Top Stories

Stories in Psyche that you’ll love, handpicked by our team.

I Didn't Know I Had Social Anxiety: Here Are The Subtle Signs
Earlier this year, I was diagnosed with Social Anxiety Disorder. It was the last of the 3 anxiety disorders I got diagnosed with, and one that I frankly did not expect. Despite considering myself a mental health advocate and having a fairly good understanding of anxiety disorders, I even fell victim to the stereotypes of social anxiety.
By Alisan Keesee4 years ago in Psyche
Inner Gaslighting: Are You Gaslighting Yourself?
What is Gaslighting? Gaslighting is a form of mental abuse in which a person manipulates another person into doubting their own sanity. The term “gaslighting” comes from the 1938 stage play Gaslight, and subsequent Hollywood classic, in which a husband tries to make his wife think she is going insane. In the play, the husband dims the lights and blames it on an imaginary broken gas lamp.
By Kate Strong4 years ago in Psyche
ADHD Is My Superpower
Did you know that October is National ADHD Awareness Month? I didn't either until a couple days ago. Whoops! It seems like there is a day for everything anymore; National Ice Cream Day, National Hot Chocolate Day, National Hangover Day, National Personal Trainer Awareness Day-wait, what? If you have a personal trainer, aren't you already aware of them?
By E.L. Martin4 years ago in Psyche
How to Help People
My friend’s mother committed suicide. I knew her well. I was always staying over at the family home when young, it was a beautiful, double-fronted property on a hilltop overlooking the town.
By Jamie Jackson4 years ago in Psyche
Self Love For 'Devalued' Kids
It's no secret that the early years of our lives shape who we become as adults. Isn't it frightening how so much of our childhood is out of our hands? A devalued kid is someone raised with little to no praise, validation, positivity, or acceptance. The result is things like poor self-esteem, passive-aggressive or avoidance behavior, and people-pleasing personalities. Such behaviors may have begun as survival or coping mechanisms. As grown-ups, it feels as if we left our parents' house and packed the wrong baggage. We've held onto the baggage for so long we don't how else to live. We don't know where or how to start building the right tools we need to let ourselves grow into our potential. Omar Hameed describes The Devalued Self in The Devalued Self: Childhood Emotional Abandonment, Devaluation of the Self, and Anxiety:
By Danielle Eckhart4 years ago in Psyche
How to Protect Your Mental Health and Wellbeing
We’ve become slaves to our gadgets. Every hobby is now seen as a potential side hustle and money-making machine. We no longer do things for the sake of enjoyment. If you’re not monetising a skill you’re seen as if you’re an alien.
By Rejoice Denhere4 years ago in Psyche
The Secret Life of Dreams: The Ins and Outs of Sleep.
I’ve always been interested in other worldly topics, often wondering whether there is life after death? Do ghosts exist? And is that demon I see in sleep paralysis really trying to possess me?
By Emm Margaret4 years ago in Psyche
A letter to my young self
This is a letter to my young self & all persons who feel the oppressive weight of living under cultural and patriarchal restraint. Especially for those journeys that have been made more arduous due to intersectionality and for those who seek to heal from experienced traumas. It can feel like a lonely road travelled when our song feels dissonant to those around us. When individuality that follows the social norm is what is expected of us. When we are asked to be everything and expected to question none of it. When we keep space with those that do not keep space for us. When we find ourselves seeking other’s approval over our own. When we stop being crafters of our own story, stray from our path, and allow others to dance us along on marionetted strings. When we continue to witness the collective pain of marginalizing policies.
By S. Rae4 years ago in Psyche
I Had to Write Words Backwards for 2 Whole Years Or Else My Friends Would Die
My OCD stole my writing from me. No seriously. A mental illness versus my existential purpose and still there were no winners. Just a loser. Just me.
By em4 years ago in Psyche
12 Ways to Fight Depression That Aren't Medication
As a crisis worker, talking with patients in multiple hospitals, and while working in private practice as a licensed counselor, the two most common concerns I see people come in for help with are depression and anxiety. Ninety percent of the people that I work with suffered from one or both of these concerns.
By Shana Galbraith4 years ago in Psyche
Comprehending the Incomprehensible
I recently learned of the tragic passing of one of Vocal’s very own beloved creators Tom Bradbury. I’m sure many of you who are in the various Vocal Facebook groups are also aware of the tragedy befalling Tom’s home in rural France to a violent fire in which a victim was recovered. I’m not going to go into anymore because trauma does not need to be re-trodden. Suffice it to say, tragedy can be difficult, or seem almost impossible, to wrap your head around.
By Caitlin McColl4 years ago in Psyche
How a Fear of Missing Out was Detrimental to My Health
Fear of missing out (FOMO) is a social anxiety disorder wherein the sufferer believes they are missing out on important events. Usually the sufferer will compare their life to the lives of others, feeling inferior that they are not sharing in similar experiences. FOMO has been made worse by social media culture. With a constant stream of your peers successes fed to you through your phone, it’s no wonder that so many people feel inadequate, worrying that their life is not as fulfilling as it could be.
By Jade Hadfield4 years ago in Psyche