Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Psyche.
5 Myths About Mental Illnesses
Mental illnesses come in all shapes and sizes. Since there are so many mental disorders, there is also tons of misinformation that gets circulated throughout our society. Have you ever heard anyone say, “I’m so O.C.D!”? Well, this my friends, is incorrect. Not only is obsessive compulsive disorder (O.C.D) not an adjective, it’s also not synonymous with “being neat.” There are plenty of other misconceptions about other mental illnesses floating around our societal consciousness and I am here to dispel a few.
By Sarah Fennell8 years ago in Psyche
Living With Depression
When I was a kid, I was bullied so badly that even now when I have friends, I feel as though they don't really like me. This developed into severe depression and anxiety. I remember once in elementary school, an entire table full of girls (from my class) stood up and left as soon as I sat down to eat with them. There were two girls who stayed behind but still rarely hung out with me at recess. I learned that not everyone will like you, but why did NO ONE like me? I wasn't mean or rude, I was an average student, I helped kids in class with problems during class if I could, why didn't anyone want to actually be my friend? Oh that's right, my family was poor, that's it. It wasn't like we had nothing, we just couldn't afford certain luxuries. However, I loved my family life! We always had food on the table always had a roof over our heads, always had running water and electricity. In fact, the only time I was doing okay mentally was when I was with my family. The only problem was, I would avoid school by being "sick" if I could to avoid the mean kids as I called them. I never thought about killing myself, but more of, if I didn't wake up tomorrow it would be okay or maybe if I stand in the street a truck will hit me and it will all be over.
By TLC Hopkins8 years ago in Psyche
Living with Anxiety
When I was first diagnosed with an anxiety disorder 30 years ago, it wasn't as common as it is now for people to admit that they have panic attacks. It was rare for me to actually meet another person that had these same feelings as I did, and it was even rarer for others to understand what I was going through. I was told over and over by doctors, classmates, and even family members that I was faking it. If they could not physically see the pain I was going through, then it must not exist. I wanted to just give up. I wanted to isolate myself from the world because I was different and I thought I would never live a normal life again. That's what I wanted to do, but I didn't.
By Madison Stone8 years ago in Psyche
When Everything Changed
Once upon a time, there was a girl who was emotionally a mess. What I mean by that is her emotions were everywhere; one day she would be the happiest girl in the world, and the next she would be staying in her room, crying all day and night. The girl had no idea why she felt this way, so she decided to talk to a friend about it. Her friend had similar issues and recommended her to go see a therapist, so she scheduled a appointment.
By Shelby Spencer8 years ago in Psyche
The Journey I Took and Will Always Be Taking
As the title of this blog states, I consider the constant attempt to prevent my mental illness from affecting my everyday life to be an on going journey. Now, universally, the notion of a journey is commonly associated with arriving at some kind of destination. Well, sorry to disappoint, but personally I don't believe there will ever be a moment where that destination is reached. But it's not all a Snow Patrol album, don't worry!
By Renee Wells8 years ago in Psyche
Describing Depression
This picture is of me (on the far left) and my siblings at a family wedding in October 2017. What you won't necessarily be able to tell but will have probably guessed from the time of this post is that I have depression. I was diagnosed with depression at the end of May 2012, about 3 months before I was due to go to university. I was on a college course, not failing, but not meeting my expected grades either, although that statement probably underestimates how badly I was doing within myself. That particular episode was not the worst depressive episode I've had, those came later, but I was far from alright. I now feel it is important to discuss mental health openly, particularly for men and men my age, as suicide is a highly prevalent problem for my age (mid to late 20s).
By Duncan Ainsworth8 years ago in Psyche
BPD & Me
"I suffer from BPD." "What's that?" "Borderline Personality Disorder." "Oh my god, what is that?" I love this conversation. I've had it so many times I've lost count now, and it always brings me the same bittersweet satisfaction. On the surface, even those who have known me for a while sometimes cannot tell that I struggle with serious mental health issues. To them, I seem quirky, hyper, and frequently dramatic. I have been told I am entertaining.
By Kaylie Granoff8 years ago in Psyche
Depression Is a Silent Killer
Suffering from depression myself as an adolescence, I learned that being depressed was one of the worst pains I had ever felt. Compared to physical pain such as cysts in my throat, depression was even worse. Perhaps this was strictly because of the fear of not being able to be cured. Going to the emergency room quickly cured my throat, but nothing could positively make my pain go away with depression. Not even until this day. However, it is not as pronounced as it was three years ago. Some people become depressed after bullying, but mine is said to be hereditary. My mom had it, then it was passed down to my older sister at a young age, and then down to me during my high school years. However, I believe it was a more physical approach that caused me to become depressed. When I was younger, I was involved in an incident which ended with me getting knocked upside my head with a steel baseball hat. It caused me to lose some of my eyesight along with slight hearing loss in one of my ears. Not only that, but I believe it may have been a slight contributor to my mental illness along with the already present trait.
By Deanna Garrett8 years ago in Psyche
Letter to My Friends...
How to write this without sounding immature, needy, or petty is going to be a challenge. How to write this without making you feel bad—oh gosh. If I do, I am sorry, that is not the point of this letter. I just know if I do not let people know where I am mentally I cannot get the help I need.
By Yedzayi Nenjerama8 years ago in Psyche
