recovery

Your illness does not define you. It's your resolve to recover that does.

Two years in the rearview mirror
On February 28th, 2019, my son turned six. I was living in a rural coastal town in Oregon, and it was raining off and on. That day should have been a celebration, but instead, it was a nightmare. I spent most of the day filled with such a deep disgust of myself and a never-ending pit within me that I felt as though I needed to leave my child and never come back. It was not one of my finer moments. To admit that I believed at the time that I did not deserve to be a mother and that my children were both better off if I were out of their life permanently is one of the greatest moments of shame I have ever felt in my life.
By Starshine5 years ago in Psyche
CAPITA
"Place your seats in an upright position for take-off." An attendant's voice rings through the system. Two strangers sharing the last row with me shuffle uncomfortably in their seats. I take a deep breath, bracing myself for the worst.
By Tina Fish5 years ago in Psyche
Help Wanted
“I know what you’re up to,” Todd confronted her. “Don’t think you can fool me.” Rachel smiled and looked up at her co-worker from where she bent over her little black book. “Couldn’t fool you if I tried,” she said. “But just so we’re clear, how am I trying to fool you?”
By Stephanie Messer5 years ago in Psyche
Nine Lives Dirty
We all want to be wild and free, or at least, every Leo does. But what would we risk to get that life? Would you die for it?
By D Surls5 years ago in Psyche
Silver Linings Playbook is not a story about how love cures all
Silver Linings Playbook has long been one of my favourite movies. David O'Russel did a genius job of adapting the novel into an explosive screenplay with a huge heart, much like our main characters Pat and Tiffany. Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence gave performances of a lifetime, earning both Oscar Nominations and a win for J-Law. With O'Russel's direction, the trio went on to work on American Hustle and Joy following the success of Silver Linings Playbook. But upon its' release, many voiced concerns that the movie adds to stigma surrounding mental illness and its' treatment. The narrative structure, culminating in the two main characters falling in love and deciding to be together implies a "happily ever after" that we know is not realistic for anyone, let alone for people suffering from long-term psychiatric conditions. But I'm here to argue that this was not the filmmakers intent. Let's break it all down.
By Corinne McCafferty5 years ago in Psyche
12 Things You Didn't Know About 12-Step Groups
Twelve-step recovery groups such as AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) and NA (Narcotics Anonymous) are programs which attempt to help people who have problems controlling and balancing certain activities in their lives.
By Byron Hamel5 years ago in Psyche
Little Swimmer
She's a good swimmer although she doesn't know she is. She's been swimming for as long as she can remember. The water is rough, getting imperceptibly rougher by the day. And the current never lets up, not even a hint of it ever letting up.
By Carly Blanchette5 years ago in Psyche
Antipsychotic
Let’s say— for the hell of it— that you’ve just awarded me with $20,000. Suppose I won your writing competition, and acquired more money than anyone would know what to do with. Naturally, we’d have to ask ourselves a few questions:
By Taylor M Welch5 years ago in Psyche
Enough
I listened to the pen scratching paper, writing words I would never read. I focused instead on tapping my fingers rhythmically against the fabric of the couch. I’ve never been a patient person, and this tiny room’s stagnant air reeked of Dr. Paterson’s aftershave, which made me even less tolerant of the moments passing in silence. I stared at the little black book in his hands, surprised that the weeks of notes hadn’t filled the book yet. The notebook itself was unassuming- with a hardcover, rounded edges, and ivory pages- but its contents determined my entire future.
By Kate Carlson5 years ago in Psyche
Solace
Ten years back, there was a time when my life was at a standstill; I lost pretty much everything one after another. Sleep was a boon and the only peace I got now. The entire catastrophe began with increasing debt from a company that my dad created, a company that he gave all his energy, love, and the precious time he would have got to spend with us. The debt was enormous, and the debt took away everything with it. Lost home, friends, right school, good neighborhood, peace, and the most significant loss was my father. My mom and I had to move to a rented home. To meet the ends, I had to drop from school and start working. Days and nights passed without my knowledge. I felt more like a machine than a human; I thought I was losing the human part and feeling or emotions. I never felt any.
By MN5 years ago in Psyche
Lost and Found
Who turned on the faucets? I can't turn off my eyes. My whole body is crying via sweat. I've decided to kill my old self with exercise. Tiredness and emptiness blanket my existence, thoughts move in and out of sight. I miss them still. Now the tissues on the floor around me have formed a half-circle reminding me that I am still alive. Vicks puffs are the best for my raw nose, and obsessive-compulsive has to be some sort of foreplay for life itself.
By Leah Hayes5 years ago in Psyche
Memories of a psychotic
Does she know you’re psychotic! Mum screamed at me across the dining room table in her demeaning stance. She was referring to my new landlord whom I was supposed to live with for university. I had been offered a place for a leading university in the UK for my course, little did I know what the future would hold in the next few days, it certainly wasn’t enrolment. I felt humiliated, vulnerable, useless and tired. There was no fight left in me and so I did whatever I was told. “you are sick”, “you are not firing right”, “you are not going to university”.
By Grace Thomas 5 years ago in Psyche