psychology
Studying the complexities of the human mind and its many functions and behaviors.
First Things First
If there’s one thing I’ve learned from having anxiety and depression, it’s that life…well, life isn’t always beautiful. There will always be struggles. Some days I can hardly get out of bed. Sometimes the only thing I want is to be held by one specific person, and absolutely nothing else. I can’t remember what day of the week it is, or what dream I had last night, but I know it was bad.
By Baylee Ence7 years ago in Longevity
Chronic Stress: Cortisol and Oxytocin
Stress, in today’s modern technological cultures, runs ramped, the medical effects of chronic stress on the human body can be devastating. Acute (sudden stress) is normal, it is part of the fight or flight process that all animals have including humans. It provides the sudden short-term biological mechanisms to respond and act in the face of sudden dangers. Chronic and prolonged stress is a state of existence that is contrary to how the body is designed to cope with stress. Cronic stress can lead to heart attack, stroke, depression, immune deficiency, impaired memory, diabetes, and mid-torso fat storage which is unrelated to eating habits and diet.
By M.J. Green7 years ago in Longevity
Self-Mutilation
This entry is going to stray into some very personal and fairly painful material for me. I am going to come out publicly as a self-mutilator in an attempt to make other people understand what it means. Self-mutilators are pretty darn misunderstood.
By Sarah Sparks7 years ago in Longevity
Just Keep Swimming
For years I have struggled with an unnamed illness that just didn't seem to have a cause. My test results would come back clear. There was no diabetes, Lupus, STDs or arthritis. I'd been diagnosed with interstitial cystitis, IBS, gastro-reflux, severe sleep apnea, depression, and anxiety. Even with treatment for all these other conditions, I still felt constantly sick, achy and fatigued to the extreme. Finally, after a barrage of not so great doctors (who treated me like I was stupid, lying or didn't know my own body), I found an amazing clinic with doctor's who would actually listen to me. I've been diagnosed with fibromyalgia.
By Sarah Sparks7 years ago in Longevity
Living with an Eating Disorder
I'm 38 years old and live with an eating disorder. I weigh 105 at 5"6 and wear a size 1 in pants that, even after wearing them all day, they will sag. I can goes days without eating and not think twice about it. I start noticing the effects only by the fatigue and body cramps. My heart races at times for no reason. When I feel those symptoms I binge eat for a couple of weeks, maybe even a month and a half. It's like my brain rewired itself systematically. I know it's all part of the disorder. I have never weighed more than 115 and I don't even know when I have fallen off track until I start feeling the symptoms. How long will I keep going like this? Will it last forever? I read about cases all the time where they won the battle and became healthy.
By Travis sandifer7 years ago in Longevity
Why We Need To Stop Looking At Medication Negatively
I have suffered from mental health issues my entire life. In fact, I am certain I suffered from Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) even in public school. Unfortunately, in Canada, one cannot receive a mental health diagnosis until after the age of 18 so I was not diagnosed until after reaching adulthood.
By Beth Gibbons7 years ago in Longevity
Expectations
Expectations... We all have them. They're those ideas that float around our mind before being sewn into the soil of our conscious selves. They grow as weeds from this mental earth, strangling our garden of values and beliefs. Even worse, like weeds, they spread rapidly until our emotions and identities have been altered to suit their needs. Expectations... We all have them, but what can we do about it?
By Justin Gignac7 years ago in Longevity
My Invisible Disability
Hi! My name is Chris and I have an invisible disability! When I was 12 years old I was in school, and I made my way down some bleachers when I found that I couldn't move. I collapsed and everyone laughed, I was mortified. I found that it happened every day since then, and it was worse every time. I thought, "It's in my head, I'm fine." So, I kept it a secret from my family, until I was fifteen.
By Chris Leigh7 years ago in Longevity
Who I Am
My name is James. I am a 19 year old Canadian guy with too much time on my hands. I struggle with a few different things. I have a type of colorblindness called Protanopia. It is a red/green colorblindness and I can't see the color red. Because I don't see red, either because I don't have red photoreceptors, or they were underdeveloped, I also don't see pink, purple, or orange as they are offshoots of red.
By James Groves7 years ago in Longevity
Making Fun of My Own Trauma
Six days after my 11th birthday, the morning after the Year 6 exams, when my whole class had gone out to an indoor activity thing, (God knows if I can remember the name, not that it matters anymore!) I had the joy of opening the door to two police officers.
By Casey Rose7 years ago in Longevity