Beyond the Blues
Understanding depression is difficult; hear from Psyche's community of peers on their experiences with this mood disorder.
I'm Intelligent AND Mentally Ill. And That's Okay
I am a relatively intelligent person. I am university-educated and have worked as a college lecturer. My primary field is the theatre but I am well-read, and - although my preference would be to bore you for hours talking about Shakespeare and Beckett - I would also be happy to have a conversation about F. Scott Fitzgerald, Maya Angelou, Friedrich Nietzsche, Carl Jung, Frida Kahlo. or the French Revolution.
Steven FitzgeraldPublished 14 days ago in Psyche
Look On The Bright Side To Banish The Blues
Mental health is a huge issue at the moment. The Covid-19 pandemic made us all feel the mental health crisis more acutely, as many people struggle with issues around loneliness, isolation, money problems, and lack of purpose.
Susie KearleyPublished 9 months ago in Psyche25 Ways to Deal with Depression: The Ultimate Guide
Depression is a serious mental health condition that can sap your energy and affect your ability to think, work, eat, and sleep. It can also make relationships difficult and cause problems with focus and concentration. Depression is a common illness, affecting more than 350 million people worldwide.
Alain SaamegoPublished 9 months ago in Psyche
My Personal Advice for Dealing with Depression
We hear about mental illnesses often enough to know what they are and the problems they can cause. Often times, you'll hear advice telling you what you can do to push it to the side or get rid of it completely. A lot of times though, from what I've seen, this is just a ploy to get money or to get you to take some experimental drug. Or it's superficial advice about how losing weight will solve your problems. So I'm going to try to give you some advice that might actually help you.
Thorn DeathPublished 10 months ago in Psyche
Recovery Is Possible
What is our "Real Self?" I mean, aren't we all putting on a facade for everyone? When we meet people, don't we put our best foot forward? Don't we want to make a great impression when we try to get a job? Authentic Self seems elusive, or so I thought. Oh, that's just "Dime Store Psychology." You see, I had one of those jobs that I had to put on many faces.
Jeff JohnsonPublished about a year ago in Psyche
Beating Depression's Beaten Path
Human beings are creatures of habit. We have a subconscious bias toward doing everyday things in certain ways that feel comfortable to us. I put my left sock on before the right one, but I always put my right shoe on before the left. I brush my teeth in a certain pattern; I shave my face from left to right. Whatever the task is, I definitely don’t remember choosing the particular way in which I complete it. As a child I learned the basics but as I grew older I simply found a way of doing them that just felt comfortable to me. If not by the lack of discomfort, but by the reinforcement achieved by repetition. Either way, our brains employ a flavor of the ‘path of least resistance’ strategy with these simple tasks; that being said, would it not make sense that our brains also employ this strategy with other functions buried even deeper in our subconscious?
I Didn't Know I Had Social Anxiety: Here Are The Subtle Signs
Earlier this year, I was diagnosed with Social Anxiety Disorder. It was the last of the 3 anxiety disorders I got diagnosed with, and one that I frankly did not expect. Despite considering myself a mental health advocate and having a fairly good understanding of anxiety disorders, I even fell victim to the stereotypes of social anxiety.
Alisan KeeseePublished about a year ago in Psyche
Not All Depression Is The Same
Depression: when you have it, you know it. Common symptoms: sadness, lethargy, lack of motivation, overeating, undereating, anhedonia (lack of pleasure in doing things), insomnia, oversleeping, "grey-ness", etc.
Shana GalbraithPublished about a year ago in Psyche
Depression Weigh down.
I feel heavy. Living threw and currently in a pandemic mental illness cases have risen. This means quite a lot of things but in this case it means there are more people who will sympathize with me and understand. I wish that gave me some comfort but it does not.
show me how it gets better
Every night when I’m lying in bed, I talk to the universe. I used to ask it questions, but now I kind of just demand things. “Show me how it gets better.” It never responds. Audibly, that is.
Jenna Bygall (she/her)Published about a year ago in PsycheSelf-Sabotage and Sertraline
I am a naturally positive person, and I have depression. It feels like an inherited curse that I tried so hard to run from. You see, depression runs in my family, so over the years I've become very aware and vigilant with my own mental health. I've known that I need to 'keep an eye on it' and take a proactive and preventative approach. Meditation, self-care, journaling, movement, fresh air, getting enough sleep, managing my stress - I did all the right things. And I still struggled.
Georgia HollidayPublished about a year ago in Psyche
5 Ways I Deal with Depression
Being high functioning while suffering with any form of mental illness still has its struggles and sometimes I must admit that it does get to me. There are days where it is a struggle to get out of bed and do anything. When I go to work and have a breakdown in the staff room before my shift starts but minutes later I will wipe my face dry and clock in for my shift.
Terri AllenPublished about a year ago in Psyche
