Writing as therapy

Some of us go to the shrink to deal with our emotional and mental distress, and there are the few of us who take to the written word to stay sane in our own way. And yet there are still more of us who resort to other acts to keep going in life — like a good cry or just sporting the damn-all attitude.

Writing is cathartic — that is emotionally purging. When we are distressed or have something weighing on our mind, sometimes we just pick up a pen and scribble on a notepad. This simple act, which we indulge in without much thought, is a form of therapy. What you do when you visit a shrink is you tell the person your deepest, most personal stories — things you refrain from even sharing with your friends or family. Talking becomes an emotional outlet, a valve that releases all the tensions wired in your brain. You feel good and "light" after such sessions. Writing works almost the same way. When you pour out word after word onto a white, all-absorbing page that never questions, never gives a frown, or is never shocked of your ways, you feel a load has just been unburdened. All your problems don't go away, but you definitely get a breather —  it is like giving an exhausted boxer a few seconds of rest so he can continue fighting. I guess this is how most of us deal with life. A little research on the Internet on writing as a form of therapy showed up a good number of results. Wikipedia explains it as a form of "expressive therapy" that not only eases pain but "strengthens the immune system." Writing as a therapy is practiced in a group and even administered by a therapist. "Assignments may include writing unsent letters to selected individuals, alive or dead, followed by imagined replies from the recipient or parts of the patient's body, or a dialogue with the recovering alcoholic's bottle of alcohol."

So give in to writing. There is nothing to fear. Your notepad doesn't judge.