Writing is a skill that is available to most of us, often underused and misused. It has the power to heal, to empower or destroy. It is a basic form of communication. How many of us take the time to truly express our emotions? our feelings and especially our past and present experiences whether that is abuse or mental and emotional trauma. The truth is even though most of us have at least one friend or family member who we can trust enough to share our feelings, emotions and past or present traumatic and often stressful experiences with, many will opt for not being open about their current or past circumstances for fear of being judged or graded. The rise in technology and social media use around the world has turned writing, typing into one of the most used and effective means of communication, when utilized correctly it can lead us toward a better understanding of ourselves and others. Healing past and present trauma can be both costly and sometimes non-effective when considering the costs of receiving "traditional therapy" which often includes one or more of the following: psychotherapy, behavioral therapy, biomedical treatment, cognitive therapy, family therapy, electro convulsive therapy ECT, group therapy, interpersonal psychotherapy, light therapy, play therapy, psychoanalysis, psychodynamic psychotherapy, etc and rarely includes the arts and music or writing as a non-traditional approach to receiving therapy. The BIG difference between traditional and non traditional therapy is of course communication itself or "talk therapy" where you speak of, share and communicate your fears, emotions, story and symptoms one on one with your therapist or with a group of people who share identical or common trauma symptoms. Attending therapy/therapeutic classes both traditional and non traditional with a psychologist, psychiatrist, therapist, life-coach can prove to be expensive and are not exactly guaranteed to be effective for everyone. Even the non traditional therapies which can include hypnotherapy, holistic therapies and various online therapies can be difficult for many without access to transportation or internet and technology devices. So how does a victim/survivor of child abuse, rape, domestic violence or human trafficking, sexual exploitation, torture deal with the after effects, symptoms, flashbacks and unwanted feelings and emotions experienced shortly after surviving and throughout their lifetime healing process? The answer is in the writing. The writing of your thoughts and emotions, of your struggle and pain. Writing as a non traditional healing therapy, free of charge and available to all! So if you're in the % of people who cannot afford traditional therapy or do not want/need/like/believe in traditional therapy methods or perhaps you've already tried traditional therapy and it hasn't worked for you then perhaps Writing is for you! Writing is especially beneficial to those with a history of trauma and violence or abuse of any kind. When vocal language has been taken away due to trauma, writing becomes your voice! So write what needs and wants to be written. Write it all then let it go! No therapy can substitute the power of writing your own words and I am living proof of that fact. - Note - Please note the previous statement is not a health or doctor approved recommendation for anyone, it is simply a life observation on the benefits of writing for myself. Not intended for other purposes other than to express and share vital healing information!
