Self Love For 'Devalued' Kids
It's no secret that the early years of our lives shape who we become as adults. Isn't it frightening how so much of our childhood is out of our hands? A devalued kid is someone raised with little to no praise, validation, positivity, or acceptance. The result is things like poor self-esteem, passive-aggressive or avoidance behavior, and people-pleasing personalities. Such behaviors may have begun as survival or coping mechanisms. As grown-ups, it feels as if we left our parents' house and packed the wrong baggage. We've held onto the baggage for so long we don't how else to live. We don't know where or how to start building the right tools we need to let ourselves grow into our potential. Omar Hameed describes The Devalued Self in The Devalued Self: Childhood Emotional Abandonment, Devaluation of the Self, and Anxiety:
Danielle EckhartPublished 4 days ago in PsycheHow to Protect Your Mental Health and Wellbeing
We’ve become slaves to our gadgets. Every hobby is now seen as a potential side hustle and money-making machine. We no longer do things for the sake of enjoyment. If you’re not monetising a skill you’re seen as if you’re an alien.
Rejoice DenherePublished 6 days ago in PsycheThe Secret Life of Dreams: The Ins and Outs of Sleep.
I’ve always been interested in other worldly topics, often wondering whether there is life after death? Do ghosts exist? And is that demon I see in sleep paralysis really trying to possess me?
Emm MargaretPublished 7 days ago in Psyche
A letter to my young self
This is a letter to my young self & all persons who feel the oppressive weight of living under cultural and patriarchal restraint. Especially for those journeys that have been made more arduous due to intersectionality and for those who seek to heal from experienced traumas. It can feel like a lonely road travelled when our song feels dissonant to those around us. When individuality that follows the social norm is what is expected of us. When we are asked to be everything and expected to question none of it. When we keep space with those that do not keep space for us. When we find ourselves seeking other’s approval over our own. When we stop being crafters of our own story, stray from our path, and allow others to dance us along on marionetted strings. When we continue to witness the collective pain of marginalizing policies.
Shanna RenePublished 11 days ago in Psyche
What is dating someone with BPD like?
Question #1: Before we met, what information did you have on Borderline Personality disorder? Oh god. Very little. Very very very little. All I knew about Borderline is that it was the mental illness with the highest successful suicide rate and that's about it.
Ollie SkyePublished 11 days ago in PsycheI Had to Write Words Backwards for 2 Whole Years Or Else My Friends Would Die
My OCD stole my writing from me. No seriously. A mental illness versus my existential purpose and still there were no winners. Just a loser. Just me.
Emily WilcoxPublished 13 days ago in Psyche
12 Ways to Fight Depression That Aren't Medication
As a crisis worker, talking with patients in multiple hospitals, and while working in private practice as a licensed counselor, the two most common concerns I see people come in for help with are depression and anxiety. Ninety percent of the people that I work with suffered from one or both of these concerns.
Shana GalbraithPublished 16 days ago in PsycheComprehending the Incomprehensible
I recently learned of the tragic passing of one of Vocal’s very own beloved creators Tom Bradbury. I’m sure many of you who are in the various Vocal Facebook groups are also aware of the tragedy befalling Tom’s home in rural France to a violent fire in which a victim was recovered. I’m not going to go into anymore because trauma does not need to be re-trodden. Suffice it to say, tragedy can be difficult, or seem almost impossible, to wrap your head around.
Caitlin McCollPublished 19 days ago in Psyche
Behind the Scenes
Exploring mental health in the public eye; celebrities and the spotlight that has been placed on their personal lives and their mental health.
In Treatment
Discovering the ins and outs of treatments and therapies. Join the conversation today.
Beyond the Blues
Understanding depression is difficult; hear from Psyche's community of peers on their experiences with this mood disorder.
4 Supplements That Improve Sleep For Depressed Individuals
When you are depressed, sometimes sleep is difficult to come by. I know when I was overweight and depressed, I had insomnia. Oftentimes, I would wake up around 3 am and not be able to go to sleep.
