Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Psyche.
OCD
Today is not a good day. Pretty much everyday is not a good day but today is one of those days where it just hits you and you break down. I struggle everyday with OCD, anxiety, fear, and stress, but at the same time also feel happiness, excitement, love... It's a constant tug of war in my head. Most days I just live with it because I have become so used to it but then there are other days when I just hide and avoid and I want to cry all day but I can't. I'm a mom and when you're a mom you can't hide, you can't avoid, and you can't cry all day.
By Carmen Loza8 years ago in Psyche
The Girl in the White Dress
Picture an old dirt road on a cold night. There's a light breeze picking up dust in the distance. You see the silhouette of a person walking and as you getting closer you realize it's a girl. She looks about seventeen or eighteen; she's barefoot, with long dirt blonde hair flowing loosely in the wind. You notice the breeze gently dancing through the wrinkles of her white dress. It's a long dress; it flows all the way down to her bare feet. Her feet look dirty like she's been walking for miles; you start following her.
By Cristian Carrasco8 years ago in Psyche
The D-Word
Throughout my life, I have had the displeasure of dealing with the "D-word" (depression). Although this word is tossed around often, many people do not truly grasp what depression is and how it presents itself. The Mayo Clinic defines depression as, “A mental health disorder characterized by persistently depressed mood or loss of interest in activities, causing significant impairment in daily life.” I suppose the silver lining is that I, along with many others, may feel alone, but in reality, we are far from it.
By Benjamin Phillips8 years ago in Psyche
Emotional Eating
Did you know eating chips can boost your serotonin levels in your brain thus making you feel happier? Yup, It’s true! I read along time ago that the crunch of chips or candy boosts the serotonin in your brain. I learned this when I was 17, and I started my journey of emotional eating. “During her research at MIT, Dr. Judith J. Wurtman, co-author of The Serotonin Power Diet, discovered why people binge on sweets or starchy carbohydrates to relieve depression, anxiety, or anger. They do it because it raises their brain serotonin levels, thus making them feel happier.” — from bebrainfit.com
By Dagny Desiree8 years ago in Psyche
Depression and Anxiety
Depression and anxiety are garden-variety mental illnesses that almost everybody has had at one point or another. Anxiety is a perfectly treatable disorder of modern times. Anxiety comes from feeling like something bad is going to happen, a strong and stirring feeling of eternal doom that might approach you. Anxiety gets stirred up. Do not stir the pot and you don’t have to deal with so much anxiety. News fasting is an excellent way of ratcheting down anxiety about global events. Coping with anxiety involves confronting the fear head-on and then doing what you are afraid of doing anyway.
By Iria Vasquez-Paez8 years ago in Psyche
My Heart Hurts
It’s 3 o’clock in the day and I’m still in bed. Naked and lonely. For some reason I feel like I’ve grown roots in this bed. Whatever I do, it always bring me back to this bed. This bed is absorbing me, making me sink in and is not letting go. It’s 3 o’clock in the day and I’m still in bed.
By Brea Swaney8 years ago in Psyche
Recognising the Signs of a Suicidal Person
September 17th 2017, exactly ten days after my birthday, I lay crumpled on the floor in so much agonising pain because I did not now how I would make it through the news that my friend had just hung himself. As someone who has endured the torment of depression, anxiety and bulimia, it was something I struggled for a long time to avoid myself too. Three months later, I found myself travelling in an ambulance, alone, at 1AM towards the hospital because I had swallowed almost 100 pills. There were many signs, such blatantly obvious signs that people should have picked up on, or maybe they did, but chose to ignore them. You see, nobody really wants to die, they want an end to their suffering and sometimes it seems to become the only way out that people can see. Its the better option to some, rather than merely existing day to day paralysed by your own mind.
By Elle White 8 years ago in Psyche
Suicide
Have you ever thought of suicide? I attempted to commit suicide a total of three times. Every time was scary. My first story was a short explanation of what had happened. But in real life, these simple words on paper will never truly express how scary it is to feel that way, to feel alone all the time. I felt like I wasn't good enough for my family and friends, and that they didn't care, anyway—none of which was true!
By Dagny Desiree8 years ago in Psyche
