Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Psyche.
When the Spiral Comes
Living with Borderline Personality Disorder hasn't been easy. In reality, I should say that knowing I have BPD is a struggle. Some people have said to me before, "You're the same person you were before you found out. Nothing has changed." But if you're someone like me or live with another disorder, you know that that's simply not the case. It feels as though my entire world has changed into a strange new map in a video game. I liked the first map I was playing in. I knew what I did at that time and, though it was confusing and scary at times, I knew how to navigate. I knew the safe places to take cover from the enemy. This new map, this new chapter in my life, though the same, is a brand new world. It's full of stigma, people who don't understand, and even more questioning who I am as a person.
By Sarah LeBlanc8 years ago in Psyche
Why Mental Health Disorders Emerge in Your Early 20s
As someone who has gone through hell during their early to mid 20s, I can honestly say that we have a bit of a mental health crisis going on in America. More specifically, it seems like almost every young adult out there struggles with their mental health.
By Patty Ramsen8 years ago in Psyche
Worrier to Warrior
As a child, nothing made me want to grow up more than the negative thoughts that constantly tormented my mind. I have always been known as quite the worrier by my entire family. My parents discovered my high levels of anxiety from a very young age. This became fairly apparent when I used to scream and cry almost every day before getting on the bus, practically making myself sick. My blatant terror of human interaction became clear when my excited mother and father asked if I wanted to go to Disney World and my response was, “Definitely not. There are too many people, and I could die on those rides!” There are no words to describe how low my parents’ jaws dropped when they heard that response come out of their Disney Princess-obsessed nine-year-old’s mouth. Little to their surprise, this constant feeling of anxiety that I had always experienced never once wavered as I grew older. Even as a middle school student, I despised waking up during the week because it meant that I had to do the unthinkable: socialize. The day I decided to step out of my comfort zone to be a real teenager was the day that I would come to regret for the rest of my life.
By Allison Rasp8 years ago in Psyche
So, It's World Mental Health Day
So, it's world mental health day today, and I've been seeing a lot of people opening up about their struggles. While I don't exactly hide my experiences, I wouldn't say I'm completely open either. It's hard to tell people when you're struggling with any illness, but mental health is surrounded by a stigma that makes it more difficult to be open about than most physical illnesses.
By Mason Bassett8 years ago in Psyche
Understanding the Invisible
Today I am doing something I have never done before: I am sitting down at my computer and writing about my own personal mental health. This is not something that I ever discuss with the people in my life, in fact it's a topic that I actively avoid. However today, as I type, it is World Mental Health Day and I have decided that today is the day I bite the bullet.
By Alix Spinks8 years ago in Psyche
Addicted to an Addict
It’s not easy talking about the things that hurt you...the things that you feel or even know others will judge you for. It’s even harder to talk about it when you are made to feel like you were the one that made all the mistakes. As if you were the reason everything failed.
By Venus Price8 years ago in Psyche
Mental Illness in Entertainment
I want to start off by saying that there will be many spoilers in this story, so be warned. I have noticed through the years that many movies and TV shows tend to use mental illness as a scare factor. People with mental issues are often portrayed as villains. There are shows where writers may give their main characters mental health issues as a negative plot point. As many people take their social cues from entertainment (even subconsciously), this is a very dangerous habit that needs to be broken.
By Melody Rauscher8 years ago in Psyche
My Anxiety
I was getting ready to leave home and start a new adventure. I was excited and unbothered, at least I thought. I had the most awful gut wrenching pain in my chest, it hurt so bad I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t think of anyone or anything in that moment; I honestly thought I was going to die, but it passed and I went on with my day with a fake happy facade and a worried “WTF was that” replaying over and over in my head. I left California and for the first time I was on my own; I had a new roommate, a new job, a new school... everything was different. That’s when the pain started again, I would be doing mundane things like laundry or cooking or even laying down and reading a book for homework. Obviously sharp pains in your chest should worry you, especially if it's followed by shortness of breath, that’s when I started to worry… maybe it something serious I had no clue but I was terrified.
By Thrifty, Curvy, & Thriving8 years ago in Psyche
It's Mental Health Day...
It's been two years since I attempted suicide. I constantly like to reflect on where I have been since my release from the Harlem Hospital's Psych Ward. In honor of Mental Health Day, or Mental Health Week (shit, let's make that a month!) I've decided to write about where I am today.
By Aurea Gonzalez8 years ago in Psyche
Living with Burnout Based-Depression?
As a woman in my 40s, the pile of pressures continue to add up; a pile of self-imposed pressures stemming from subconscious ideas implanted by books, movies, decades of what a woman should be, can be, and most importantly, wants to be.
By Courtney Ramsey-Coleman, MS, RD, LDN8 years ago in Psyche
