up in Texas was great, but unfortunately, my parents were not the loving people that I expected them to be. Almost on a daily basis, I was ridiculed by them for numerous things, such as my thin appearance and not being able to communicate with people. My self-esteem went down and I became isolated, withdrawn, and unconnected. Within a week, my teacher noticed that something was not right about me. I was seen by counselors and my parents told me that I was diagnosed with autism. I didn't know what it was at the time, but one of the symptoms of the developmental disorder is having difficulties interacting with others. As a result of my diagnosis, I was put in special education classes from Pre-K through my junior year of high school. During that time, I was constantly bullied and my peers called me the worst names you can think of. It's hard to be upbeat when you're feeling worthless and defeated.
By Mark Wesley Pritchard 8 years ago in Psyche
What Is Loneliness
What is loneliness? What it is officially is alone; solitary; without company; companionless. But for me, it’s more than that. To me, it’s more than being without a person, because you can feel so alone with the weight of the world on your shoulders with a room of people. Even with people you love or trust you can feel so lonely, like you're longing for some unknown thing.
By Jennifer Martinez8 years ago in Psyche
What Depression Is Really Like
Depression; a horrible, horrible mental illness. Many people see it as sadness or negative feelings; no, it is way more than that. Depression is like a war going on inside your head. You never know how to feel. There's days where you are happy, then there's days where you never even want to get out of bed because you are so drained with the constant war going on in your head.
By Savanna Moore8 years ago in Psyche
The Pain of Depression
It hurts. It physically hurts in ways you can’t even think about if you don’t know it. My arms hurt. The bones in them, like they’re filled with lava, and they’re cracking. I’m amazed you can’t see it, burning through my skin, marking, scarring me from all the pain I can’t say out loud because if I did it would just be one long scream, no breathing, no pausing, no words, just sound, one long, agonised yell. Even if there were words to say it, I couldn’t articulate my brain long enough to do it.
By Lizy Carey8 years ago in Psyche
My Last Words to Society
Dear society, I am a fifteen year old high school student, and I’m sorry, but I cannot live like this anymore. The expectations you place on us, the pressure you put us under, the lessons you teach us, the terror you put us through. It is unbearable. Almost everyone I know in school is depressed because of modern society. I don’t get the point of living in this damned world if all it brings me is suffering. The number of teenagers that I personally know that have self harmed, considered suicide, or even attempted it is way too high. I am doing this because I can’t handle it anymore, but also to spread a message. Things need to change. Now.
By A high school student In modern society8 years ago in Psyche
How My Illness Changed My Life
I haven't been able to work for a while due to my diagnosis six months ago. This is something I am not at all accustomed to, and it has been very hard for me to adjust to an unproductive lifestyle. Once I was an independent woman, up before the sun, picture perfect, and ready to take on the twenty-first century—though for now, this has been stripped away from me and I am currently playing housewife. The days can feel endless sitting alone in this new environment, and sometimes even longer when friends or family grace me with their company. But that's the nature of the illness.
By Sophia Merici8 years ago in Psyche
Why Depression Will Make You Question Everything
If you've ever been depressed, you know how hard it can be to continue on with your life. Depression affects your motivation, energy levels, and your whole persona in general. One of the worst parts of depression is how unsure you feel. For me, depression was knowing I was sad, but not knowing why. All of a sudden, I had all of these worries about the world around me that appeared to come out of nowhere. What am I doing with my life? Does anyone even like me? What am I contributing to the world?
By Amanda Doyle8 years ago in Psyche
