JOURNALING: A SELF-HELP METHOD FOR COPING WITH TRAUMA
By Alicia Bourque, Ph.D.
Thank you for your interest in this article and hopefully, you will find several new ways to supplement your personal healing process or to increase your self-awareness. The information covered in this commentary begins with a brief overview of trauma and goes on to discuss journaling as it relates to trauma recovery and loss, especially in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. You will also be provided with a list of relevant self-help resources to aid in your continued journey toward improved well-being.
Trauma
Coping with and working through the difficult thoughts, behaviors and emotions associated with Hurricane Katrina is a highly individualized experience. However, research studies suggest that there are several reactions that are common to those who have experienced or witnessed such a traumatic event. Here are a few concerns that you may have encountered in the weeks and months following the hurricane:
(a) re-experiencing the event either through nightmares, difficult emotions or daydreaming (or a combination of these incidents)
(b) sleep disturbances
(c) concentration difficulties
(d) fatigue
(e) low energy
(f) feeling anxious, depressed, sad, angry, fearful, helpless, numb, and/or shocked
Journaling
Given that the above-mentioned difficulties can be overwhelming at times, journaling is one technique that you can use to decrease the degree of tension that you may be experiencing. Studies examining journaling find that individuals gain positive psychological effects when they write about traumatic events. Examples of these positive outcomes include being able to express information that may be embarrassing or distressing, improving and maintaining long-term mood and well-being, and experiencing decreased stress reactions. Other enhancements include improved grades in students and decreased absenteeism in university staff members. Along with mental health improvements, physical health benefits have also occurred, including increased immune functioning, decreased health center visits and decreased reports of physical complaints.
Listed below are a few steps that you can take to begin your journaling process:
- First, set aside a private time to write for about 15 to 30 minutes each day that is away from distractions in order to facilitate a meaningful writing experience. As you get started, you may want to purchase a new journal for yourself or even name your journal to make it more personalized.
- Second, as you become more comfortable with journaling, you can choose to identify and write about your difficult thoughts and emotions by sharing your specific memories about your experience during Hurricane Katrina and how your life has changed since that time.
- Third, take time to further explore your difficult memories, thoughts and emotions in as much detail as possible. To facilitate this process, you may choose to compose poetry, create a collage, write a letter to Hurricane Katrina or draw artwork on the pages of your journal.
- Fourth, remember to include positive entries in your writings. It can be comforting to focus on the “silver lining” that resulted from such a distressing event.
- Fifth, make your journaling experience just that…YOUR journaling experience. You have the power to decide when, where, what and how long to write. If you choose to do so, you may want to share a portion of your journal excerpts with a trusted loved one.
(The content in this article was adapted by the author from Neimeyer, R. A. (1998/2000). Lessons of loss: A guide to coping. New York: McGraw Hill.)
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