trauma
At its core, trauma can be thought of as the psychological wounds that persist, even when the physical ones are long gone.
Her Name Is Hope
10/13/19 “Her Name is Hope” I think I might be in love with Death. The problem is that I can only meet him once, so, for now, I have to settle for his cousin, Hope. Hope is a disease. She feeds me the belief that things will change, that things will get better. Logically, I know they won’t. I know that Hope is lying. But here’s the thing about Hope: she’s manipulative, but you can’t help but love her. She’ll tell you everything will be ok and make you trust her. And then she’ll break you. She takes you out at the knees and stabs you in the back. But you’ll forgive her, love her again with her sweet and beautiful face. You’ll breathe in her promises of next times and live her lies. She’ll get you high just to break your mind.
By Emery Pine5 years ago in Psyche
Bad Girl House 18
I could not stand any more abuse. I could not stay because of the kids. I could not keep convincing myself that someday life wouldn’t be this way. I was finally seeing the situation for what I was. I was in a vicious cycle that was never going to end until I did something about it. I started brainstorming possible ways that I could escape. When we were out, I would pay attention to where churches, restaurants, and hospitals were. If I made it to one of those places, would the people there believe me? Would they let me stay until someone came to pick me up? Would they protect me if John found me? Of course the answer was yes, but I doubted everything around me. My own mind told me that there wasn’t help out there.
By Kathy Sees5 years ago in Psyche
Entry #3
Where to begin. I wrote my letter. It was messy and confusing. I feel like the words "messy" and "confusing" sum up every single area in my life at the moment. This process is neither linear or easy. I'm having flashbacks and intrusions of some of the saddest moments of my life. My dogs. I don't understand why they keep coming up or what I'm supposed to do to process them. Do they play a part in the person I am today? I guess it makes sense. I don't know.
By Hilary Dane5 years ago in Psyche
How a Survivor Survives Divorce
Divorce sucks. Regardless of the circumstances between you and your former spouse, it's going to be difficult. The number of years you were married doesn't seem to lessen the emotional sting, either. I have an aunt who recently divorced after forty years of marriage and a close friend who, like me, divorced after five. Both have experienced and are still experiencing pangs of grief that, like chronic illnesses, really never go away completely. But, I'm not writing this piece for "normal" divorcees (whatever that means). This short essay is for anyone else who, like me, had to divorce swiftly, with a protection order.
By Jenny Rowe5 years ago in Psyche
Domestic Violence During Quarantine
A foreword: There are many kinds of stories of people that quarantined in 2020. Many of us read books, learned how to plant gardens, perfected baking recipes, practiced making babies, worked from home, took on active roles in our children's education, were grateful to just be alive.
By Alejandra Mora Hendler5 years ago in Psyche
A Spoon, Please
“What is it like for you?” I’ve been asked this, in a number of different ways. Each time, the speaker twists the words, bending them into the shape they feel is least offensive, unobtrusive. I usually provide brief answers, giving them words like exhausting, heavy, or bleak. But just for today, I’ll give you more.
By K.E. Diller5 years ago in Psyche
The Seventh Blue Bird
It had been two years since the sides of her mouth curled upward. Natasha had dropped out of school to chase after a boy she had met that summer. She didn’t know what drew her to him, but she was nuts about Travis. They ran away together and, at the time, she truly felt he was the love of her life. Then, a month into the relationship, things began to change. Natasha discovered the true nature of her lover. He was a narcissist and now she was sure of it. He forced her away from close family and friends, fearful they might persuade her to leave him. She became a far removed version of herself. Who she was had withered away into nothing. Now, in the form of a shell, she took demands and mostly kept quiet. She felt like a stranger living in her own body. It was as if she had been brainwashed. Sometimes she felt she had been. Every day she grew increasingly numb to the pain. Eventually, the vacancy of her emotions began to shift. Something stirred inside her and Natasha couldn’t ignore it any longer. She was angry, but not with Travis. Her feelings for him were mostly those of resentment and compassion. Knowing what he had experienced as a child was part of the reason she put up with the abuse. The anger she felt was directed at herself for giving away her control. She had to find a way out of this relationship or it would destroy her if it hadn’t already.
By Antonia Kimball5 years ago in Psyche
