Writing as Therapy

I love writing, but (smile) I have also needed therapy in my life. I'm not sure if there are any other writers out there who have had to visit a shrink, but I'd like to think that I'm not alone.

What I've learned from a few great (and not so great) therapists is that they may not have the answers either. They may give you direction, suggestions, they may even tell you what's not working in your life and what you can do to change your situation, but they can't do it for you.

Photo by Tony Hall, courtesy of Flickr

Therapists are expensive, too, When I went, therapy ran between $25 and $50 an hour; I'm sure, some 20 years later, it's spiked a bit higher. Though it cost me, for the most part, I gained from the experience. I learned more about myself and more about relating better to certain individuals in my life.

It was soon after the therapy experience that I learned the power of writing my feelings down. I realized that writing was just as powerful as speaking, and I would often find myself solving my own problems with a bit of reflection and an open heart to God.

Perhaps that's why I continue to keep a journal today. Even when it hurts, and especially when it hurts, I can get my feelings down on paper. Words written down never go away unless there's a flood or some other natural disaster; the words are there the next time I am struggling and I am reminded that this is what life is all about. Yes, it's about struggling, but it's also about overcoming and becoming better. And I read those too.

Some days writing is the only thing that keeps me going. And on other days, I am filled with knowledge and direction almost too powerful to write about.

But I do.