Tony GjokajPublished about an hour ago in Psyche
Am I still Sober?
My first post here on Vocal was about my journey to sobriety from alcohol. It's called "55 days Sober." I realized that i wrote that article six months ago and never made an update. The question that everyone asks when they see sober posts is "Are you still sober?" The short answer for me is technically no i have had drinks since I've last wrote. But I want to share my story, what I've learned along the way, how I've healed, my future goals etc. This could be a very long post, but I hope that it will help at least one person in their journey of sobriety. One thing I want to note is sobriety does look different for every person, what works for one person may not for another. And that is perfectly okay.
Kimmiekins4Published about 2 hours ago in PsycheThe Lie.
I wonder exactly how beaten down I’ve been by this thing, which has been wrenching me apart since I was four. Inspirational stories by people who overcame adversity and who went on to do amazing things, demoralise me. They are able to continue where I cannot.
Celia FinterPublished about 2 hours ago in PsycheVoiceless
I know; I'm sorry. It's been 3 months since I last submitted anything. 3 months since I touched my fingers to this keyboard. This year hasn't been easy you guys. I keep fighting against the waves that crash towards me. Truthfully I have been doing something I'd like to share with you all called "Shadow work", before proceeding I want to just take note that somethings in this article, (read.. whatever you want) to call it could be triggering. Please read with caution, and practice self care after reading this! It's important to care for our selves in any moments of heavy emotional topics. I will be talking about mental health, childhood traumas, and well we will see where this goes? I am kind of just free flowing my thoughts for now. So grab your coffee, tea, maybe light a joint or take a dab and lets chat?
Burnout
I have worked in the field of social work for nearly a decade now. The majority of social workers can’t help but to get emotionally invested in their work. They have to work through vicarious trauma, vicarious grief, their own grief, and feelings of helplessness when they know there is nothing more they can do to support someone but that person is still struggling. Self care is preached as the most important thing for people working in the human services to do, but self care is such a vague and difficult thing to figure out. So many people have such diverse suggestions to work through the stresses and burnout of the job but everyone is so different no one suggestion will work for everyone.
L. A. McCulloughPublished about 4 hours ago in Psyche
Discovering Your New Normal After Trauma
Growing up, my normal was chaos and madness due to some less than stellar events in my childhood and a messed up family. Through the constant struggles, I have learned what to appreciate. And for me, every aspect of life is worth being appreciated. But above anything else, I appreciate normalcy.
Jennifer March, MSPublished about 4 hours ago in Psyche
The Closing Wind
Lying up, staring at the ceiling, thinking, longing. Surrounding him only darkness with the small light that shone from his phone’s screen. Calm music filled the room and surrounded what appeared to be, at first glance, a statue. Motionless, expressionless. Looking closer and closer, two spheres appeared to shine like two moons in the glow from his phone. His eyelids, flickering shut from time to time, only to be reopened every so often with a stream running through and from them. Going deeper we see a dark figure, towering over him, consuming him, becoming him. He gathers enough energy to start to rise from his bed, the figure still looming over him, surrounding him. He goes downstairs, puts on a coat, and leaves. That evening 3 moons could be seen, the one in the sky, and the two eyes, sparkling in the moonlight.
Karol A KubickiPublished about 5 hours ago in Psyche
The Journey Of An Abused Child Who Learned To Become A Healthy Adult
Acknowledgment Of The Author This is an autobiography of my life as a child who suffered through many traumatic, life-changing events, and learned to heal from my trauma to become a healthy adult. I will be discussing many things that may bring back traumatic memories for those who have also suffered through abuse of any or many forms. I write this with the hope that other people will know they weren’t the only ones who went through traumatic experiences in their life. Please read at your own risk and hopefully this autobiography will be helpful to those who have gone through something similar and to those who have thankfully never did. This took a lot of patience, courage, and willpower to write this story. I still struggle with the belief that I should of just never posted this, but I believe for the sake of my mental health, it was best that I got this on paper instead of keeping this within myself.
Alicia MetcalfPublished about 5 hours ago in Psyche
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