support

A solid support system is invaluable for one's recovery from psychiatric illness and mental health issues.

Loneliness, the Silent Killer
When we are told to maintain a healthy lifestyle, we often think of healthy eating and regular exercise—in return, we're promised a long and healthy life. To an extent, there is some truth in this. But what doctors don't tell you, is how social isolation can take years away from your life, as well as leaving you more susceptible to catching various illnesses.
By Gemma7 years ago in Psyche
An Open Letter to 13-Year-Old Me
Dear Sierra, It’s almost 2019 now. Can you believe you made it this far? You thought you’d be dead by now. You thought you wouldn’t make it to the age of 18, so on your 18th birthday you cried, they were happy tears of course.
By Sierra Lynn7 years ago in Psyche
Days
Have you ever had one of those days, the one where when you just wake up and you already want it to be over. You know the kind of days I'm talking about, the ones where you count down the minutes until you can lay in bed and restart. It's funny what the ability of eight short hours is capable of doing, and how we let its power over us.
By Emily Grisham7 years ago in Psyche
Mental Health from a Friend's Perspective
Through the years I have had a lot of encounters with people who struggle with mental health. People have opened up to me about how they feel, even people I don't know very well, and some of my closest friends have been struggling with their mental health for many years. I have never had a problem with my own mental health, and often I feel lost and powerless trying to help the people I meet with these kinds of problems.
By Emily Jones7 years ago in Psyche
Be Yourself
Dealing with depression, bipolar, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) isn't easy. I was only nine years-old when something very traumatizing happened to me, but being so young you don't think of that kind of stuff.
By Sara Bevins7 years ago in Psyche
Things You Should Know Before Loving a Person Riddled with Depression *Must Read*
Loving anyone can entail moments of unbridled passion as well as a sweeping to the lowest of lows. One thing is for sure, though, love is hard. Many of us go through life craving such a sensation to course through our empty veins. It’s lonely. Being loveless can be colder than the bitterest of winters. It sends a chill down a spine that aches to the feel the warmth of any fingertip in sight. Love is crazy. It almost makes no sense. However it makes all the sense in the world.
By The Darkest Sunrise7 years ago in Psyche
Grief and the Fear of Ketchup
Most times when we as a society talk about grief and loss, we seem to be mainly focusing on death. It has always been interesting to me that we seem to be more comfortable grieving the universe's physical loss of a human life form than expressing grief for a lost emotional connection, or "other" grief. It is certainly easier to express, and therefore justify living with the concept of "physical loss" grief, because universally, it is said that the loss of a human life is sad. Death is always sad and you are supposed to be sad when someone dies. If you're supposed to be sad, I guess you're allowed to grieve, and when you're allowed to do something, it can be a lot easier.
By Hannah B7 years ago in Psyche
Interviews with a Big Black Broad: Sessions #7
Interviewer: When did you began to seek professional help to treat your BDD? BBB: I'm sure it's not surprising that I was reluctant. I was complacent in dealing with my issues on my own up 'til the age of 28. I hid from mirrors. I would dwell in front of mirrors. I took down mirrors. I put them back up. I spent all my money on food, alcohol, makeup, hair products and expensive girdles of all kinds. I hid from the world for days and weeks on end. I drank to endure those moments when I gave in to the mounting pressures I felt to rejoin the world even when I felt the worst about myself. The annoyance of having to deal with a disorder that caused me to focus so much on myself had also taken its toll on me. I wasn't a purposefully vain person. I wasn't someone who would choose to be so self-consumed. I wanted to travel the world. I loved people and wanted to meet more of them from all walks of life. I didn't want to assume that everyone who stared at me only did so because they saw someone ugly. I needed the courage to live the life I ultimately wanted. How could I live any longer without being able to face myself in the mirror? Without being able to leave my house without being inebriated in some way? So, I faced the fact that I would remain stuck in the same positions in my life (literally) if I didn't at least try professional help.
By Anarda Nashai7 years ago in Psyche
Mental Health Awareness: What Can We Do Better?
Conversations about mental health can go many different ways, and people have all kinds of different attitudes about it. Although a stigma still remains around mental illness, many people have been brave enough to share their stories in an effort to eliminate the hazy outlook on it. Despite how far society has come, there are still some issues that should be brought to our attention when it comes to dealing with depression, anxiety, and other mental illnesses.
By Kacie Riordan7 years ago in Psyche
Think of It Over and Again. Top Story - October 2018.
There was a day when a conversation between me and my father arose, how it did I have already forgotten, but the importance of it was the perspectives we had on the subject. I would say that by the end of it, I was left with an open opinion to it.
By Guadalupe Barragan7 years ago in Psyche
Interviews with a Big Black Broad: Session #4
Interviewer: How did your collegiate aspirations relate to your experience with BDD? BBB: Before I begin, I should to warn you that this may be the most bizarre coming of age story you've ever heard. I chose a difficult major in college for two reasons: It was revered as prestigious and lucrative, and I was told that once I graduated from all those years of rigorous study, I would have little to no time for a social life while I practiced my trade. I wanted a career that would keep me so busy that I had no time to dwell on my awful appearance. I also wanted a preoccupation that would provide an understandable reason for why I had no time for romantic relationships—why I would never have children. My plan was to strictly focus on my studies, after which, I'd rely on my friends to satisfy whatever social needs I had. I loved to laugh and discuss politics, philosophy and art. So, I targeted those who majored in these subjects to help me indulge my interests when I wasn't studying my more conservative curriculum. Perhaps every now and then, I would enjoy a casual tryst or two if I was feeling up to it. I'd be a workaholic socialite from now on, I thought. Without time to focus on myself—to obsess over my ugliness, I could avoid what I referred to as "The cloud," which were my severely depressed episodes. My new distractions worked to steady my moods and lessen my obsessions. My grades were almost perfect. I'd even managed to acquire a small but well-coveted grant from the university strictly based on my academic merit. There are ugly people all over the world who are very prosperous, I thought. I studied the careers of very successful, powerful men who were also practicing the trade within the field I was studying. Most of them were single, with few or no children, and no one seemed to criticize their life choices. They weren't stigmatized for not living a conventional life. They were celebrated as playboys in fact. This was one of several observations that solidified my decision to become a playgirl. I could be satisfied with just a great career and friends. No husband. No children. I couldn't really conceive of living what all the other girls had coveted since holding their first doll baby: A "normal" life.
By Anarda Nashai7 years ago in Psyche
World Mental Health Day
Do you ever find yourself struggling to accomplish the smallest task and blaming yourself for it? Have you ever continued with a chore despite everything getting in your way, or just plain going wrong? Are your dirty dishes piling higher in your sink, and you know you should do them but just can’t bring yourself to?
By M.G. Sprinkle7 years ago in Psyche