Why You Should Write | Why I Don't Believe In Therapy.

I've spent countless hours with therapists, psychologists, and psychiatrists, but never once have any of the visits yielded noticeable results. The medication they provided helped, but talking and "working through my problems" just left me embarrassed, angry, or profusely depressed. Even though my mind works rationally and I'm consumed by science I remained confused by the outcome. I never understood how psychology, a science I continue to study, could fail me. What was I doing wrong?

In several studies, participants who have experienced a traumatic event have been encouraged to spend just a few minutes each day writing in a diary-type account of their deepest thoughts and feelings about it. The results revealed a remarkable boost in their psychological and physical well-being, including a reduction in health problems and an increase in self-esteem and happiness.

So why would talking about a traumatic experience have almost no effect but writing about it yield such significant benefits? From a psychological perspective, talking and writing are very different. Talking can often be somewhat unstructured, disorganized, even chaotic. In contrast, writing encourages the creation of a story line and structure that help people make sense of what has happened and work towards a solution. In short, talking can add to a sense of confusion, but writing provides a more systematic, solution-based approach (Jeff Atwood 2011).

Writing is my favorite hobby besides photography. While some of my pieces may disturb some readers it is extraordinarily therapeutic for me. Through prose I can shed some of that pulsating rage that's coursing through my veins. I have this inability to express myself to those I'm close to, but I'm able to cryptically bleed on paper for complete strangers. I enjoy seeing how many people can decipher my messages(very few do), and if I help someone along the way the reward is that much sweeter.