disorder
The spectrum of Mental Health disorders is incredibly vast; we showcase the multitude of conditions that affect mood, thinking and behavior.
Mad Woman Roommate
She had stayed for months at a time completely alone. It was a 4 bedroom apartment, that she had all to herself for months at a time. The closed doors with the letters labeled A through D were her only constant reminder that these rooms would one day be filled with roommates. She dreaded the day that would be. She herself stayed in the room with the letter B on her own door. She liked to spend her time pacing the hallway every single night of that apartment. The carpet became so matted overtime from the constant back and forth from her mindless walking up and down it at all hours of the night and parts of the day. It seemed a way for Sally to try and escape from the sad reality that her children were taken from her a few years ago. She was seen by society as an unfit mother. Indeed, so she was. She faced each empty day inside her subconscious being, reminded of this truth. She listened to blaring, vulgar music from her phone as she did so, to try and drown out the little voices she heard inside her mind. She would get high and stick her head under cold water from the bathtub periodically, just to gain a sense of reality. Her empty and alone reality. She would then proceed to pull her short brown hair straight up, as water dripped from the stiff locks of her hair. On the nights she wasn't doing that, she was "entertaining" male guests, as a way to pass the time and help keep her loneliness at bay. She commuted back and forth on a motorized bicycle from her apartment complex to work everyday. At least on the days she decided to go to work. She worked as a delivery driver for a small local garden delivery service and was given the opportunity to load and deliver fresh produce from the neighboring areas from this establishment. On the days she was stuck in traffic, Sally Flehm would take time to shoot random pictures of herself and her surroundings and post it onto her social media. They were the most obscure photos that were completely unorthodox and sporadic to ever hit the social media platform! In fact, this was her constant state of being. Whenever she got into an irrational manic state of being, she would repeatedly take pictures of random things. Spilled wine, her dead potted plants, her body, her nails, and even a scarf draped across her ceiling fan. The most eerie pictures, show and telling of a woman who was completely out of her mind.
By Savannah Lacey4 years ago in Psyche
ADHD and Me
My Journey with ADHD People with atypical neurology often find themselves not knowing where they fit in society. From an early age, people with ADHD find themselves at odds with an educational system that forces them to sit down and focus for hours on end. Once a child gets home from school, they are expected to sit down and focus even longer on their homework. These tasks feel directly counter-intuitive to the way their mind works. For a child with ADHD, it can feel as though the institutions they must participate in are specifically designed to work against them; a round peg being forced into a square hole.
By Tyler Clark (he/they)4 years ago in Psyche
The Truth Behind Eating Disorders & Why They’re More Prevalent Than You Think: Through The Lens Of My Experience
For the first 20 years of my life, I rejected diet culture. I ate what and how much I wanted. At first, as a child, this didn't matter. I was active and ran around, keeping me slim, though with the healthy plump expected of children. However, around the age of nine, my body began to change. Hair sprouted from new places, I could no longer get away without a bra, and my hips subtly widened. Though, it would not be for another two years, when I began menstruating, that I started to become more aware of my body.
By Alisan Keesee4 years ago in Psyche
Trying to Describe a Panic Attack
Trigger warning and disclaimer: This post talks about anxiety and panic disorders in an open, somewhat vulnerable way. It is not intended to advise on how to handle coping with said disorders. For help or advice about coping with said disorders or any other mental health-related issues, please contact your health care provider(s) or a certified physician.
By Aysia Conner4 years ago in Psyche
Girl behind the wheel:
I finally figured out the hidden identity of the "Girl behind the wheel", the one who has steared me around like a teenager taking their driving test and has been nothing short of a nervous f*cking wreck around the deep twists and turns of life.
By Jaded Savior Blog4 years ago in Psyche
What is psychosis
I was 17 when I had my first break with reality, I was likely having my first psychosis episode linked to having bipolar disorder. I had not yet been diagnosed with the disorder, that would happen in my early 20s. For 6 days I did not sleep I was so full of anxiety fear and paranoia I literally could not get my eyes to close. Mental pain is very disturbing, I would rather be in physical pain then be disturbed in this way. Soon I could not distinguish from reality. I was living out illusions in my subconscious reality, or what I believe to be dream state. I couldn't even open my eyes to see the world around me. Can you imagine how scary that was, I knew I was stuck somewhere in my mind and was no longer functioning in the real world. I was in a dream world, being created by my subconscious. I tried to "awaken" myself several times. But I was trapped. Let me describe this way. Have you ever had a nightmare or night terror? Someone is trying to attack you and your telling your body "wake up wake up!" because it feels so real and you are afraid. I was in these dream states for not just a night but days and it was a level of torture I had never known. Because it did not feel like a dream it felt like I was living out every dreadful moment and could not escape. In one of these realities I was in a deadly game. Everyone was being hunted down to be killed and the last to survive would be the winner and allowed to live. While being hunted down my murderers and tortured it felt so real. At one point they were burning my skin with fire and I could feel my skin melting, boiling and burning I was screaming. I often wonder how I was behaving in the outside world. Was I sleeping? Was I screaming bloody murder and being sedated since I wasn't conscious during these times I will never know. When I woke up I believed strange things, like my teeth were gone and had trouble seeing my reflection. I had to get used to being in reality again.
By Julia Stellings4 years ago in Psyche
ADHD Ask: Would My Life Be Better if I Was Diagnosed as A Child?
I was not diagnosed with ADHD until I was 39. A large (and continuing) part of my coming to terms with my new diagnosis was wondering how my life might have been different if I had been diagnosed as a child. There is a feeling that the person I am today is made up of coping mechanisms. If I didn’t have to hide, learn what was appropriate, and behave the way that made people comfortable, would I have flourished?
By Kristy Westaway4 years ago in Psyche
The Hectic Thoughts of a Manic Man
Throughout my life I have had swings in my mood varying from quiet and standoffish to wild and erratic. There are times even now I imagine what life would be like for me had that mental integrity I struggled to manage would have flourished to full stability. Finding peace in the creative arts always freed my mind from the woes that often frustrated me dealing with being manic. It wasn't until my late teenage years approaching early adulthood that the mania took control of my life. The depression was in the background of my life story that was much less detrimental to my relationships whether it been friends or romantic partners since I was generally still able to articulate rational grounded thoughts.
By Tony Beyond4 years ago in Psyche
Why Codependency is a B*tch
Codependency isn't cute. It isn't just being clingy or needy or loving someone with your whole being. It's the painful need for someone else to supply you with the happiness, reassurance and comfort you need to get by. It's relinquishing the power of your independence to someone else. It's the loss of control over your own feelings. It's not a good feeling to feel like you need someone else in order to survive. It's unhealthy and it's been the bane of my existence since as long as I existed.
By Kristen Lynn Kreashko4 years ago in Psyche
