anxiety
A look at anxiety in its many forms and manifestations; what is the nature of this specific pattern of extreme fear and worry?
The Great War
The leaving never bothered me. I don’t think I was born to actually finish anything. I was always the first to arrive and the first to leave. Going back just proved that the city was the same as it ever was. I remember telling someone that I was leaving to fight a war. I guess the war was between me, myself and I. I don’t even know what I was fighting for anymore but it turned into something bigger. I thought that I had to burn all of my bridges when that wasn’t the case. I just wanted a fresh start that didn’t involved staying in a city that was slowly killing me. I am still unsure of how I got here. I remember my mentor telling me to smile even when I wanted to die because women like us are tough and that we can do anything especially with a broken brain.
Simple Ways to Empower Ourselves to Define Our Mental Health Journey
What does it mean to define our mental health journey? For me, defining my mental health journey is deeply personal. It has empowered me to foster a resilient and self-compassionate approach to how I relate to my Generalized Anxiety Disorder and ADHD diagnosis, treatment, and challenges.
Sandy PacePublished 7 days ago in PsycheThey never gave me the recipe to cure that!
A few years ago, while she was in fifth grade, one of my children developed a severe case of anxiety. The nightmare that was COVID provided the perfect cocktail of fear, uncertainty, and isolation. Throw in a bit of bullying just to make things worse and you get the perfect recipe for teen anxiety and depression.
Gabriel ArkangelosPublished 8 days ago in Psyche- AI-Generated
Exploring the Role of Magic Mushrooms in Mental Health Treatment
Magic mushrooms, long associated with counterculture and psychedelic experiences, are now emerging as a potential solution to the global mental health crisis. In a groundbreaking trial conducted this year, hallucinogenic fungi were directly compared to traditional medications for depression, offering tantalizing insights into the future of mental health treatment.
Dry Mouthed Dreamer
Seventeen and a half hours of disturbing, seemingly eternal, dreams of those who I love and whom I can not seem to convey my reality to in real time, has left me emotionally hungover. They all live far away yet I feel as if they should understand by now why I feel so desperate, desolate and isolated. It's sinking in that life has been an illusion; without an oasis, a gold nugget, not even a postcard to cling to, I have fallen into this remote place where all that I assumed would be turns out to be just a mound of bones, fragments of my past that meant zip, nada. I can't cry or run back to the beginning and fix it all so my journey continues into this desert of self, where nothing matters, especially within my selfish cravings. Laying on the bed just avoiding that one move that changes everything for the day; if I get up I am beckoned to answer for myself, be present; if I lay here, I am sick, lazy, a carcass of my own despair. There is not a magic wand, pill, or sweet talking shrink who can take away this inner disgust, the broken me. The worst thing is people feel bad cause I feel bad. I stuff my mouth with carbs and live for the darkness where I can drown in Discord with far away voices who make me feel, for a few hours, part of this crazy ass world. Waiting to feel something, show something for myself, just to be so-so is a bitch. I honestly have no idea how to turn this cradled cloud of deep sea blackness around. Anybody who's been here knows it's not a choice, a matter of pulling up my boot straps. Hell, I don't even have boots. The notion that we all have hard times, rough patches and so on makes me cringe. I have had ten years of a bad ass trip. Learning to know who I am led to discovering I will never, ever, feel okay in this world. My dad dumped me cause I am me. I was his gift he'd said so many years ago. Years ago. Truth is the killer man. Nobody really wants to hear your answer to "how are you?" now do they? In fact, anybody out there struggling with self loathing, depression, or just a miserable set of cards knows, being happy is a can fucking sardines. All our memories jam packed into one little tin, smothering us and all smelly. Ugly is what it is. Nice little therapists with pretty smiles and nods piss me off even more. "Oh, you have a lot on your plate right now." For the love of jesus, joseph, mary, gods and goddesses, YEAH, I gotta lot on my plate. I don't have a plate. I am spilling my shit all over the place, on the floor, in my bed, my plate is salty and wet, it's full of big ole cry it out tears. No one can fix this. I walk in circles, dry as burnt toast and nothing makes me want to make a move. I just stare at the sky, wondering why me. I know I am not alone; there's a lot of wild shit in this universe. I just wanted, just wanted, just wanted, a little piece of sweetness for a little while. Just a taste of something good for me. Is that such a bad thing? I am either asking too much or not trying at all. There is always a beginning, a middle and an end. Or is there? I feel like I have been in the middle of my worst day for a thousand sunsets. Now, all I can think is if, if, if, you know something I don't, maybe have a map to get me out of this barren mental tundra, can you give me a clue?
Youth, Depression, and the Endless Ocean
On a clifftop in Hastings, half a mile from anywhere stands a bench made from the logs of nearby trees, joined with large, rusted bolts. Ten paces south, the cliff gives way to open air; a dead drop onto crumbled, jagged rocks entwined in seaweed, mossy stones, flotsam, jetsam, moist sand. A fence — decaying wood, blunted barbed wire, no more than five feet tall — skirts this precipice. Sparse cirrus clouds wisp gently, framing the midday sun.
Daniel RedfordPublished 9 days ago in PsycheEMOTIONAL MANIPULATION
Emotional manipulation is a complex and often insidious form of psychological influence where one person uses tactics to control, exploit, or influence another's feelings and behaviors. Unlike physical manipulation, which is overt and often immediately recognizable, emotional manipulation operates under the radar, making it difficult to detect and even harder to address. This article delves into the nuances of emotional manipulation, exploring its mechanisms, identifying signs, and offering strategies for those who find themselves ensnared in its web.
ASMAU AHMADPublished 11 days ago in PsycheMy Anger and Hate
On May 17, 2024, I had just gotten off my second break at work, I was approached by HR about how I said something in the backroom where I was back stocking merchandise earlier.
Johann HollarPublished 11 days ago in Psyche- Content Warning
Last Night I Went To See Take That And Olly Murs: A Mental Health Account, Part Two.
This is my second part about my night seeing Take That and Olly Murs. In this article I want to talk about the pyrotechnics which involves the use of fire, or fireworks.
Carol TownendPublished 14 days ago in Psyche My IF: Recalling My Own Imaginary Friend
I was going to put this personal anecdote in my review of the new movie IF starring Ryan Reynolds and John Krasinski but, some people seem to think that personal anecdotes in movie reviews are 'everything that is wrong with film criticism.' I'm being facetious, that's a terrible take, and I put many personal anecdotes in movie reviews and there is nothing wrong with doing that whatsoever.
Sean PatrickPublished 15 days ago in PsycheBent Progress
If you've ever dealt with any form of trauma, there is one mantra that therapists looove: "Healing isn't linear" Ugh. If you've been to therapy, you probably resent the saying as much as I do (even if you know it's true).
Ashley TrippPublished 16 days ago in Psyche- AI-Generated
Is My Smile Enough?
In a world often obsessed with perfection, where images are meticulously crafted and appearances meticulously curated, the question arises: Is my smile enough? Beyond the superficial gloss of social media filters and Hollywood smiles, lies a deeper inquiry into the authenticity and significance of a genuine, heartfelt smile. Does it really count?