In Treatment
Discovering the ins and outs of treatments and therapies. Join the conversation today.
The Weeds I've Watered
Like millions of other human beings, I too struggle with mental illness. I've battled with depression and multiple anxiety disorders since I was a child. At the ripe age of 12, I started therapy. I had an almost unbreakable bond with my therapists. Since my family couldn't grasp my struggles, and I have a small amount of friends, I had no outlet. But, going to therapy gave me a voice, and skills that I can use for the rest of my life. The skills were like flowers in bloom, they filled my mind with color and beauty in the midst of the black and white.
Lauren HarringtonPublished 6 years ago in PsycheBaby Steps
"It comes like a whisper, you know? Just the slightest sound of his name to tickle the insides of my mind. Stupid, I know...why think about someone that isn't thinking about you? Why think about someone that has hurt you and made you feel less than? Why think about someone that doesn't even deserve the space in your mind that they are so rudely occupying?
What It Is Like Living with High Functioning Anxiety
Some of you may wonder what it feels like to have high functioning anxiety; others may know someone who deal with anxiety and wonder what it is like for them. I am sure everyone is different, but I will try and explain what it is like for me. So pretty much all my life I have been described as shy. I am not the first person to usually strike up a conversation; I keep to myself often in social interactions. I observe everyone and everything around me, and it depends on when I feel comfortable when you will see me come out of my shell. Deep on the inside is this quirky, goofy person with a huge heart. Sometimes the outside doesn’t see this and judges me. And other times they do see this and use it to their advantage. To say that people mistake my kindness for weakness would be an understatement.
RaeAnna MercadoPublished 6 years ago in PsycheHow I Cope with Anxiety
Ever since I was child I can remember some version of anxiety existing in my life. It wasn't until I reached high school age that I really discovered that what I was struggling with was anxiety. I have a long way to go before I feel comfortable saying I'm anxiety free. Not only do I have consistent daily anxiety, but I also struggle with derealization and panic disorder. Most of the time I'm quiet about my hardships until it becomes too much to handle on my own. Over the past four months I've had to change how I approach my mental health, and it has made a significant difference in my life.
Cailey ReneePublished 6 years ago in PsycheWhat I've Learned: Four Days in the Mental Health Ward
"You're only sixteen, what makes your life so bad that you want to die?" The red, rough hospital gown scratched my knees; unshaved calves prickled my cracked palms. I kept my hair over my face as my nurse attempted to engage in the long dreaded conversation,
Lacking the X-Mas Spirit
Los Angeles, CA The twinkling lights, cold wind, and short days. All signs representing that time of year. Now normally, with all the hot chocolate and Christmas movies running on a never-ending cycle, the holiday spirit would have already hit and give a feeling of warmth and happiness. As for now, life still feels a little lack-luster even if those twinkling lights try to ignite something from within. Although you'd love to enjoy the festivities, you can't quite seem to feel as dazzled as everyone else might be. You might be thinking that it just hasn't hit you yet, but with each passing day, that feeling never really shows up.
Jennafer VieraPublished 6 years ago in PsycheMy Anxiety Story
My earliest memories of my childhood aren't pleasant ones. I mostly remember my mother and father always screaming and throwing things at one another while I hid alone in my room, waiting for it to stop. I was around five years old at the time, but I remember this feeling of overwhelming sense of worry and fear. I couldn't identify it at the time, but I now know that feeling to be anxiety.
Tips for Coping with PTSD
I want to start by saying that PTSD by definition is a condition that is diagnosed to those who have either witnessed a traumatic or have experienced a traumatic event in their lives. For instance and I am going to be completely honest by saying this, I have been molested as a child and raped as an adult. I found my boyfriend dead on our bathroom floor when I was 19. At one point when I was in my early twenties, I was homeless and I saw a lot… that is when the rape occurred. Back then I was lost as well as broken. A broken empty shell of a person that jumped from one abusive relationship to another. The last abusive relationship damn near killed me, literally. There was one night I can remember even praying for death because the pain was just too much to bear. After I finally was able to leave I found myself at a shelter for the battered and abused women. It was then that I began therapy, started college, moved into my apartment, and was diagnosed with PTSD. I still struggle with the anxiety, nightmares, and depression. So I know what it is like and I am here to help with coping mechanisms.
Alyssa HornPublished 6 years ago in Psyche5 Easy Steps to Relieve Anxiety
Anxiety is a state of apprehension, uncertainty, and fear resulting from anticipation of a realistic or fantasized threatening event or situation, often impairing physical and psychological functioning, in others words anxiety takes place when we behave or act in an apprehensive manner. Many people suffer from this issue without even realizing it, living their life feeling as if they are living their life on the edge.
Oksana KabatoffPublished 6 years ago in PsycheMy Haunting Memory
“I remember being four years old. It was bedtime and he couldn’t find pajama bottoms. He found a shirt though, Batman. But no pants. Not even underwear.”
Kelsey BelinskiPublished 6 years ago in PsycheBlurred Lines
As someone whose OCD has been in remission for two years, I've got a fair share of knowledge about the disorder. The psychologist treating me made sure that I knew exactly what was happening at every stage of the process. I can draw every diagram and graph she did, and explain it. After a B in Psychology A Level, I know even more. And whilst studying for that A Level, I hit a surprising connection.
Alex GouldPublished 6 years ago in Psyche10 Weeks of DBT
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy is a science-based therapy created by Marsha Linehan, PhD. that has been proven effective in teaching individuals struggling with behavioral disorders and PTSD skills to improve their quality of life. These skills are divided into four categories: interpersonal effectiveness, mindfulness, distress tolerance, and emotion regulation. DBT was developed in the 1980s, and though DBT is spreading quickly, many people still don't know much—if anything—about DBT therapy.
Max HuttonPublished 6 years ago in Psyche