Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Psyche.
You Know This House (and Yet...)
“Well, what is it like?” It’s like walking through your house in complete darkness. You’ve lived in this house your whole life; you know exactly which barstool is never entirely pushed in. You know exactly when you need to shift your hips slightly to the right to avoid the surprisingly sharp corner of the awkwardly-placed table at the end of the hallway. You know exactly how many steps you’ll take until you step on the hollow tile in the middle of the hallway, and exactly how many steps after that you’ll take before making a sharp left. You know exactly when to stop trailing your hand along the wall so as to avoid breaking your fingers on the edge of the doorjamb. You know this house like the back of your hand. A comfortable confidence settles over you as you realize all this, and you feel certain that you can safely navigate through the darkness.
By Elizabeth Grey8 years ago in Psyche
"Used to It"
Last night I was sitting with my friend talking and the words "I'm used to it" came out of my mouth while we were discussing addiction and all the lives that it's taking. My friend just sat there silent for a minute... he wasn't sure how to respond to that because that's not something anyone should ever be "used to." I went on to explain that probably wasn't the right choice of words because you don't get used to people dying; it's hard every time, it doesn't get easier. But what I was trying to say is that we live in a place today where people in their young 20s are loosing friends left and right.
By Felishia Mudd8 years ago in Psyche
The Black Stigma
I was born to two wonderful, loving parents. I am truly grateful for that. I used to make it a point to break every stereotype that was thrown at me. For example, I would style my hair a different way, listen to a different kind of music, make friends that were mostly white, and push myself to talk a certain kind of way. I would get told when I talked to adults, "You're so proper," and "You're not like those others kids." They never truly said it, but I always knew what they meant.
By Tianna Brianne8 years ago in Psyche
Relapse
Every day we face choices that can destroy what we have worked so hard to overcome. We don't always notice them, but they are always there, standing right under our nose but just out of sight. It's possible to avoid these triggers if you have completely disassociated your addiction from your life. For some, it is a false reality that they will never face the gut-wrenching pull to pick back up their old habits.
By Hannah Homewood8 years ago in Psyche
Coping with Social Anxiety
According to Mayo Clinic, social anxiety disorder (also known as social phobia) is essentially the feelings of nervousness, such as anxiety, fear, and self-consciousness, during everyday interactions. The most common being the fear of being judged or scrutinized by other people.
By Monte brogdon8 years ago in Psyche
Not Just Luck
Beginning my life wasn’t always easy. I was a baby, but everything seemed to difficult. As I began to grow up I would get bullied at school, at church, in the grocery stores, in my own house, my mother never really knew how I felt, my father was always working, and my older siblings could care less how I felt. I had a younger brother but... he was like 3 years old, he didn’t understand what was happening.
By Leslie Garcia8 years ago 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
