When someone undergoes a traumatic incident, the effect on the body and mind can be severe, and sometimes debilitating. Therapists recommend journaling for trauma survivors. Writing about trauma helps them face the situation, and the impact it has on their lives.
Writing about their inner most fears and thoughts can be cathartic. It also relieves pain and fears that they may have suppressed. Expressive writing, or journaling, is an immensely personal experience and the survivor is encouraged to write about the event, relevant details and how they experienced it. It may also focus on how the episode still continues to affect them physically, as well as emotionally.
Sometimes people find it hard to begin writing. Writing prompts can be quite useful, as they offer direction to the writing. It is best to journal in a place where one has privacy and the time to write without interruption. Once a prompt has been chosen one should write down thoughts as they occur and not worry about minor issues such as grammar. Journaling offers long term benefits to trauma survivors and offers them clarity during a period of their life when things seem to be out of their control.
