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.
Deranged from Pain
At a young age, I learned to cry with style: silently, with soft tears rolling down my cheeks after swelling gradually in my eyes. No smears or streaks. Just water with a tinge of salt, and boundless pain. When I started crying in front of him, it felt all too familiar. Like how I would cry when I’d be called out of class to find that he had packed the car again and waited for me to beg him to stay. Like how I would cry when he’d show me his black and blue thighs and swollen rib cage. Like how I would cry late at night when I could hear my mother’s scurrying footsteps and piercing cries, followed by loud thuds on the wooden floor, and the sobs of my oldest brother as he watched. Like how I would cry when he’d hand me that rattling yellow bottle and tenderly ask me to hide them, for if I couldn’t keep them safe, he may not live—or so he said.
By quinn riley7 years ago in Psyche
How Did I Get Here
How did I get here? Yesterday I spent the day in bed, sleeping, coughing, sick. I still get up in the morning before my kids go to school and I make dinner each night. I don’t work outside the home, but feel worried about money and being in debt all the time. What is the problem? My husband left me when I was 48. I was a stay-at-home mom after owning my own business for two years. It was successful enough, but I became pregnant with baby #3 and considering my partner was more like a messy child, I decided to sell my business and stay at home to care for my children. Things were getting out of hand at home and out of hand at work. I realized for the first time in my life I could NOT do it all and my needs were not getting met in my marriage.
By Jacqueline Smith7 years ago in Psyche
The Reality of Being the Wife of a Depressed Man
As trained counsellor (who practiced privately for five years) it's almost expected that I have myself completely "together." You wouldn't believe the amount of times I've been told that I "must have my Mental Health really sussed!" and even more so that my relationships are happy, healthy and have absolutely NO Problems! Ha-ha! What a pile of crap!!
By Write What You Know7 years ago in Psyche
Part of My Struggle
So in February I finally made it to 18—13- and 14- year-old me didn't think I would make it this far. At those ages I was starting to be diagnosed with multiple chronic illnesses, my dad was officially disabled, we had to move out of my childhood home and into my abusive aunt's house, my mom went to college and was gone most of the time taking classes, and I was forced to do a lot of the work on my aunt's ranch.
By Ashley Vandersteen7 years ago in Psyche
Difficult Truth
In an old abandoned house at the end of Falls Street, plants took over the foundation, as it was crumbling away into nothing. A young high school girl after school would find herself walking towards this house. Stepping inside felt as if she had a place that wanted her, like she had a purpose in life. Every day going to school was a struggle, always finding herself leaving early or crying behind the school. She could never go home and tell her parents about what was happening. Her mom was a drug addict that got drunk and high every night, not having a care in the world. Sara knew her mom was hurting her unborn brother by her actions. Simply just taking the consequences in and processing it through her mind, she knew her brother wouldn’t survive. Her father, on the other hand, was never around; when he was around, he would always be very verbally abusive, ending up in arguments over nothing important. Her younger brother, James, being verbally abused by his words, felt like torture to Sara, not knowing how she could stop the abuse from happening, only knowing it could only get worse from there. With nowhere to turn to feel alone and bullied at school, she soon found herself falling into a deep dark hole, finding a comfort blanket of loneliness and depression wrapping around her as if it was the only way.
By Natalie C..7 years ago in Psyche
Sixteen
Just the sight of him that day gave me a feeling, and I knew. I was getting off the school bus when I noticed him a few feet up the road. My heart dropped to the pit of my stomach and a cloud swooped over my head. I didn't call out to him, or chase after him. I just walked. Frankly because I wasn't even certain if that was him on his way home that early in the day when he should have been at work, but also because if that was him I knew something was wrong, or something will be.
By Diana De La Cruz7 years ago in Psyche
Promise You’ll Be There Fighting the Addiction With Them
I’m guessing, since I’ve had a couple decades of life on this planet, it doesn’t come easy. We’re built to withstand those pernicious things that may come into our lives — things like trauma, depression, even pain can be detrimental to our overall health. But what about a family member?
By Ricksen's––A––"Neo-Manteau"7 years ago in Psyche
