Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Psyche.
The Dark Side of My Brain
I'm 26 and I've been dealing with depression, anxiety, and BPD (Borderline Personality Disorder) for 20 years. Wrap your head around that for a second. I've been told a million times, "Oh honey you're young, you'll grow out of it," or "Please, you are entirely top young to have that many problems already." Well let me tell you something. Yes I am young, but I'm a 20 year vet of multiple invisible illnesses. Please don't tell me I'm too young for life to be rough. Please don't sit there and undermine my mental illnesses just because you want to be small minded about it.
By Bethany Winters7 years ago in Psyche
Trichotillomania and Me (Pt. 2)
The first article in the series is available here. Please read it before continuing. As I finished middle school and started high school, my trich went through a roller coaster of ups and downs. Sometimes, I didn't pull much at all. Sometimes, I couldn't stop and would pull out substantial sections at a time. I recall one family gathering where I cleared out a section the size of a dime in less than an hour and a half. Despite my times of self-restraint (or lack of interest in pulling), my hair and eyelashes never came back full strength; I never stopped enough to make a real difference.
By Emily Grace Gill7 years ago in Psyche
Struggles People with Depression Know Too Well
Depression is a very difficult disorder to understand. However, there are 350 million people who suffer from depression, and they share similar struggles, though it's a different process for everyone. These are 10 different struggles people with depression know all too well.
By Kelsey Lange7 years ago in Psyche
Crochet for Mental Health
I have been struggling with my mental health for a while. I finished my undergrad degree in Zoology and had no idea where to turn! My whole life I had been within the education system - just keep studying for the next exam. But at least I knew what I was doing!
By louise harper7 years ago in Psyche
Finding a Family
I look around the room. Everyone is laughing, having a good time. I stand there, surrounded, yet feeling so alone. Does anyone want me there? Nobody notices the way I dig my nails into my palms. Nobody notices how I cannot sit still. Does anyone even know I’m there? Someone tells a joke, everyone around me is laughing hysterically. I didn’t hear what the joke was, but I join in the laughter, hoping nobody notices how fake mine really is. They won’t. Nobody notices me. At least that’s how I see it.
By Brittany Lawrence7 years ago in Psyche
You're Making It Up
At two months of age, Garret wouldn’t sleep unless I was holding him. At all. No naps. No crying himself to sleep from exhaustion. It didn’t matter if anyone else was holding him. He just would not sleep. I knew there was something not right in that. Wanting to be held is normal. Not sleeping unless a specific person is doing the holding is not.
By Deanne Horton7 years ago in Psyche
Fighting the War on Depression & Anxiety: My Story
So let me set the scene. A few years ago I wasn't the person I am today, I used to have really bad bouts of anger, nothing helped! It was if I had no mental control over my emotions which then meant having no control over my physical self.
By Ian McGarva7 years ago in Psyche
The Day I Had My First Anxiety Attack
Anxiety attacks are no laughing matter especially when they are caused by high volumes of stress. I never thought I would ever experience this but one day it hit me so hard that I literally thought that I was going to die. It all started about eight years ago, when I was working as a marketing associate for a health insurance company. The job wasn’t too hard but the hours seemed long and tedious when you wore a headset and was hooked to an auto-dialer cold calling senior citizens to persuade them in changing or adding a Medicare Advantage plan to their current insurance policy.
By Kathy Lester7 years ago in Psyche
Must Read YA Books About Mental Health
Ever notice how mental health never really gets broached in children's lit, but becomes the main theme in many adult books? There's a reason for that. Mental illnesses often surface during the teens and early 20s, which makes it a way more relatable subject for older crowds.
By Rowan Marley7 years ago in Psyche
BPD: How It Can Destroy Your Relationship
BPD (Borderline Personality Disorder) is, as the name suggests, a personality disorder that manifests itself in many different ways. I have been diagnosed with it myself and let me tell you this: it's pretty darn scary. One minute you're the happiest you've ever felt, then the next you've never felt worse and you're slashing your wrist with the nearest sharp object. It's an awful mental illness to be diagnosed with, and it's so misunderstood by the public.
By Skylar Rose Pridgeon7 years ago in Psyche
The Value of Life from the Perspective of Mental Health...
The term "mentally unwell" appears to be taboo within the Asian community, however I am sure there are many other communities in which mental health is considered to be something that is unspoken of publicly. For a while now, my frustrations around the issue of mental health within the community have increased due to the fact that there is very little support to those who require it.
By Sobia Siddique7 years ago in Psyche