stigma
People with mental illness represent one of the most deeply stigmatized groups in our culture. Learn more about it here.
Essence, Embodiment, and Relational Reality
The Failure of Reduction and the Need for Synthesis There is a persistent failure in many modern attempts to explain what a human being is. Some frameworks reduce the person entirely to matter, insisting that identity, consciousness, morality, and meaning are nothing more than emergent properties of physical processes. Other frameworks move in the opposite direction, detaching spirit from reason and grounding belief in intuition alone, often at the cost of coherence or accountability. Both approaches fail because both misunderstand essence. One denies that essence exists at all. The other treats it as something vague and undefinable.
By Peter Thwing - Host of the FST Podcastabout a month ago in Psyche
Resistance Is Not the Enemy
Iron sharpens iron. Brakes save lives. Friction preserves form. Modern culture treats resistance as failure. Anything that slows momentum is framed as obstruction, anything that introduces friction is assumed to be opposition, and anything that interrupts progress is labeled a setback. But this instinct misunderstands how both physical systems and human growth actually work. Resistance is not inherently hostile. In many cases, it is the only thing preventing collapse.
By Peter Thwing - Host of the FST Podcastabout a month ago in Psyche
The Refiner’s Fire Is Not the Whetstone
There is a difference between being sharpened and being transformed, and confusing the two leads to frustration when growth does not feel productive. Sharpening implies refinement of existing form. Fire implies change in composition. Both processes are uncomfortable, but they operate on different levels and for different purposes. When people expect sharpening and receive fire instead, they often assume something has gone wrong, when in reality something deeper is taking place.
By Peter Thwing - Host of the FST Podcastabout a month ago in Psyche
You See From Where You Stand
"The room remains full whether you can see it or not." One of the most persistent misunderstandings about perception is the assumption that seeing is the same as knowing. People often believe that if something feels clear, it must be complete, and if something feels obscure, it must be absent. But awareness does not work that way. What you perceive at any moment is not a measure of what exists. It is a measure of what your current position allows to pass through.
By Peter Thwing - Host of the FST Podcastabout a month ago in Psyche
You Are Not Empty, You Are Overloaded
You are not empty. You are not broken. You are not dull. - You are overloaded. - People often describe certain mental states as “having nothing in their head,” but that description is almost always inaccurate. What feels like emptiness is usually saturation. The mind has not stopped producing content. It has lost spare capacity. The system is busy allocating energy toward coping, regulating, or enduring, and there is little left over for reflection, synthesis, or creativity. This distinction matters, because mistaking overload for emptiness leads people to judge themselves harshly for conditions that are largely structural and biological.
By Peter Thwing - Host of the FST Podcastabout a month ago in Psyche
Stepping Out of the Shadow of My Beautiful Twin
I can’t remember how many times I have been almost ‘admired’, not for who I was, but for who I was related to. This admiration would be expressed in the style of the following examples, on finding out I was related to my twin brother:
By Chantal Christie Weissabout a month ago in Psyche
Why Are Psychiatrists, Psychologists, Therapists, and Counselors Called “Shrinks”?
Most of us have heard someone say, “I’m going to see my shrink,” with a shrug or a half‑smile — but have you ever stopped to wonder where that slang word came from? It’s one of those cultural words we have heard, and we begin using them without knowing what they actually mean.
By Margaret Minnicksabout a month ago in Psyche
No, There's Nothing Wrong with the MCU
We have spent the last few years seeing some strange comments about the MCU by various filmmakers and actors, including people like the great Martin Scorsese. These comments allude to the idea that the world of film should not take Marvel so seriously as cinema, but rather the films should be thought of more as theme park rides. I believe that not only is this incorrect, but it is also damaging to the film landscape. If these MCU films are to be put on the back-burner when it comes to cinema, we run into a whole host of problems...
By Annie Kapurabout a month ago in Psyche
Beyond the Doll: Moving from Token Gestures to Real Support for Autistic People. AI-Generated.
This week, Barbie announced the release of a new autistic Barbie doll, aiming to increase visibility and acceptance for autistic individuals. While the intention is commendable, it raises important questions about whether symbolic gestures like this truly address the needs of autistic people. Research and lived experience suggest that meaningful representation and concrete support in society are far more impactful than launching a product labelled as “inclusive”.
By Sarah Xenosabout a month ago in Psyche
My Experience on Silencing Autism
I wanted to do an educational article on something that has recently come up in my attention. I was having lunch with some of my peers - and one of the ladies spoke briefly about someone she provides care for: "You know, so-and-so still is so loud and needs to learn to not make everyone miserable just because she is miserable." The so-and-so is an autistic individual and I wanted to say something then, but bit my tongue.
By The Schizophrenic Mom2 months ago in Psyche
