How Writing Alleviates and Heals One's Pain

Pain is a constant variable that has created different impacts in the lives of many. It can either make or break an individual's life depending on how severe the situation becomes and how great the person's tolerance level is. As the world continues to turn and progress, pain also transforms into something stronger and appears in various forms; but, that doesn't mean that all the traumas, excess baggage, and wounds cannot be healed.

There are many avenues that can either or both alleviate and heal your pain. According to the American Psychological Association, "There is emerging agreement, however, that the key to writing's effectiveness is in the way people use it to interpret their experiences, right down to the words they choose. Venting emotions alone--whether through writing or talking--is not enough to relieve stress, and thereby improve health, Smyth emphasizes. To tap writing's healing power, people must use it to better understand and learn from their emotions, he says."

Moreover, you can observe in most literary works that there are particular elements of a story or the whole plot itself that features and tackles a variety of pain that emerges from different life stages of the characters. The Innocent Eyes of a Child by Trea Jackson, All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven, and The Color Purple by Alice Walker are among the remarkable works that deal with pain and its impact.

If you are wondering how writing magically lessens or mends the pain that a person experiences, then here's how:

Allows you to recognize and feel the pain

Pain is a feeling that grows stronger over time. The problem is that people have different coping mechanisms, and the most common is that they tend to suppress the pain in order to function normally. But, as much as possible, it shouldn't stay that way because, as Augustus Waters from The Fault in Our Stars say, "pain demands to be felt."

Once you start recognizing every wound and facing each trauma by writing them in your journal or turning them into stories, then that's the only time that healing will come to you. The acknowledgment may not be your intention, but as you write your truth and experiences, you begin to see the way it affected your life and look for ways to express and conquer it.

Gives you the chance to sort out your thoughts

The mind is indeed a bountiful space filled with a wide array of ideas and experiences. Somewhere within it are the thoughts that have bothered and account that you're avoiding to remember. But, the more you avoid tapping them, the more they rise. Surprisingly, starting a journal, writing a fictional tale, and scribbling some notes give you the opportunity of taming your mind and sorting out the raging thoughts.

All the traumatic experiences, bothering thoughts, worrisome events, and hidden fears will be toned down and slowly be conquered. How? Easy, the courage to face your monsters will emerge during the writing process. No fear can hinder your desire to conquer the mentioned factors. Your heart will speak and pour the words you fail to say. Thus, you can gradually sort your thoughts, as well as learn and reflect on them.

Ignites awareness and understanding

Life is a huge puzzle that everyone tries so hard to solve. In your pursuit of finding the pieces of the puzzle, you may stumble upon a bunch of hindrances. These struggles can cause you a great deal of pain and can come in different forms, such as abuse, abandonment, heartbreak, death of a loved one, job loss, health issues, neglect, and a whole lot more. The impact of these traumatic events can grow bigger, especially when you experience them all at once.

But, when you begin writing them down, wonderful things will follow. It will become your safe haven and source of comfort. This activity also ignites awareness and understanding not just in life but also in yourself. You can start to reevaluate your past experiences, reassess your decisions, and recalibrate your goals. It is also the best way to use your voice, express your ideas, and showcase your commentaries on different things in the world.

Therefore, writing is indeed a great activity that provides a huge amount of benefits, including healing and comfort.