Manage your mental health with writing therapy

The outbreak of this pandemic has sent the entire world behind the locks. They are missing their morning walk and skipping the scenic sun. Their routines are wrecked and activities axed. There is gloominess all around! The dread of ultimate destination and fear of financial fracture.

As such, more people are suffering from the panic of this pandemic! Some succumb to suicide and others are fighting hard. With no hand to hold and no shoulder to cry on, quarantine can be more traumatic than the virus.

Many patients are reaching out to me seeking ways to control their anxiety and panic. Some are suffering from insomnia and some suspect the symptoms of COVID-19!

Being their Ayurvedic doctor, I often suggest them natural ways to tackle these troubles. And one of the five things that I suggest is the ‘writing therapy’. The four others are meditation, yoga, pranayama and Mentace tablets.

A few days back, I published another blog on research that says reading books could make you live longer. And in this blog, I reveal to you the mental benefits of therapeutic writing. 

Writing – the power of the pen!

Writing therapy is an age-old tried and tested therapy that helps to ease out stress and trauma. 

 Research published by the Harvard university too concurred with this. Another elaborate study quoted that writing therapy can be a healing experience. 

What is therapeutic writing?

Therapeutic writing is not the same as daily journal writing or gratitude writing. Therapeutic writing involves penning down stressful or traumatic events of one’s life. Their true and raw feelings associated with these events. It is also called expressive writing.

The things that you wanted to tell your boss. The feud with your friends. Your broken heart or unheard pain. These negative feelings keep steaming in your mind. And you need to get these out of your system. And expressive writing helps you do that!

Writing Therapy: An Ayurvedic Doctor’s perspective 

Stressed people were a common encounter in my clinic. The hectic life, professional pressure, and personal pursuits often strain the mind. They come looking for a quick fix for their backache, headache and sleep problems.

With the limited time and hesitant confessions, I can only paint a blurry picture of their problems. Some find it hard to express, others are reluctant to trust. As such, counselling and prescribing becomes quite tricky. 

Hence, most of the time I recommend writing therapy to my patients!

My teacher taught this magic therapy to me. He said, ‘Writing helps to ease the mind and discharge the swelling heart’. 

Paper is the best listener. And pouring the heart on paper soaks all sorrows!

I often tell this to my patients – ‘No one knows you better than yourself. And no one can understand you better! So, write down your deepest darkest thoughts on a paper. Read it yourself and be your own listener.  

When you think about the stressful things your mind wanders through a magic maze. It just keeps on hopping from one thought to another. Whereas writing is a focused activity. It sets your focus on that particular incident and helps you see the obvious!

No matter how big or small the issue is, the solution appears upon reflection! 

An Ayurvedic doctor’s Clinical Experience 

I have advised this writing therapy to many patients. 

People with anxiety, OCD, insomnia found relief in writing down about their worries. It also benefited those with enmeshed with negative emotions. 

The perfectionists, the egoist, the deadline heroes, the maniacs found peace in writing. People with chronic illness also noted better mental and physical healing.

I recommend writing therapy to people who always talk about diseases and those who suffer from self-pity. It also boosts confidence in people suffering from inferiority complex. 

Writing therapy also helped with trouble trusting others. The suspicious types, atheists, over god-fearing souls found peace in a paper.

Teaching the writing therapy

Different psychologists or Ayurvedic experts have a different approach to this. I have combined the proven methods with my personal experiences to teach this therapy. The key points that I mention are:

• Close the door for 20 minutes and sit with your pen and paper.
• Pour all your feelings on the paper without stressing on grammar and sentences.
• The best time to do this detox is before going to bed. Take the emotional worries out of your system.
• Read it once after you have completed writing. See if there is a solution hidden in the problems.
• Tear the paper or burn it off. Let it all go with the ashes! Next day will be a fresh start.

Studies and Researches on Writing Therapy

A study conducted by the University of Texas experimented writing therapy on four groups. Three groups wrote about the traumatic experiences of their past while the fourth group wrote about trivial topics. After six months the first three groups showed remarkable improvement in their mental health.

Therapeutic writing is proven to have healing properties. Studies showed that it reduces anxiety, clears thinking and increases insight. Expressive writing can improve mood, strengthen the immune system and control high blood pressure. Therapeutic writing also reduces symptoms of depression and anxiety.

Many more studies have reported similar findings. They all connected writing to better physical and psychological health.

Physical benefits of writing therapy

Studies have stamped the psychological benefits of writing. But this therapy also aids physical benefits. Recent studies suggested that writing about emotions can boost immune functioning. Especially in patients with HIV/AIDS, asthma, and arthritis. Research also revealed the biopsy wounds heal faster in patients who practice journal writing.

Contradictions

Writing therapy is very effective in churning out daily stressors. But if someone is suffering from severe depression or PTSD, writing can open up their wounds. And unwinding trauma without closure can be devastating. Hence, therapeutic writing is not recommended in patients with severe traumatic experience. They might not be prepared to face the flow of raw emotions writing can stir!

Conclusion

Writing therapy can unwind immense benefits, especially in a situation like this. It aids to tackle the troubled mind which is very essential in this moment of panic. So, try this therapy at least for 4 days a week and enjoy better health without medicines and pills!

Your wellness is a matter of your choices. Make the right choices. Listen to your mind’s voices. And never see a doctor again!