What is Therapeutic Writing?

  • 4 years   ago

Writing is one of the ways to offload thoughts and emotions that could be clogging your mind. It is referred to as therapeutic writing. Buy article online to avoid mental issues that may arise from pressure due to an overloaded schoolwork schedule. 

Writing helps you to order your thoughts and see clearly through each idea. Instead of turning them over and over in your head until they cause depression, writing helps you to understand them and turn them into projects or cope with them. It explains the source of the title therapeutic writing because it will leave your head calm. 

Definition of Therapeutic Writing

Not all type of writing is therapeutic. If you write an article about the political situation in your country, it will not be regarded as therapeutic. Writing your assignment is also not therapeutic even though it relieves pressure from your head. So what is therapeutic writing?

Some people share their stories by talking. Some will draw images with a message about their inner state of mind hidden within the picture. Such forms of art help the artist to cope with the prevailing situation. The same principle applies to therapeutic writing. The author uses writing as a way to express personal emotions and cope with traumatic situations that are likely to destabilize his life. 

There are different categories of therapeutic writing based on the channel used by the writer. 

• Freewriting

Freewriting is also referred to as journaling. The traumatized person who requires therapy writes what comes to mind at the moment. There is no attempt to edit or conceal details. It is a way of storing memories without allowing them to affect your mental state. 

A reader can see through the thoughts of the writer and trace elements of stress, joy, hurt, and the issues bothering the writer. The writer uses a journal to track thoughts, especially to know the intensity and how often particular thoughts recur. If the journal contains damaging thoughts, the writer can seek counseling assistance. 

The secret to the best therapeutic writing is the ability to capture emotions and order your ideas. When sitting with a counselor through the sessions, it is possible to tell whether your mental state is improving or deteriorating. The counselor can also pick issues and decode the cause of mental instability. 

• Poetry/Fiction

The method is used to address issues in situations where mentioning names and specific issues might not be possible. For instance, a writer might want to raise concern over an issue without disclosing that it has happened to him or her. Poetry and fictional writing work because the world is left to interpret scenarios without putting a face to the victims. 

Fictional writing is effective where writers want to tell their stories without disclosing their identities to preserve their social standing. In certain cases, it is impossible to substantiate an issue that happened years ago without attracting legal challenges for reputation damage. Authors also use the trick to avoid a lot of attention on them which could disrupt their social life. In some cases, such authors even use pseudo names to conceal identity. 

• Letter 

A letter is an example of direct therapeutic writing. The victim writes a letter to him or herself, the perpetrator, or a third party. When you write a note that you should forgive yourself for past mistakes, this counts as therapeutic letter writing. By reading the letter, you understand the scenario clearly and tell yourself what only you have the courage or knowledge to say. 

Victims also write letters to third parties, especially people they cannot reach. A kid who died, a parent who is no more, a father you do not know, a situation that changed your life, and such other scenarios. Through the letter, you offload the thoughts lingering in your mind. You will say that which you do not have the opportunity or courage to say in words. The thoughts stop bothering you because they have been expressed.

Letter writing is a common form of therapy writing. Sometimes the letter is sent to an unknown address through ballons, burning, or throwing into the river, among other options. The belief that your word has reached your tormentor gives you great peace of mind. It helps you to cope with the prevailing situation while avoiding depression and anxiety. It is one of the avenues to move one in life. 

 

 

 

The Best Writing Therapy To Try

Therapy is unique to individuals and will depend on your situation. One type of therapy may work for a situation while it fails in another. One victim may also prefer one form of therapy over another. The choice of the best form of therapy will depend on personal preference and the issue you are trying to deal with. Try several options and work with a professional therapist to determine the method that works best for you. 

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