Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Psyche.
Different, Not Better
My sister used to make comments about how I dressed, how I did my makeup, and how I colored my hair. She said I was trying to look different, not better. From her perspective, ‘appearance was a hierarchy, something measured by how closely you matched what others admired, what drew approval, what signaled success or desirability.’ Looking “better” meant aligning with those expectations. She meant it as a criticism. But what she never understood is that I was never trying to compete in that system at all. For me, color has always been a language. Long before I had the words to explain myself, I was already speaking through texture, contrast, and intuition. Bright hair, unconventional makeup, outfits that didn’t always “match”. These weren’t attempts to stand out for attention. They were acts of translation, ways of saying ‘this is how the world feels inside me.’ Matching has never been the point. Expression is. I’ve always been drawn to pieces that don’t logically go together but feel right when they’re worn together. A jacket because I love its weight. A necklace because it feels like armor. Colors because they carry emotion. I would build a look, inhabit it for sometimes a day, sometimes an evening. Then let it go. Most of the time, I’d slip right back into what I lovingly call goblin mode: oversized clothes, bare face, soft fabrics, comfort first. That part matters just as much. Comfort has never been laziness for me. It’s freedom. It allows me to move through the world without friction, without constantly adjusting myself to meet an external standard. When my body is at ease, my mind can wander. I can listen. I can notice. I can be present instead of performing. I think about nights out with friends, how they would wear heels and look stunning, truly breathtaking, and yet their feet hurt, their posture stiffened, and their attention was divided. They were managing their bodies instead of inhabiting them. I’d be there in combat boots, whether I was wearing a dress or not, grounded and steady, able to walk for hours, dance without thinking, exist without cost. The same was true at concerts. I never wanted to be the person watching the show through a phone screen. I wanted the bass in my chest, the lights in my eyes, the moment imprinting itself into memory instead of storage. I trusted that someone else would record it. If they didn’t, that was okay too. Presence mattered more to me than proof. That philosophy has shaped how I understand beauty. Beauty, for me, has never been about perfection. It has never been about polish or approval or fitting into a frame that someone else designed. It’s about aliveness. About being at home in your own skin. About letting yourself be a living composition: layered, evolving, sometimes chaotic, sometimes quiet. There is a kind of beauty that asks you to disappear into it. To smooth yourself down. To become palatable. And then there is the kind of beauty that lets you exist as art. The kind that doesn’t need to make sense to anyone else. The kind that honors intuition over trend, comfort over spectacle, experience over appearance. The kind that allows you to change, to be vibrant one day and invisible the next, without apology. Looking different was never the goal. Being true was. And if that reads as rebellion to some people, so be it. To me, it has always felt like home. And maybe that’s the quiet truth underneath it all: I was never trying to be seen as better. I was trying to be seen at all, but by myself first. To recognize my own reflection as something honest, lived-in, and real. To let my outer world echo my inner one without asking permission. If that means being different, then different has always been enough for me. ☾⋆｡°✩🦇✩°｡⋆☽
By Alicia Melnick 8 months ago in Psyche
What exactly is Alzheimer's disease?
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) was a disputatious topic since long time ago which some researchers such as Jay W. Pettegrew, Matcheri S. Keshavan, Nancy J. Minshew and so forth who put forward the statement of AD was origin by nature factors while some researchers such as Krysten K. Fulcher, Michael L. Alosco, Lindsay Miller and etcetera propose that AD was cause by nurture factors. Even though there are more than 70 diseases that lead to dementia, AD is the most serious compare to the other disease and accounts for 50-70% of dementia (Akter, Rani, Nordin, Rahman, Aznan & Rathor, 2012). The characteristics of AD which involve the patients in numerous areas has become a medical and social challenge for nowadays society, follow with the need for diversity of professional development in fulfilling the need of patients and their caregivers (Cobos & Rodríguez, 2012). AD is considered as multifactorial disease, with no single cause known, and some modifiable and non-modifiable risk elements are connected with the development and progression of AD (Korolev, 2014). As there was a finding which the prevalence, incidence of AD, brain structure and function were vary by the sex and gender as well (Mielke, Vemuri & Rocca, 2014).
By Ng Teck Sen8 months ago in Psyche
Why Are Psychiatrists, Psychologists, Therapists, and Counselors Called “Shrinks”?
Most of us have heard someone say, “I’m going to see my shrink,” with a shrug or a half‑smile — but have you ever stopped to wonder where that slang word came from? It’s one of those cultural words we have heard, and we begin using them without knowing what they actually mean.
By Margaret Minnicks8 months ago in Psyche
Are Psychedelic Mushrooms Addictive? Here’s What You Need to Know
The world of psychedelic mushrooms has become a subject of intense interest, especially with growing discussions surrounding their therapeutic uses. With the increasing popularity of psilocybin—the active compound in psychedelic mushrooms—many are wondering: are psychedelic mushrooms addictive? Can they be misused or lead to dependency like other substances?
By The Shroom Groove8 months ago in Psyche
Alzheimer’s disease
According to Alzheimer’s Association (2014), dementia is an overall term for the diseases that have memory decline and other cognitive skills that will have impact on a person’s ability in performing daily activity in the life. The most common type of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s disease is a condition that will bring abnormal changes in the brain that will have impact on someone’s memory and the mental abilities (“Family Caregiver Alliance,” n.d.). In addition, Alzheimer’s disease is an ordinary type of neurodegenerative disorder. It characterized by cognitive impairment with a decline in the ability to carry out living activities (Jellinger, 2015). For the patient with early-onset Alzheimer’s, it usually caused by genetic mutation whereas for the late-onset Alzheimer’s patient, it may cause by a complex series of brain changes. For an instance, the causes may include the combination of genetic problem, environmental problem and lifestyle factors (National Institute on Aging, n.d.).
By Ng Teck Sen8 months ago in Psyche
What Does Ketamine-Assisted Therapy Usually Cost Across the US?
The first question most people ask when exploring new mental health treatments isn’t philosophical it’s practical. Cost matters, especially when a therapy feels unfamiliar and isn’t always covered by insurance. Ketamine-based care sits in that space where hope, science, and financial reality intersect. People considering it want clarity, not sales talk or vague estimates.
By Adrienne D. Mullins8 months ago in Psyche
The Power of Positive Thinking
How are you doing? How is life treating you at the moment? Life doesn't need to crash completely for you to feel "down on your luck." A failed promotion, or work project that didn't go as planned, or a missed opportunity can set you back months.
By Elizabeth Woods8 months ago in Psyche
