anxiety

A look at anxiety in its many forms and manifestations; what is the nature of this specific pattern of extreme fear and worry?

20-Year High School Reunion? Sure! I Wasn’t Ridiculed Nearly Enough the First Time
I just received an invitation to my 20-year high school reunion. My first thought was there was no way in hell that 20 years had come and gone that quickly, but then I did the math. That’s an exaggeration, I guesstimated. Math isn’t my strongest subject. Sorry, Mrs. Herbert, you tried your best.
By Kassondra O'Hara5 years ago in Psyche
Voice of an Addict
From the Voice of an Addict There are 5 things I've learned the most from my journey of recovery from alcohol First, I learned that my addiction to alcohol was merely a symptom of a much greater problem.
By Matthew Mccahey5 years ago in Psyche
You were the child - you were never the problem
"Facade: a deceptive outward appearance." Growing up, I was never really happy. I could never quite put my finger on why, though. I had a roof over my head, clothes that fit, I never went hungry, I got a good education... Any time I displayed my emotions, I was always told that these things meant I had nothing to be sad about. It took a long time and many years before I realised there's a lot more to raising a child than what is really the bare minimum. There is more to raising a child than just physically keeping them alive, and I wish someone had told me that earlier on in my life. Deep down I could never shake that niggling feeling that something wasn't quite right, but I was constantly reminded of how ungrateful I was being and how much worse my life could've been so I usually just assumed I was being dramatic and self-centred. Mum would always talk about how much she sacrificed for me (mostly her own happiness), how ungrateful and selfish I was, how her childhood was so awful that I had no right to say I didn't like mine. She always had a negative comment to make - I couldn't talk about anything I was remotely interested in without her making a snide comment about it. She could never accept that I was just a bit "different" (undiagnosed autism, it turns out, but she hated the thought of having a disabled child so that wasn't figured out until much later). She surrounded herself with a small group of people that enabled her, including my dad, but he isn't entirely innocent either.
By sparrow5 years ago in Psyche
Social Anxiety Or Shyness? Take The Test And Find Out
Do you consider yourself a shy person? It is normal when they ask you this, you usually say that you are. However, statistically, we cannot all suffer from shyness, although there are people who suffer from social phobia, and many claim that they suffer from this. But wait for a second, not all shy people suffer from a disorder, or can they? It is important to identify the symptoms of social anxiety to differentiate it from shyness.
By Mindsmatter.5 years ago in Psyche
4 Simple Yet Effective Ways to Reduce Anxiety
On good days, my mind is calm, and I have control over my life. But then there are other days when I feel as though the world is going to collapse. It happens when the day didn’t start as I hoped or when my children are not on their best behavior. I get restless and my mind fills with excessive worries and anxieties. I feel the mounting pressure before the day unfolds.
By Kristina Segarra5 years ago in Psyche
Inner Demons
That voice... do you hear it? It's always there, lurking in the shadows, waiting for you to finally answer. For some of us this voice is yelling, screaming; For others it is just a whisper, a mumble. Why? Why does it call for others so strongly?
By Karissa King5 years ago in Psyche
Pregnancy is a beautiful journey!
Pregnancy is a beautiful journey, but it also comes with it's struggles! I am currently 24 weeks pregnant as of this Sunday and let me tell you, this pregnancy has been a bit rough. This is my third child, but it's been a minute since I have been pregnant and had a baby! I have a 16 and 12 year old. My daughter just turned 12 in July, so it's been 12 years since I have had a baby. The struggle this time around has been real!
By Alyse McDonald5 years ago in Psyche
A Thin Line
There is a thin line between genius and insanity. I sat in my basement/recording studio mulling over this concept. One month behind on rent, three months behind on my car payment, no job, and no money in my pockets. I felt engulfed by the heavy pressure of responsibilities in this world. A resentment of the mechanical nature of my society burned passionately inside me. I simply couldn’t stomach the idea of doing anything that didn’t light a fire in my heart. I’d seen how others have been compelled to enter into jobs and careers that did not resonate with their true desires and dreams. To me they were no more than robots; shells through which no creativity or inspiration flowed. However, to the majority of the world that seemed to be the norm. So someone like me, who was following creative impulses instead of assimilating to the slave-like culture of the world, seemed to be at the very best lost; at the worst, insane.
By Aden Norman5 years ago in Psyche
Mirror Mass
She had the humor of an angel with a crooked halo with a face like the rock the halo had been broken on. She stood by me in everything and would defend me to a fault. We would stand side by side in the reflection of restaurant windows, and while passerby stared at her face in rude curiosity, I would silently mock them, knowing what her true flaw was: the flat expanse of midriff that she modestly hid behind her shirt.
By Glenn Ashton5 years ago in Psyche
Turbulence
Prologue Anything mundane, can turn the ordinary, into extraordinary. It's when we get fixated, chaos reigns. Chapter One
By Emery LeeAnn 5 years ago in Psyche
Too Many Tiger-Strewn Pathways
You’ve felt down at times; sometimes for very little reason. There have been times in your life when stomach-upsetting feelings of fear have surprised you. Maybe more commonly, you know the feelings of frustration or impatience. You’ve had these feelings because that is part of how your brain and body react to life. You are aware of having those emotions because they are electrical and chemical eruptions throughout your brain and body. They are the same reactions, though less intense, that happened to the caveman faced with a Sabertooth tiger.
By M. Michael5 years ago in Psyche
Pros and Cons
When an unexpected brown paper box sat on my front step, my first thought was That it was a test from my therapist. I had started seeing Dr. Magee about three years ago after my boyfriend left me due to anxiety and post-traumatic stress taking over my life. It took him leaving for me to realize I had a problem.
By Bunny5 years ago in Psyche