family
Family can be our support system. Or they can be part of the problem. All about the complicated, loving, and difficult relationship with us and the ones who love us.
My Wife's Long "Pregnancy" with Triplets
I was speaking to my older sister last night about this and how my marriage failed. My wife when I met her was a beautiful girl, and I was Amish, going to a non-Amish church service at my cousin Fannie's house. She was my cousin Simon's girlfriend. But it was not till I left that I really interacted with her.
By Joseph Slabaugh5 years ago in Psyche
Mental Illness Part 1 : The Genetic Factor
Looking back on my childhood memories (let's consider "childhood" in this instance to be birth to the onset of puberty), neither my parents or I knew or even considered that I may suffer from a mental illness. Born in 1972, mental illness in children rarely seemed to be a concern for parents or physicians in the upper-middle class community where I was raised.
By Gin Merritt5 years ago in Psyche
Projecting my trauma unto loved ones
I got out of the shower and told my son to get his sister because it was bedtime (10:30 pm). Alexandar ran to grandma's room and came back "um, grandma said she wasn't in there" I walked throughout the house calling her name and she was nowhere to be found.
By Jayme Rios5 years ago in Psyche
Counting Sheep, Losing Sleep
The first couple of days felt still. My sister's absence at home caused a void in every meal, conversation, and restless night. I fell into a numb routine of waking up, going to school, and coming home to lock myself in my room. At the time, ignoring everything felt almost as if it fixed what was trapped inside me.
By Tabitha Talks5 years ago in Psyche
Parenting with a Diagnosis of SMI (Serious Mental Illness)
So, You’re a Parent Living with a Mental Illness. Now What? You can be a loving and successful parent, even when you're not well. One of the best things you can do for your children is to raise them to understand that no single human is perfect. Allow them to make mistakes without punishing them so much that they feel they must be perfect. They need to understand that they are human, and humans make mistakes, have problems, feelings, and emotions. Teach them to be sympathetic and empathetic little humans. They will grow up less judgmental of others and more understanding!
By Dulcy Warfield5 years ago in Psyche
Existential dread.
Growing up I had a big house, I never had to worry about when my next meal was or anything. I had everything I needed. Seems like a walk in the park, huh? Not the case. I lived with my mom, stepdad, and my two sisters who are twins. My dad was completely out of the picture by the time I was 3 or 4. My mom told me he was touching me and took him to court and blah blah blah... Anyway, I went to school and always tried my best to make friends no matter how unsuccessful I was. People thought I was living the life at my big house in the safest neighborhood in town, again, not the case! What the kids at school didn't know was that I had to talk to numerous counselors and child protection workers because my mom and stepdad were hurting my sisters and I. There was constant arguing at my big house in the safe neighborhood. Flash forward a bit to the time I was about 8 years old, both of my sisters were taken out of my house because the court system found out about my parents abusing them. Yet, they left me, I'm 6 years younger, in the house with them. I was told what to say to the "mean city workers" and believed that I was being treated the way I deserved to be. I grew up thinking the worst about myself. I learned quickly to keep my mouth shut about my parents alcohol addiction, and stay out of their way. Eventually I couldn't handle that anymore and I had finally made a couple of friends. One of my friends had a brother that explored my body while I was passed out, high on marijuana. I didn't talk to anyone for almost a year. No one found out about it until my freshman year of high school and the court process took a year. Before I started high school my stepdad pulled a gun on one of my sisters and I, she was living with the man who touched me. He went to jail and came out "saved by the blood of Christ". It really took a mental toll on me, I still had to pretend everything was perfect. Throughout my 18 long years of living, I have continually asked myself why I am still here, the sense of hopelessness and worthlessness took over me and I've tried ending this long life four times. Antidepressant after antidepressant and still no one knows why I just don't want to be here.
By Cortney Lynn5 years ago in Psyche
House Without A Home
“You’re my property. I own you, and I have government papers to prove it.” These words I think about everyday. I see her red, splotchy complexion. I hear her slurred words and dragging steps. I hear her slamming herself repeatedly into my bedroom door, BANG BANG BANG, consequently breaking the lock mechanism. I feel my bed shaking as she bursts in, clutching the door to keep herself upright. I can smell the sweat and oil on her face, and I can smell the alcohol.
By Laurelin K. Hardin-Pietri5 years ago in Psyche
Ice-cream
I think I love ice-cream more than any other food in the world. I was 7. My mum took me food shopping just before Christmas; I remember it was a really cold day with frozen snow on the ground. It was weeks old snow, all dirty and dusty, but still with the smell of winter in the air. I was wearing warm clothes but had forgotten my gloves on the radiator at home and kept thinking I lost them and mum will again get mad at me yell at me and hit me. We stop at several shops and met different people my mum talked to, all I was thinking about were my gloves, panicking in my head. Suddenly this man approaches me and hands me a chocolate ice-cream globe on a cone, my mum giggles and approves with a head nod. My world was in colours again, had a smile as big as a house. My favourite thing in the world! CHOCOLATE ICE-CREAM! Yes, it was winter, and cold, and no one else ate ice-cream, but who cared? I must have done something good if my mum rewarded me with ice-cream. I was so focused on licking my ice globe didn’t even listed to the conversation, didn’t care..the man walked with us. Boy, I sure wish I had my gloves as my hands were freezing on the cone but I’m not giving up! I’m sure I won’t see another ice-cream until summer comes. I’m nearly finished; my mum nudges me to “thank the lovely man for the ice-cream”. I mumble a thank you. He kneels and gives me a kiss on the cheek. Then gives my mum a kiss on the cheek and wakes away. Mum meets a friend after a few more minutes and laughs loudly with her, talking with her very happy and showing her friend the almost finished ice-cream in my hands and says “See, he even thought of her!”.
By Mirabela Luca5 years ago in Psyche
Why truly saying what you mean is something almost no one can do....
Clara bit back the tears she felt stinging her eyes..... her stepdad had yelled at her again, because she had made her friend wait for her while she washed her hair. It’s not that her friend actually minded the wait... but as far as Clara’s stepdad was concerned this particular bit of thoughtlessness warranted him addressing his daughter with the epithets “slut” and “whore”. It was a fact that Clara and her friend were going to meet some boys from their class at school... and Clara had been disinclined to do so with greasy hair, but they were going to be looking over a class project.... and they were 12...
By Gillian Lesley Scott5 years ago in Psyche
Did You Try Soda Crackers and Ginger? My Struggle with HG
"Did you try ginger to calm your stomach?" is a suggestion I received continuously throughout the first 20 weeks of my pregnancy. Ask any pregnant woman who has suffered through Hyperemesis Gravidarum (HG) this question and you may be met with a bit of attitude or maybe even a sarcastic comment or laughter. We aren't trying to be rude and we are truly grateful for the caring advice. It's just that our condition is so misunderstood by others that we feel like we are constantly and consistently trying to explain that it's "not just bad morning sickness." Furthermore, because it is so misunderstood by others, we are forced to always be on the defense and explaining how we aren't just being a baby. We don't need to just "suck it up" and accept it as a normal part of pregnancy. It's actually a very frightening condition that often requires medication and even sometimes hospitalization in order to see us through our pregnancies safely and successfully.
By Sarah Franchi5 years ago in Psyche
