The Healing Power of Writing
“Writing is a form of therapy; sometimes I wonder how all those who do not write, compose or paint can manage to escape the madness, melancholia, the panic and fear which is inherent in a human situation.” — Graham Greene
Writing has been a stronghold, a lifeline pulling me from depths since childhood. Words could always heal wounds that no first aid kit could mend. In a world with chaotic tendencies, writing’s therapeutic power to reveal our shared humanity should not be overlooked. Once I discovered expressive writing’s capacity for emotional processing I became a regular practitioner. Journaling helped me untangle complex emotions and piece together clarity during times of turbulence.
Fourteen years ago, my family and I travelled to Port-au-Prince, Haiti to bury my grandmother. The next day, January 12, 2010, a catastrophic 7.0 earthquake ravaged the island nation. The bone-rattling tremors lasted seconds but will always stay with me. Absorbing the widespread devastation through all my senses felt unbearable. The screams of those trapped under rubble, the sickly smell of torn flesh blended with urgent prayers left unanswered, the sight of lifeless limbs protruding from crumbled homes — I reached a breaking point, reliving those thoughts, feelings and visions. Instinctually, writing offered a much needed release. I was driven by an intrinsic need to document what I witnessed.
My early drafts eventually became refined and took published form in my first book. Quake: Horror and Hope in Haiti allowed me to share details my reading audience wouldn’t have gotten from the mainstream media. Information didn’t travel as instantaneously back then as it does today but I quickly realized the power that storytelling has to build bridges and better understanding. Through the reflective power of writing, I’ve gained self-awareness and a way to relieve and manage stress better than I could have without it. Numerous studies have shown that writing about stressful situations can have positive effects on the mind, body, and soul. I used expressive writing as a tool to deal with survivor’s guilt and the feelings of anxiety that accompany it. Writing helped transform me from a victim to a narrator with the power to observe, express, and make sense of everything that happened. Emotional writing truly has the capacity to help to lower heart rate, blood pressure, strengthen the immune system, and improve psychological well-being. The art of journaling can take discussions that may be too tangled for speech and allow them to flow freely onto a blank canvas.
Maya Angelou once wrote, “There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.” Today’s society is in great need of the calming, reflective, and communal benefits of writing. Beyond my stories, writing’s healing power is available to anyone willing to give it a try.
My forthcoming book on health and wellness adopts elements of memoiristic, expressive writing. Over the course of drafting it, my overall well-being has improved, even transformed. The art of expressive writing deserves much credit for that.
Best of health,
Will
