treatments
The past, present and future of psychiatric diagnosis and beliefs about treatment in every culture and pocket of society.
Is Anxiety a Disability? How to Secure Disability Benefits
Anxiety disorders are more than emotional distress; they can severely impact on a person to work in his/her normal life, including being able to hold a job. There are a lot of questions by many people with anxiety disorder that wonder whether or not they are disabled enough to receive disability aid. In this post, we will answer the question “Is Anxiety a Disability? whether anxiety disorders would enable you to obtain disability benefits, and how to apply to receive help.
By PURE HEALTH BLOGSabout a year ago in Psyche
Psychological Fear
Introduction: The Silent Puppeteer of Our Minds Fear is more than just a reaction to danger—it’s an invisible scriptwriter dictating our choices, relationships, and even our potential. Unlike instinctive fear (like jumping away from a snake), psychological fear is subtler, more insidious. It’s the voice that whispers:
By its_ishfaq_ahmadabout a year ago in Psyche
🧠 The Dopamine Dilemma: Why Everything Fun Feels Empty Now. AI-Generated.
Introduction: The Paradox of Pleasure Why does everything that once felt exciting now feel… flat? We binge-watch entire shows, swipe through endless content, chase likes, snack on ultra-processed foods, and still feel strangely unsatisfied. It’s not because we’ve grown numb—it’s because our brain’s reward system is under siege.
By Ahmet Kıvanç Demirkıranabout a year ago in Psyche
The Therapist Who Gaslit Me Into Thinking I Was the Problem
The Therapist Who Gaslit Me Into Thinking I Was the Problem I thought therapy was supposed to heal you. I thought therapists were supposed to help you find clarity. What I didn’t know—what no one warned me about—is that when you give your mind to the wrong person, they can twist it into something unrecognizable. This is the story of how the very person I trusted to help me recover broke me even further. The First Session: Finally, Hope I was desperate when I first walked into her office. Let’s call her “Dr. A.” It was the middle of the pandemic. I’d just come out of a toxic relationship, was laid off from my job, and was barely sleeping. Anxiety had wrapped itself around my chest so tightly that I sometimes forgot how to breathe. I knew I needed help. Dr. A was warm, articulate, and had that calm energy that made you feel like maybe—just maybe—you weren’t crazy. She nodded at all the right moments. She seemed to get me. I left that first session thinking, This is it. I’m finally going to get better. And for a little while, it felt like I was. The Subtle Shift It didn’t happen all at once. That’s the thing about gaslighting—it’s not loud. It’s a whisper that slowly drowns out your inner voice. At first, she challenged me in ways that felt productive. When I told her my ex used to scream at me during fights, she asked, “What do you think you were doing to trigger that reaction?” When I said my mother emotionally neglected me as a child, she responded with, “Are you sure you're not just interpreting her behavior through a victim lens?” I remember blinking. Confused. Unsure. But she was the professional. I wanted to trust her. So I leaned in. Over the next few months, I stopped telling stories about how I’d been hurt and started digging for how I had caused it. I became obsessed with “taking accountability.” I stopped trusting my instincts. I started believing maybe I was the toxic one. Maybe I had exaggerated the trauma. Maybe I deserved what happened to me. Rewriting Reality One day, I told her I was thinking about cutting off contact with my father, a man who had emotionally abused me my whole life. She paused. Then she said, “I think your desire to cut people off comes from your discomfort with being challenged.” I felt my stomach drop. I knew she was wrong—but the doubt crept in anyway. I left that session crying in my car, not because I was sad, but because I felt like I had betrayed myself. I knew I wasn’t afraid of being challenged. I was afraid of being hurt again. But I couldn’t say it out loud. I’d already been taught not to trust my pain. That’s when I started gaslighting myself. The Breaking Point Six months in, I had a panic attack in her office. It wasn’t the first time, but this one was different. I was shaking, hyperventilating, unable to form words. I had been triggered by a memory I didn’t expect. She looked at me and said calmly, “You're having this reaction because you’re not doing the work. You’re choosing to stay in a victim mindset.” There was no softness. No grounding. No empathy. Just diagnosis. In that moment, I felt smaller than I ever had in my life. And somehow—despite the screaming in my body—I still tried to believe her. Maybe I was being dramatic. Maybe I was just lazy with my healing. That night, I self-harmed for the first time in years. The Escape It wasn’t one big revelation that saved me. It was a thousand tiny moments where I realized my sessions were leaving me more confused, more ashamed, and more broken than when I arrived. I started reading about therapy ethics, gaslighting, and emotional invalidation. And then I found it: a Reddit post from a woman describing almost the exact same experience with her therapist. Every sentence felt like a mirror. I finally said it to myself: It’s not me. It’s her. I ghosted Dr. A the next day. No closure. No goodbye. I didn’t owe it to her. The Aftermath It took me over a year to try therapy again. This time, I chose a trauma-informed therapist who emphasized consent, validation, and collaboration. Someone who didn’t make me feel like my pain was a problem to be solved—but something to be held with compassion. That new therapist helped me rebuild what had been so carefully torn down. She taught me how to re-trust my gut, how to validate my own experience, how to stop apologizing for my emotions. She even helped me work through the trauma of my first therapist, which, ironically, was the hardest to name. Because who wants to admit that the person who was supposed to help you hurt you instead? Why I’m Telling This Story I hesitated to write this. I didn’t want to scare anyone away from therapy. The right therapist can save your life. But the wrong one? The wrong one can make you feel like your suffering is your fault. Like your memories are fiction. Like you’re too broken to fix. If you’re in therapy and constantly feeling more ashamed, more doubtful, or more disconnected from yourself, that is not “growth.” That is not “accountability.” That is harm. You’re allowed to fire your therapist. You’re allowed to walk away. You’re allowed to say, “This doesn’t feel right.” I’m telling this story because someone out there needs to hear it: You’re not the problem. You never were.Start writing...
By Soul Draftsabout a year ago in Psyche
Having Headache Frequently?. AI-Generated.
Headaches are one of the most common health complaints experienced by people of all ages. While most headaches are not signs of serious illness, they can significantly affect daily life, productivity, and well-being. Understanding how to prevent headaches is essential for leading a healthier and more comfortable life. Headaches can have various causes including stress, dehydration, poor posture, lack of sleep, and dietary triggers. Fortunately, many of these triggers are avoidable with lifestyle changes and preventive habits.
By Masood Ur Rahmanabout a year ago in Psyche
Beneath the Surface: Understanding Major Depressive Disorder
Introduction Depression is often misunderstood as simple sadness, a temporary cloud that will lift on its own. But for millions of people worldwide, depression is not fleeting—it is a constant, heavy presence that reshapes how they think, feel, and function. Among the most disabling mental health conditions, Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a complex and multifaceted disorder that reaches far beyond low mood. It is a condition that touches the emotional, cognitive, physical, and social dimensions of a person’s life. And while it remains one of the most prevalent psychiatric disorders globally, it is still surrounded by stigma, silence, and dangerous misconceptions.
By Siria De Simoneabout a year ago in Psyche
