Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Psyche.
It's Always Fine, Until it Isn't
Let me preface this entire article by saying that anxiety and depression have been an active part of my life since I was 14. Now, as an almost 21 year old, I have learned how to handle these two destroying illnesses way better than I ever thought I would be able to. I have been able to find coping mechanisms and exercises that keep me right side up while my world is toppling down around me.
By Renee Antonia7 years ago in Psyche
Living with Clinical Depression
Living undiagnosed makes for a difficult childhood. For the first nineteen years of my life I believed the distorted reality I was presented with. In my world I was unloved and life was bleak and hopeless. I never thought I was unhappy, simply because I had never experienced real joy or emotional fulfillment. You can't miss what was never there.
By Johnny O'Neill7 years ago in Psyche
The Best Apology Is Changed Behaviour
When we make a mistake in life, we tend to harbour that guilt and shame as self-loathing and constant fear of making the same mistakes again. It’s the old saying, "Forgive yourself first," that we hear over and over again when seeking for advice on how to move on after once again self-sabotaging our own happiness. We obsessively read positive quotes, wallow in our misery, and then find something to distract ourselves until we move on to make the same mistakes and end up in the same situation years, or even months, later. Sound familiar? This is the negative repetition that was my routine throughout my life until recently. How did I finally stop distracting myself from the pain and end the negativity that had resulted in copious amounts of failed relationships, and years of low self-esteem? The answer may sound cliché, and we’ve all heard it before, but learning to love yourself is your only option to get yourself out of the never-ending cycle of self-sabotage.
By Anna Pembrey7 years ago in Psyche
Discovering Asperger's as an Adult
I'm a 43-year-old married mother of three children and two step-children. I recently discovered that I have what used to be called Asperger's Syndrome but is now just referred to as Autism Spectrum Disorder. I'd like to share with you how this discovery has affected me.
By Aspie Insider7 years ago in Psyche
Skills to Prevent Relapse, Continued
Continued from Part 1, which discussed the Mindfulness and Distress Tolerance modules. MODULE 3: EMOTION REGULATION Emotions are a tricky thing to deal with, and this is especially true for people who struggle with addiction. Emotion regulation skills are intended to guide us through life in a way that minimizes emotional crises or extremes. The emotion regulation skills are the following: PLEASE, Build Mastery, Opposite-to-Emotion Action, Problem Solving, and Letting Go of Emotional Suffering.
By Alice Minguez7 years ago in Psyche
Difficulties of Living
Life can be hard, and it definitely will be. We have these periods, good and then bad—over and over again. It's like a never ending chapter, and just as we think it's over we find out it's not. We are going in circles sometimes, I know how it feels, cuz that's how I feel this very moment. Like in stock, it's like if I've been placed in this box, but it's closed. It feels like there's no way out—like I'm stock.
By Marie Hoffmann7 years ago in Psyche
Skills to Prevent Relapse
What is Dialectical Behavior Therapy? Dialectical behavior therapy, more commonly known as DBT, is a type of therapy that was originally created to help people with borderline personality disorder, a personality disturbance that is so difficult to work with that some mental health professionals actually consider it untreatable.
By Alice Minguez7 years ago in Psyche
A Journey to Understanding
The intense feeling of frustration that surrounds mental health is all too prevalent. Trying to manage daily life tasks and expectations and in many cases failing to do so due to illnesses such as depression and anxiety can be infuriating as hell. I often find myself thinking "Well, I am fully aware that I have a mental illness and I know that this is the cause of most of my irrational thinking and anxious thoughts, so why is it so hard to snap out of it?!" However, when looking at frustration and it’s link to mental health more closely, it’s clear that our frustrations often tend to subside when a desire or intention is achieved. With depression and anxiety, simple tasks can become incredibly difficult which is frustrating in itself, but when these illnesses prevent our expectations and desires from becoming a reality, it can leave individuals feeling hopeless and subsequently, can actually make illnesses like depression and anxiety much worse and more difficult to deal with.
By Becky Pitt7 years ago in Psyche
Define: Normal
What does normal truly mean? It is a question I have contemplated for the majority of my life. Relating to someone else's "normal" is our greatest challenge. Our normalcy is a compilation of our environment, influences, and level of control we experience. Not one person will have the same normal as another. An underlining discomfort surrounds sharing our personal lives and what we learn from them. Why does it feel as if exposing my normal is like unveiling a cold case file?
By Ashley Way7 years ago in Psyche