Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Psyche.
Fear of Being Alone
Recently I discovered my fear of being alone. I have been afraid to be alone in terms of romantic relationships. I think I've always known this to some degree but it became abundantly clear to me when I found myself staying in a bad relationship. Anyway that is another story, the recent discovery though is how scared I am of being alone with my thoughts and I have subconsciously always found ways to avoid long periods of just thinking and this is what I believe to have been the gateway to my debilitating depression.
By Yedzayi Nenjerama8 years ago in Psyche
Postpartum Depression
POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION IS MORE REAL THAN THE AIR I BREATHE. Depression is lonely, but postpartum depression is isolation and guilt. It’s so taboo that the thought of a discussion scares you into silence. If I talk about it will they take my baby away? If I admit what I’m actually feeling will they think I’m a bad mom and not fit to be a parent? Should I speak up or should I stay quiet? Postpartum isn’t only after the baby is born, it can start during pregnancy. Hormones are your enemy during and after pregnancy. It feels like they want to kill me. I must fake a smile and go on.
By Alicia Leon8 years ago in Psyche
Bottling Up Emotions - Your Battle Against the World
All you have to do is google 'The history of mental health' and be shocked at the way we used to shun mental health and the gruesome methods in which we thought would help sufferers achieve 'normality.' But finally, after so many thousands of years of the human race gracing this earth we call home, we are in a position where we are recognising the importance of mental health and realising that it's okay not to be okay. For me, it was the death of Robin Williams that brought it home; I sat there in front of the news having misheard the name and thought 'Oh, Robbie Williams has died. Shame." I think being corrected afterwards made the whole ordeal that ever more shocking for me! I thought of the larger than life man I knew whose wit had no limit and smile never ceased. It suddenly struck me how powerful the mind is and its uncanny ability to produce genius and destruction in equal measure, and it scared me to think it had the capability to bring down a man like Mr. (ROBIN) Williams who, to my mind, was indestructible.
By Louisa Jane8 years ago in Psyche
Struggle
Everyone has a story to tell. The story is as unique as the individual who tells it. One person's story may overlap another person's. There are parts of a story that may be difficult for the person to tell. Yet, under the right circumstances, the person just may open up and give parts of their story to open ears that are willing to accept.
By Joy Ergang8 years ago in Psyche
#OCD #Sucidal #Depression #Anxiety
These are some of the "#" that run free on social media. Now we all learned from experience that the more hashtags you put, more people see the post. So naturally, people started putting random hashtags to posts that don't even have any relevance to what is in the picture, just so more people see the post and increase the likes. The problem, in my opinion, is when you start associating yourself with these disorders that are more serious than people realize. But in order to realize why you shouldn't associate yourself with these things, you have to understand them and how serious they are. So let's start explaining them.
By Foreign Paws8 years ago in Psyche
Erasing the Stigma
Mental illness is a huge modern day problem that not enough people are taking seriously but instead stigmatize it when it shouldn't be at all. Mental illness is a very common problem now-a-days, yet remains an extremely taboo subject, even to those who struggle with it. Most people who are ill are ashamed of being open about their diagnosis(es) out of fear of being stigmatized by those who aren't educated enough about the subject, especially among the younger generation with the Internet and all this information being so accessible. Some contribute to making the stigma worse by going so far as to fake a mental illness because they think it's cool or trendy to have one, they use it as a tactic to "fit in" with those who they think would be accepting or pity them because of their alleged illness. Mental illness is a very big and serious problem that's been around for centuries and we have to work together to educate those who aren't and erase the stigma around it.
By Spencer Barcenas8 years ago in Psyche
Agoraphobia
I know what I have to do and it is so simple. Anyone one could do it. A 1-year-old for fuck sake could do it! Yet I sit here staring blankly at this screen. The front door is behind me. I can hear the wind howling outside telling me it's a brisk early winter day. It will be cold outside and there will be a bite in the wind. My heart starts to race and already I can feel the panic rising in my stomach making me feel sick.
By Samantha Don8 years ago in Psyche
What to Do When Your World Stops
Have you ever felt so overwhelmed that you wished the world would stop just so you had time to catch up? Things aren't going your way, people and things are starting to disappoint and hurt you, and you just wish you had a moment to stop and breathe? As sad as it is, this happens a million times to millions of people. Anger, depression, fear, anxiety, stress—we all face it. It's normal to feel these things because we are human and we're all linked to each other by these emotions... but it's not normal to sweep them all under some dusty ass rug.
By DeOndra Davis8 years ago in Psyche
Depression: The Truth
"Depression is like wanting to paint a bright canvas of yellow and orange, but you can only afford black and grey." This is an example of the language some poets will use to try to describe depression to everyone. Someone with a flower icon with some kind of vintage filter on Twitter will create the quote, and then share it to all of their followers. The same account will post hundreds of tweets that say the same message. "Depression is beautiful and relatable." The tweets will get 10k retweets, and then hundreds of copies will be found on Tumblr, within blog posts and in bios. After Tumblr has their share of mediocracy, the quote will be the face of teens on Facebook and in the descriptions of photos on Instagram.
By Brianna Ryan8 years ago in Psyche
The Stairway
The jolt of your grocery basket shocks you awake, your hands clutching the handle, your mind slapped awake, your eyes widening, your pupils adjusting to the influx of light. You look up to see the woman who walked right into you without care or remorse to leave just as easily. Her child sticks her tongue out at you, not in the silly way you’d expect, but angrily, exerting pressure to stick his tongue out because that's how much he detests you. She clutches his arm with her motherly instinct, quickly taking her child to her protection.
By Ahmad Ameen8 years ago in Psyche
