advice
Advice and tips on managing mental health, maintaining a positive outlook and becoming your happiest self.
Smelling fucking gas
It was 2020 when I first delved into the textbook meaning of the term “gaslighting.” The term has had a resurgence throughout Trump’s four years in office, creating a pop culture reference along the same lines as “fake news” so much so Anderson Cooper even created a special entitled “We will leave the gaslights on for you” about dishonesty amongst politicians. But what exactly is gaslighting? Are you a gaslighter? Have you been in an abusive relationship and a victim of gaslighting? If you are reading this, odds are yes. Aside from Trump and politicians, gaslighting was coined as far back as the 1940s when British playwright Patrick Hamilton wrote Gas Light which developed into a popular film. Let’s explore, shall we?
By Christina K. Pierce5 years ago in Psyche
Stop Cutting Yourself on People Who Hurt You
When we think of self-harming behaviors, we usually think of cutting, addiction, and suicide ideation. We don’t usually consider our patterns in relationships, and yet, repeatedly engaging in toxic relationships is absolutely a form of self-harm. We know it’s not good for us, and we do it anyway.
By Crystal Jackson5 years ago in Psyche
Overcoming Postpartum Depression
Postpartum depression is an extremely difficult illness to navigate. It is also an unspoken enemy of sorts. Everyone is always so excited to hear of the new baby that no one wants to dare even whisper the term "baby blues." It is both a very real and very painful experience. If you're lucky, your doctor will mention it a few times and maybe as about it briefly towards the end of your pregnancy. Anyone who has experienced it can testify that it is beyond hard.
By Morgan Elizabeth5 years ago in Psyche
3 Tips for Handling Shopping Urges
Now that we are in the midst of the holidays and all of the sales that come with them, let’s talk about a symptom of Borderline Personality Disorder that is not often addressed but is just as damaging as some of its other impulsive actions: binge shopping. I personally struggle with shopping when my emotions are high (which, let’s be honest, with BPD my emotions are generally high ALL OF THE TIME) and my shopping gets particularly bad when the holidays roll around and sales begin to pop up. My resistance is not very high, and I have gotten into serious trouble with money in the past due to my spending habits. My excessive spending is not a symptom I like to talk about very often due to the stigma that surrounds money and credit card use, but it is something that I think is important to talk about around this time of year as we are struggling with various impulsive behaviors, such as eating, substance abuse, and of course, spending. To help with this, I want to give you three alternatives you can try out if you suffer from a shopping addiction and begin to feel the urge to shop during this time of year. My hopes are that they help you out and make managing this symptom that much easier on your own.
By Ashley Nestler, MSW5 years ago in Psyche
Mental Illness Is Real
Mental illness is something no one wants to talk about. Its real. Some people are ashamed of it, do not want to talk about it and get laughed at it. It is no laughing matter. People take their lives in behind humility and shame. Some people suffer in silence. It is sad when people feel like they have no one to talk to but unfortunately, that’s how things are these days. People hide their feelings for fear of being called crazy and sometimes fear of being called stupid or fear of losing friends.
By Nerissha Hunt5 years ago in Psyche
My Anxiety Story
Before I get into my story, here's some things to know. Anxiety can be a mental illness, and in most cases it is. Like depression, it is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. Some things that most people don't know is that panic attacks, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are included in the mental health disorder of anxiety. Some things that can come along with anxiety are constant worry and fear, which if these emotions are bad enough, can affect a person's daily life. So, now that you know a little bit more about anxiety, here's my story.
By Tori Wilson5 years ago in Psyche
My Journey with Panic Disorder/Anxiety
From a very young age I had problems sleeping, concentrating and keeping calm. I was an anxious child growing up but as an adult, now, my anxiety feels uncontrollable. I had troubles expressing my emotions in a correct manner and I tended to keep everything bottled in until it was too late and I exploded on everyone. I had a range of emotional and mental issues when I was younger. I never fitted in at school and was always trying to be someone who I wasn't just to be "cool". I had unstable relationships with the closest people around me and overall I just doubted and hated myself for a very long time but those feelings I had about myself I never wanted to speak about because I was embarrassed to express myself, I just wanted to be considered as a normal human being, I didn't like the fact I had a mental illness.
By Hannah Douglas5 years ago in Psyche
Emotions
Ever since the moment that we took our first breaths, our lives had been filled with emotions. Emotions that determine the way we eat, dress, and talk, but also the way we study, interact with others. Most importantly, the decisions we make on a daily basis, that shape our identities. It is not easy to admit that sometimes we tend to focus on ourselves too much, to the point that we lose our ability to learn from our mistakes and grow. And once we start to compare ourselves to the people around us, we become unsatisfied with our own achievements. We have focused so much on our physical health this year, and left mental health on the back burners.
By Random Chattering5 years ago in Psyche
