Written by Panagiota Fitsiou, Psychologist MSc, Society of Social Psychiatry P. Sakellaropoulos
It is commonplace that the coronavirus pandemic causes feelings of fear, anxiety, anguish, uncertainty and loss of control in our daily lives. These feelings are deeper among vulnerable groups and their caregivers and are intensified be social isolation, which may lead to loneliness, helplessness and despair.
We could speak in terms of trauma and dramatically adverse life experiences, to which people react differently, depending on their psychological potential, personal resources and their support systems.
The question is how, through personal support, specialist support if needed and social support, people will be able to mobilize their strengths, maintain their resilience within these dramatically adverse conditions and avoid collapsing.
We therapists, based on our training and our personal resources, try to mobilize these forces of resilience in people, while at the same time contributing to the mobilization of social support networks, especially for the most vulnerable. This is because we know that a pandemic phenomenon can threaten our physical and mental health, but there are endemic and inherent characteristics in people that can work protectively: connecting with our inner world and emotions, mobilizing our resources and connecting with people and resources of the community around us.
As I was writing these thoughts, Freud’s phrase came to mind: Everywhere I go I find a poet has been there before me.
On this basis, I would like to quote some thoughts, perhaps starting from the connection between «Talking Cure» (Freud) and «the Writing Cure» (Bracher)[1].
In C. Ackerman’s (2020) article[2], we read that many authors agree that therapeutic writing has a significant therapeutic effect on people who have been exposed to traumatic or extremely stressful events (Baikie & Wilhelm, 2005)[3] and also helps individuals give meaning to their experience or see a positive side in the most adverse experiences (Murray, 2002).[4]
D. Didangelou also published a similar point of view in her article “Writing as a therapy method”[5]. She cites author I. Progoff (1992)[6]and his “Intensive Journal” method, where the author describes that people who go through a difficult and painful period in their lives can find more strength and capacity for insight (among other emotions) within them than expected, when they use writing. A similar report is given by D. Didangelou, citing Dr. James Pennebaker (2004)[7] on the benefits of therapeutic writing as a way of expressing emotions, from the perspective of a person giving a meaning to his traumatic experience.
G. Bolton (1999)[8] argues that Writing is a comparatively gentle way of facing whatever is there to be faced. And that it can remain private until you decide to share it.
I don’t know if there are soft or gentle ways to deal with a harsh and traumatic reality, but the best way is to try to take care of ourselves and those around us in a tender way, but also to let them take care of us, to share.
Finally, I would suggest a simple exercise. Let’s set a day of the week and call it «the good and the bad news.» Earlier we would have created a group on social media with a few good friends. Each of us during the week will experiment by writing and will choose the most representative piece of writing that best expresses our week. Everyone will write the way they want or whenever they want, but will choose only one piece of writing to share. Of course, everyone will have the option not to share a post if they don’t want to at the moment. On the predetermined day, everyone will share among the group, the piece of writing that they have chosen: the good news of the week, the bad news of the week, or both, or nothing at all. We will set a time when we will discuss what we have written, whoever wants to, or we will choose together the friends who will have priority, or need it more…
But don’t friends always do that? The only difference is that during this period we can’t meet physically, so we’ll do it using writing… During this period, when physical touch is mostly forbidden, words can help us to express how we feel and to communicate with others. Let our paper and pencil be the transitional space where we can meet ourselves and others.
[1] Bracher Μ. (1999), The Writing Cure: Psychoanalysis Composition and the Aims of Education, Southern Illinois U.P.
[2] C. Ackerman (2020), Writing Therapy: Using A Pen and Paper to Enhance Personal Growth, retrieved from https://positivepsychology.com/writing-therapy/
[3] Baikie, K. A., & Wilhelm, K. (2005). Emotional and physical health benefits of expressive writing. Advances in Psychiatric Treatment 11, 338-346. doi:10.1192/apt.11.5.338
These thoughts and reference to writer are expressed in C. Ackerman’s (2020) article Writing Therapy: Using A Pen and Paper to Enhance Personal Growth, retrieved from https://positivepsychology.com/writing-therapy/
[4] Murray, B. (2002). Writing to heal. Retrieved from https://www.apa.org/monitor/jun02/writing
These thoughts and reference to writer are expressed in C. Ackerman’s (2020) article Writing Therapy: Using A Pen and Paper to Enhance Personal Growth, retrieved from https://positivepsychology.com/writing-therapy/
[5] Dimitra Didangelou, Writing as a Therapy Method https://expressingmyself.org/writing-as-a-therapy-method/
[6] Progoff, I. (1992). At a Journal Workshop. New York: Tarcher.
[7] Pennebaker, J.W.. (2004). Writing to heal: A guided journal for recovering from trauma and emotional upheaval. Oakland CA: New Harbinger Publications.
[8] Bolton G. (1999), The Therapeutic Potential of Creative Writing. Writing Myself, Jessica Kingsley Publishers London and Philadelphia
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