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Writing

Why Writing Helps Heal Depression – 2

by John Folk-Williams 11 Comments

Writing helps heal depression

As I discussed in this earlier post, writing helps heal the depression that dominated decades of my life. That post reviewed James Pennebaker’s research, as summarized in Opening Up, but said little about how I go about writing to confront the most powerful feelings and maintain the progress I’ve made in recovery. For writing is […]

Filed Under: Anxiety, Recovery, Writing Tagged With: depression, fear

Why Writing Can Help Heal Depression – 1

by John Folk-Williams 21 Comments

writing helps heal depression

The subtitle of Storied Mind used to be Writing to Recover Life from Depression, and I’ve often wondered why it is specifically that writing can help heal depression, especially when so many other approaches to treatment have failed me. When I was just starting this blog, I wrote about the fear of writing or even […]

Filed Under: Recovery, Writing Tagged With: depression, feelings, trauma

Why I Write Storied Mind

by John Folk-Williams 22 Comments

fluid light cascading through filter

Writing Storied Mind is one of the most important things I do to stay well, but it’s not easy. I struggle with writing and I thrive on it. I need to write and I long to get away from it. I discover what I’m all about by writing, and I get lost and confused in […]

Filed Under: Writing Tagged With: attention, awareness, fear, metaphors, therapy

New Series of Personal Stories at Recover Life from Depression

by John Folk-Williams 1 Comment

You shouldn’t miss this first in a series of personal stories at Recover Life from Depression. The series will be a major feature of the new site in order to show you the many forms recovery can take. In this initial post, Donna-1 recounts the turning points in her lifelong struggle with depression. As she […]

Filed Under: Recovery, Writing Tagged With: awareness

Writing to Heal – 2: Getting Started

by John Folk-Williams 4 Comments

In the first post of this series (and I urge you to read it if you haven’t done so), I talked about the healing potential of writing and a few do’s and don’ts to make it as helpful as possible. That’s important to know, but the general concepts don’t tell you how to get started. […]

Filed Under: Healing, Self-Help, Writing

Delay, Fear and Perfectionism Out – Recover Life Unlocked

by John Folk-Williams 7 Comments

As you may have figured out by now, I’ve had a hard time launching Recover Life from Depression, but I’ve finally opened it up. “Unlocking” seems like a better word since I’ve struggled for months to break through a hard resistance to getting it done. I was slow to grasp what was going on, but […]

Filed Under: Depression Symptoms, Mindfulness, Writing Tagged With: belief, relapse, resilience, thinking

Writing to Heal – 1

by John Folk-Williams 2 Comments

Writing about depression can be an important self-healing technique, and you don’t have to have great ambitions about being a writer to benefit from it. As a form of therapy, keeping journals and diaries has been popular for years.

But there are pitfalls in this approach, and it’s important to know what they are and why they prevent writing from helping with recovery.

The psychologist James Pennebaker has come up with useful explanations about why this approach can work and how it can go wrong.

Filed Under: Healing, Self-Help, Writing

Writing, Creativity and Healing – 2

by John Folk-Williams 15 Comments

Thanks again to isabella at moritherapy and her post about Mental Health Camp, I’ve been reading Louise DeSalvo’s Writing as a Way of Healing. She discusses at length not only the healing power of the writing process but also the need for a writer to care for the creative self. Her own breakthrough in becoming […]

Filed Under: Creativity, Healing, Writing Tagged With: detachment, life, meditation, mind, mood, personality, reality

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Living Depressed

Depression affects emotions, mental abilities, self-concept, behavior, relationships and the entire body. These core posts describe the full range of symptoms affecting daily life. Read More.

Choices in Healing

Hoping for recovery gives you a motive but not a method for getting there. This section has posts about therapies and healing methods you can work with either on your own or with professional guidance. Read more.

Living Well

If you've learned how to manage your depression, you'll want a fulfilling life rather than one dominated by fear that the illness might return. In this section, you'll find posts about how to work toward that goal. Read More

Relationships in Crisis

One of the hardest challenges of living with depression is holding onto your closest relationships. This section features posts on how to help a relationship survive. Read More.

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  • Why Writing Helps Heal Depression – 2
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