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by Dr.Meghna varma
Healing through the Written Word
“Through writing, we walk out of the darkness into the light together, one small step at a time.” - C.J. Heck
Whether you are battling with trauma, loss or grief, journaling or writing about your life’s experiences & events can be a great cathartic experience.
Benefits of Journaling reach far greater depths than simply helping you relax, recording important pieces of your life or improving your memory. It has a deep therapeutic impact by providing focus & clarity to conflicts, concerns & confusions.
The Power of the Written Word: How does it work?
Simply start by writing about a nagging thought, a persistent feeling or a life changing event. Write freely, without worrying about the form, spellings or grammar. Just let your thoughts flow and see what comes out. By penning down our experiences or events we consider painful, we recreate the event or circumstance mentally, analyse the issue at hand, look at it from a different perspective & learn to work through it.
Most times, as we gently probe into our own writing about our lives & how we perceive the outside world, we tend to discover feelings we dint event know were there. We learn more about ourselves.
Expressive writing therefore taps into the sub conscious & unconscious levels of our mind and once this enlightenment occurs, it sets the stage for deep, genuine & enduring healing.
What are the benefits of Therapeutic Writing?
Writing gives us space for pouring out our deepest hopes & fears, making them more tangible. Gaining understanding of our feelings & emotions shifts the power from the circumstance into our own hands.
Studies reveal that writing has enhanced healing & improved quality of life in people with wounds, asthma, arthritis and even cancer. Simply labelling feelings & penning them down has a deep cathartic effect & boosts the immune system.
Ever read a fictional story that took you through a journey that challenged and (eventually changed) your own ideas & beliefs? Writing our experiences in a fictional format can help evolve our perspective.
Whether you follow journal guidelines designed for you by your therapist or simply go with the flow of your thoughts & feelings, Journaling is the gateway into the deepest parts of yourself. It is a slow yet steady process that confronts & helps you to effectively deal with your darkest shadows.
