recovery
Your illness does not define you. It's your resolve to recover that does.
Overcoming the Mess
I've been a hoarder for as long as I can remember. I keep useless shit, receipts from delis in Quebec, train tickets from France, the list goes on and on. I moved to a small town a little over two years ago, and never had anyone come over to my apartment because of the disaster it has always been in... I'm talking about clothes all over the floor (separate piles of clean and dirty), dishes all over the counters making it impossible for making any sort of actual food, and just mess and garbage everywhere. This is now all starting to change.
By Ginger Curls6 years ago in Psyche
“How to Stay Sane in a Crazy World”
Hi I’m Laurene Hope. In 2012 I came out of a Therapeutic community without a trace of Bpd after two years, where I learnt, how to sit with my pain and heal my childhood abuse issues with-out medication. Now if I can do it so can others. In the community I was reduced to feeling like a child again, through surrendering to the process. We had a validation bell, which you rang if and when you were triggered. The community and staff would then gather around and offer support. This would enable you to distract from your pain. The support could be a walk in the park or in my case some kind of chore to ground me. Bit by bit you were able to adjust. The community experience was a difficult one for me. I call it my own personal Holacaust as I’m Jewish. Like many others I couldn’t settle, due to my need to fight everything and everyone. I am also an ex war child who grew up in Israel.
By Lauren Ottewill6 years ago in Psyche
Blinding Darkness
I remember thinking about it.... I remember wondering what it would be like to leave. I remember wondering if I would go to hell for doing this. After all, the nun said it was a sin. I remember thinking I didn't want to burn in hell. Multiple times a week, when I was in a place I didn't want to be... having to babysit my youngest siblings who were 6 that June, while I was 14. Taking them for a walk to the corner store for popsicles, while my friends were at the park; hanging out, laughing and having fun. My middle brothers able to go out, play baseball and be with their friends. I was told it was my duty as the oldest of 5 children to help with the younger ones when my father had to work 2 jobs and my mother had to work a night job. Feeling detached from the social circle, but more than that, feeling so different and freakish at almost 6 feet at 14 years old. Maybe I didn't belong there anyway. After all, I was tall, skinny, and ugly and they were pretty. They had boys paying attention to them. No one looked or talked to me like that.
By Patricia Heitz6 years ago in Psyche
Maintaining Healthy Relationships in Recovery
The first and most important relationship in recovery must be developing a relationship with yourself. Through self-discovery in sobriety, you will begin to accept a new identity and an entirely new way of living. Addiction is a family disease and you may find many of your relationships to be in complete disarray and chaos. As you take inventory of past behaviors, resentments, and defects of character, you will begin to practice forgiveness, change, and hopefully make way for the development of healthy relationships throughout the process.
By Tricia Moceo6 years ago in Psyche
New Year, New Me—Being Healthy Doesn’t Just Mean Being Thin…
January 1, 2018 and life was good. I had just had a great night-out in Clapham with Jane, one of my best friends. We worked together at a large FMCG company, in a team consisting of predominately 40+ males, and we had bonded as 20 somethings trying to navigate our way to success in the early stages of our careers. I was loving my job, and got on well with my colleagues. My personal life was positive: I had a great relationship with my boyfriend, a vast group of friends, and a close relationship with my family, as I was still living at home.
By Obscure Flair7 years ago in Psyche
Hi, I'm Kendra, and I Have Bipolar Disorder!
I got out of a mental health hospital a week ago today. Now I’ll move forward with the most "interesting" things first AKA my diagnoses. I was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder, Anxiety, Schizophrenic tendencies, PTSD, and OCD. Alright let’s delve into more about what this means for me and my life moving onward!
By Kendra Bennett7 years ago in Psyche
Seatbelt
Recently, I went on a small day trip from my quaint town to another quaint town on my new home island of Ireland. I packed up my life and moved here about a month ago, and I have had nothing but amazing, uplifting experiences, and reassurances that I made the right decision. Moving to a completely new country has been something that I've aspired to do for years, but to say that I ever expected this to happen would be false, and this would be for a number of reasons. First reason being I never thought I could ever move away from home; I feared that I would get homesick too quickly, and always thought I would want to stay within the comforts of my hometown. Clearly, as I got older I found a shocking presence of independence and wanderlust within myself, just enough to push me to leave the nest, and fulfill what I've always dreamed of doing. Fast forward to the present, while I'm living my dream in Ireland, I decided to travel around a little when I get the chance, and with the bus system being so quick and easy, it really makes day trips ideal. I was on my way to the lovely village of Kinsale, full of colourful buildings, winding roads and sailboats. I hopped on the bus, threw on some John Mayer (obviously), and sat back and began to enjoy the luscious green scenery around me. Although I was in my element, something quickly started weighing down on me. On the buses in Ireland, there are seatbelts on every seat, although no one wears them. I sat there, John Mayer singing sweet nothings in my ear, and decided that it would be dumb to keep my seatbelt off, what if something was to happen? I have too much ahead of me to risk it, because I was too lazy to move my arm in two swift motions.
By Bekah Boudreau7 years ago in Psyche
I Am Disgusting
My name is Stormy, and I am disgusting. Here are the most commonly cited reasons, as to why: My shorts are too short. Sometimes I wear a white t-shirt, and a red bralette, and it isn’t classy. The fact that I force other people to have to see me in tight clothes is disrespectful. I have scars all over that I can’t even pretend are from something else, and it’s an obvious cry for attention. Two cookies are way more than I should be eating. Also, at some point I’m going to have to forgive him, it’s my fault. And I really should be over what happened by now, it’s been 14 years.
By Stormy Robertson7 years ago in Psyche
What to Expect During Detox Treatment
If you’re considering getting help with your substance abuse problem, know that you’re already taking an amazing, courageous step just to think about it. Detoxing isn’t easy, but with the right help, you can get through it successfully and return to the life you love and deserve.
By Carlos Fox7 years ago in Psyche
Judgementalism
"We are all works in progress." I was told this numerous times as a kid by my mentor and in so many words by my parents and family. It's funny how long it takes us sometimes to begin embracing good advice, affectively converting knowledge into sage wisdom.
By J Bradford7 years ago in Psyche
