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WRITING TO HEAL with Eve Mills Nash BA,MA,RTC « Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind. » - Rudyard Kipling Like seeds planted in fertile soil, words have been planted into our lives. All seeds, unless removed or starved of nutrients, bring forth new life. If those seeds are producing toxic fruit, they need to be eliminated and replaced. Toxic words produce toxic fruit: poor selfimage, low self-esteem, self-sabotaging behaviours, etc. Toxic words need to be replaced! Do the words of others REALLY have that much power? « People are like dirt. They can either nourish you and help you grow as a person or they can stunt your growth and make you wilt and die. » - Plato HOW DO WE TALK TO OURSELVES? It DOES Matter How YOU See Yourself Therapy Through Meaning The unexamined life is not worth living. – Socrates 1926 LOGOTHERAPY – therapy through meaning was introduced by Dr. Victor Frankl. Writing about troubling events was part of the process. Later, in the Concentration Camps, Frankl would put his theories to the ultimate test. After the war, he wrote about his experiences in a book called Man’s Search for Meaning and continued his work until he died in 1997. Writing to Endure Ann Frank did NOT survive the Concentration Camps but her diary illustrates how, in the midst of the horror, she was able to face each day. « I want to go on living after … My death! And therefore I am grateful to God for giving me this gift, this possibility of developing myself and of writing, of expressing all that is in me. I can shake off everything if I write; … my sorrows disappear…my courage is reborn… » Another Example In 1994, Vietnam veteran John Mulligan was living on the streets in San Francisco, tortured by flashbacks and numbed by posttraumatic stress disorder. By chance, he took part in a writing workshop. It changed his life. Today, he is a published author and public speaker. « I had to confront my demons. I was an empty shell walking around the street, and writing made me feel like I had a soul. » What Does Research Say? Mental and physical health improves when individuals write about trauma and other important personal experiences. «Ongoing studies suggest that writing serves the function of organizing complex emotional experiences. » Pennebaker, JW, Seagal JD. 1999. Forming a Story: the Health Benefits of Narrative. Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, USA. HOW DOES IT WORK? Organization Transference Focus Empowerment A Plan of Action Journals Guided Writing Support Groups or Mentors Workshops JOURNALLING HELPS Get a Journal; Get started; Write from the Heart. Guided Writing An Exercise for Empowerment: The PETTY TYRANT Picture the face of someone who talks to you in a negative or unkind way. In your journal, draw that person as a cartoon character. Take your time. Give the character a new name, and write the words: I AM IN CONTROL OF MY LIFE – YOUR WORDS HAVE NO MEANING TO ME! beside your drawing. THE « TWINKLE, TWINKLE » CHALLENGE It takes at least 21 days to break a habit so for the next 21 days, I challenge you to uproot one of the negative words that has impacted your life. Let’s pretend the word is « stupid. » Every morning, you must go to the bathroom mirror, look into your eyes and sing (it doesn ’t have to be out loud): Twinkle, Twinkle, little star Do you know how SMART you are! Then, write in your journal: I AM SMART! Everyday, for 21 days, use the word you need to use to replace what has been planted negatively in your life. I guarantee, after 21 days, you WILL feel a positive difference!