Writing Can Help Us Heal from Trauma

It does not seem obvious, but writing or journaling about one’s negative experiences can have a positive outcome on our mental health.

A theory regarding how this works states that writing or narrating our sob story frees up our mental and cognitive resources. When we put down our emotions on paper, or tell it to someone, our brain may be reencoding the negative experience, reorganizing it in a way that is less traumatic to us.

• Imagination, creativity and awareness are natural defence systems in our body and mind against trauma but are largely ignored.
• Writing as a restorative tool is a scientifically recognized way to heal.
• Expressive writing makes sense of our otherwise chaotic thoughts and emotions and can take any form, be it poetry, journaling, memoirs or random notes.
• If we can tell a complete, complex and coherent story, we are no longer a victim, but a narrator or an observer.
• It may be the main reason why therapy works.