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Writing As A Form Of Therapy

Writing As A Form Of Therapy

Hi all,

I have found throughout the course of my life that writing has been a constant companion to me. It has provided me with a way to vent my frustrations, to grapple with the eternal verities of life that confound and delight me, to explore ideas and concepts, and to try to put into words the often chaotic moods and thoughts that result from having a mind that's a little bit odd...

I have written lots of poems, especially in the last 3 or 4 years, dealing with depression and bipolar. They help me to process and understand some of the things that are happening in this twisted little noodle of mine. As such, writing has become one of my main forms of therapy.

One of the best things that I find about writing is that it can act as a kind of mood diary. I can read things that I had previously written, and it will quite often map out where I was at during the time of writing. The words I spread across the page act as signposts of my progress, too. As my self knowledge increases and my life journey progresses, I find that it affects how I write and what I write...

Often, we do not see the thousands of tiny little changes to our selves that our life experiences cause over the years. It can be very helpful to re-read old writings, in order to see how far we have come, what we have improved, where we have fallen back into old harmful habits, and the things that we have learned.

The language that we use in our writings and in our thoughts and in our speech is very important. It can reveal a lot about our selves, our states of mind, and our moods...

That language, it can become a self-fulfilling prophecy. I believe that we attract certain kinds of people around us, and create (or at least influence) life situations based on our choice of language. It helps define who we are as a person.

Negative thinking, self-deprecation, self-hatred, these sorts of dangerous life traps are often revealed in our choice of words. So too are the positive things. It all starts with a glass. How we describe the glass and the quantity and quality of its contents, that's where language comes into it, and it can shape our very lives and the lives of those around us.

Writing... it is my solace and my main tool of self-analysis. It is my favourite form of therapy...

2932 replies

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In response to: Writing As A Form Of Therapy

Re: writing as a form of therapy

Hello @MDT ,

Many of your thoughts, expressions and comments remind me of those that I have had and expressed during my life. Often, they are reminiscent of my own previous experience and, in some ways, possibly, or even likely, similarities in personality, style and attributes. You have at times expressed appreciation and pleasure at some of those comparisons. It would also be unrealistic of me not to believe that there may also have been times when what I have stated may have been perceived as challenging. Be that as it may, what I offer is from reflections on my own life, that have often been recalled when I have read some of your comments. The following thoughts are in that realm. And, as always, I am conscious of the three fingers pointing back toward myself. I, also, still have life to live and progress to make, so have to remain cognisant of these thoughts and issues too.

“I think that the choices that have made most impact on my life, are not those from which I have opted out, but rather those where I have taken the risks of opting in, making mistakes and finding out which were sound choices and, which may not have been. It is through this process that I have learned to fine tune my own development and progress.

The need then, was not for me to look for what I did not want or desire, but rather, to consider that for which I most wished and desired.

I have wasted a lot of time in choosing out those things that I did not wish for. The things from which I opted out made absolutely no difference whatsoever in my life. It has only been, by making positive conscious choices, of that for which I wished, that generated progress in my life. It was the results of the sound choices and useful lessons learnt, from errors or 'blind alleys', where I had decided to 'opt in', that provided me with those beneficial results.

It was all too easy filling my time with crossing things out or selecting items from which to 'opt out', rather than using my time, far more effectively and efficiently, searching for that which I most wanted and then actively pursuing those goals.”

It is my most sincere wish that these thoughts may assist in generating the momentum in your life, at a very much earlier stage, than when I came to awareness of what was required for my best progress and personal development.

With My Best Wishes

@HenryX

In response to: Writing As A Form Of Therapy

Re: writing as a form of therapy

Your poetry is excellent @stufF
I'm really crap at poetry, so good on anybody who can do poems. I'm more the old-fashioned English pros type of writer.

In response to: Writing As A Form Of Therapy

Re: writing as a form of therapy

Oops I spelled your username wrong @StuF. I wanted to tag you to let you know how good your poem is! i'm an old-fashioned, boring, English pros type of writer. Good on anybody who can do poems.

In response to: Re: writing as a form of therapy

Re: writing as a form of therapy

Thanks @Former-Member

Nothing wrong with prose! I wish I could write it better myself 🙂

In response to: Re: writing as a form of therapy

Re: writing as a form of therapy

G'day @HenryX
I must say that I don't actually recall writing this but now that you have tagged me and reminded me its interesting to read

That whole idea of fine tuning my own progress is so fascinating I must say. I think, as it turns out, that is what I have been doing after all...

This line I remember writing though: " It has only been, by making positive conscious choices, of that for which I wished, that generated progress in my life. "
I distinctly remember thinking this. Actively thinking it while typing.

I still agree with it. Even the second part about bad choices - at least they were choices I made.
The overall point is of course that I made choices. That's a totally different realm from the realm of being thrust into other situations, not of my making or decision.

"It was all too easy filling my time with crossing things out or selecting items from which to 'opt out', rather than using my time, far more effectively and efficiently, searching for that which I most wanted and then actively pursuing those goals."

This also could not have come at a better time.

You are very wise Henry the Tenth. Thanks for bringing me back to this. I really appreciate it 🙂

In response to: Re: writing as a form of therapy

Re: writing as a form of therapy

An empty page

An idle afternoon

Then I know it's purpose

To wind back time

Never enough to fulfill

There are always regrets

Don't be sad

Hold on tight

In response to: Writing As A Form Of Therapy

Re: Writing As A Form Of Therapy

When my world stands still


My garden, my sanctuary

No feelings of pain

The beauty of leaving

My reality behind

There I stand all still

With the pain too high

That I sneak away

To my secret life

Then the glass goes thick

And there’s no way out

What is real is apart

From my safe little yard

Voices mute

Feelings fade

Away away

In my secret garden

In response to: Re: Writing As A Form Of Therapy

Re: Writing As A Form Of Therapy

when I leave, please know it wasn’t you

i tried to fight and you did too

sometimes life gives you lemons

but they’re more like bad demons
when it’s time to go

i want you to know

In response to: Re: Writing As A Form Of Therapy

Re: Writing As A Form Of Therapy

Ohh my @petrichor here for you my friend xx

@Silenus , @Meowmy , @MDT , @StuF , @tyme xxx

In response to: Re: Writing As A Form Of Therapy

Re: Writing As A Form Of Therapy

@petrichor

Succinct

Powerful

Beautiful

Thanks for sharing 🙂

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