support
A solid support system is invaluable for one's recovery from psychiatric illness and mental health issues.
The Bridge
The ebbing and flowing of the river below has always succeeded, in harmonising with the speeding cars on the bridge above, to clear my mind. There is nothing like walking with your own thoughts along the river's edge, stopping and staring out; searching for answers. Though the questions are never words, but emptiness, the kind of emptiness you feel as a kid when you realised that something you once believed was no longer true, like when you found out that Santa wasn’t real. It’s not that you didn’t know already but that that little possibility, that one percent, has vanished never to return, that little part of your consciousness died. I think that’s why I stare out at the water, hoping that in its unfathomable depth or within the vastness of its oceans, it may return something to me that has been long lost. Like a sailor’s family hoping against hope to see them on the horizon, but they never do.
By Duncan Vickers8 years ago in Psyche
An Open Letter to Death
Dear Death, How dare you creep into bed with my husband and flirt with him, and tease him with the idea that death is the best option for him to pick. How dare you whisper sweet nothings into his ear about how life isn't worth it anymore.
By Stephanie Boswell8 years ago in Psyche
Mental Health and Seeking Help
If you’re reading this, it’s probably because you’re struggling. Maybe you’re struggling with an eating disorder or PTSD or depression or any other mental illness that is grabbing hold of your life. So the first thing I’m going to tell you is: please don’t give up.
By Nicole Laskey8 years ago in Psyche
Asking for a Friend, How Do You Learn to Eat?
Every individual has most likely struggled with their body image at one point or another in their life. As sad as it is, this is incredibly common. When overlooked by others, sometimes it can lead a person down a path to something more serious. Eating disorders currently engulf at least 30 million people of all ages and genders in the United States (ANAD).
By Lucy Haney8 years ago in Psyche
To My Next Therapist
September 30, 2017 To My Next Therapist, I think about killing myself a lot. Swerving into traffic at the last minute, not caring if I’m driving too fast, or maybe “accidentally” taking too many Klonopin. The thought crosses my mind multiple times a day. But, I can’t tell you this without being immediately put on a 72-hour psych hold. I can’t talk to anybody at home without fear of someone calling the cops on me because I’m “a danger to myself.” I can’t have an honest conversation about my suicidal thoughts and the demons that provoke them without being reprimanded and detained.
By Edyn Schwartz8 years ago in Psyche
The Haven: A Mental Health Discord Server
With the internet making the world seem like a smaller place, it does not surprise that it also risks making the therapy room a lot bigger as well. While for some seeking help from close friends or a therapist is enough, for those who do not enjoy the face-to-face interaction and appointment booking to receive the desired support, there are online options which you can utilize from the comfort of your own home.
By Cat Mercier8 years ago in Psyche
Support Groups
I went to my first support group meeting today. I was pretty nervous at first, but it didn't take me long to open up. There were four other people and they all seemed very open and accepting. I really enjoyed it because just to meet other people with the same diagnosis as me and have the same trial and error experience with medications and have the same daily struggles as me is very reassuring. We laughed about how we all agreed how bad Celexa was and shared what different medications we are currently taking. They gave me some good advice on medications to look into, coping mechanisms to try, and similar struggles that I could relate and empathize to. I feel like I know almost exactly what these people are going through and that it's similar to what I am experiencing. It makes me feel like I'm kind of less alone with this struggle. Its amazing what an hour and a half talk with random strangers can do for you. We talked about ways to think positively and how we can think of these problems as potentially beneficial. I shared that I probably wouldn't have gotten through my rigorous college program if I hadn't had generalized anxiety disorder to always keep me in fear. But in a way, it strongly motivated me to get everything done ahead of time so I wouldn't have to worry about it later.
By Ashley Pogue8 years ago in Psyche
The Girl in the White Dress
Picture an old dirt road on a cold night. There's a light breeze picking up dust in the distance. You see the silhouette of a person walking and as you getting closer you realize it's a girl. She looks about seventeen or eighteen; she's barefoot, with long dirt blonde hair flowing loosely in the wind. You notice the breeze gently dancing through the wrinkles of her white dress. It's a long dress; it flows all the way down to her bare feet. Her feet look dirty like she's been walking for miles; you start following her.
By Cristian Carrasco8 years ago in Psyche
Children and Mental Health
Mental health is something that in general is overlooked in many countries. In the UK there are approximately 1 in 4 people that will experience a mental health problem in each year, and in England alone 1 in 6 people report experiencing a common mental health problem in any given week (https://www.mind.org.uk/)
By Nadine Walkinshaw8 years ago in Psyche
Helping Someone with an Illness
This article is useful for everybody, whether you have an illness yourself, help somebody with an illness, or both. I suffer with BORDERLINE PERSONALITY DISORDER, and I’m currently doing my best to help someone close to me through an undiagnosed illness.
By Jessica Murray8 years ago in Psyche
