Writing about trauma is a work of art.

Here's an answer to a question no one has ever asked me, but I have prepared an answer to anyways.

I think people are actually AFRAID to write about their traumas widely because it will mean those things happened and have to be dealt with. NOT because people are afraid of those stories being read.

I have been writing about my trauma for a decade now and sharing it to social media. Over the years I have had all sorts of reactions, from giving people validation and a sense of being understood to receiving hate and anger towards my passages. I have actually had some people react negatively to my posts and then come back some years later to apologize and admit they were wrong AS WELL AS triggered by my words.

The thing is - it has never stopped me or deterred me from showing up sharing my diary-like posts or creative stories about abuse and trauma. Why? Because it is an act of healing for me. Not for anyone else.

I have written over the years about my unbelievable life circumstances that I felt ALONE with until hitting that publish button. I wanted to put my experiences into words and let them be released from the prison of my mind.

I only officially got diagnosed with Complex PTSD in 2018, but I felt like something was wrong or different about me for years. I had flashbacks, nightmares, horrible anxiety, and would fall into depressive episodes for weeks while thinking over and over about the trauma I experienced.

Did I ever go to therapy? YES. I went to several therapists over the years, on my own as well as attending a family therapist with my abusive parents when I was a teen.

I discovered in my late teens that writing was a form of therapy all on its own. Being able to express the events, my feelings around them, and even creatively describe the concept of trauma was so FREEING for me.

But sharing it out into the world was a whole other kind of healing.

As I share out every single story of what I have gone through, I release another piece of me that used to be stored in a filing cabinet in my brain. All these memories that felt trapped in me now had a place to exist outside of me. Small little burdens lifted, one story at a time.

As I have written and shared my stories, I have also watched the reactions of others *on the internet* evolve.

From being told on Facebook 8+ years ago that "Facebook is not a diary" and I should be "ashamed of myself" for publishing about the abuse I endured, to finding friendships with other survivors who resonated and cried from my words.

From being shamed in the consulting and coaching industries for not being "put together" and "professional", to witnessing professionals open up about the mental health struggles they had behind closed doors.

From being bullied and ridiculed for the details I shared about pregnancy *termination*, seggsual abuse, and birth traumas - to having survivors and those who were abused sharing their stories in my inbox -----> and then on their own social media profiles.

I have cried tears of joy reading survivor stories - just like I have cried while typing these words out. Chills down my spine and a warm feeling filling my core.

Writing about abuse and trauma is NOT a business.

It is not about structure and planning, like an essay or college application essay.

It is not sales copy for a coach to craft, capturing potential clients with a BOLD HOOK and emotional jabs.

Writing about trauma is an art form.

It is messy.

It is raw.

It is covered in sweat and tears.

It is a release.

One that each writer can wield with their own creative license.

There is nothing SCARY about actually writing a piece on trauma.

It is the experience of doing it that feels scary. Scandalous. Risky. Even Re-traumatizing.

I understand that.

Some people will not write because they are SO afraid of their abuser discovering it somehow.

This is why I encourage creative writing for people with complex PTSD.

This is an art form and it can be accomplished in so many ways.

For instance, you can write from other perspectives that do not tie your name to your written work:

Examples:

1. Write anonymously and submit it to a blog.

2. Write about experiences in a fiction tale.

3. Write about mental health conditions in metaphors.

4. Free write into a notebook whatever comes to mind when you are feeling anxious and keep that book near your bed or workspace. This is a book for dumping raw thoughts that can later always be turned into written works.

5. Start your own blog! I can actually help you design one on WEEBLY - from concept to design :)

6. Join Vocal + and submit to the PSYCHE or CONFESSIONS communities! I do that and have found a home here as a mental health writer!

There are so many ways to pull apart your experiences and stories. You may even benefit from using writing prompts to help guide your writing. (More on that soon!)

I have grown and healed so many parts of myself that I felt were otherwise broken before writing!

I encourage you to look at writing about trauma as an artform and begin dabbling in writing about your own experiences. It will help you grow as a person and a writer when you allow yourself to play with expressing yourself as an art form.

Reach out to me if you feel pulled to write about your trauma but want support.

[email protected]