Why Journaling Can Ease Our Trauma Thoughts and Feelings
Journal Prompt:
Write about a stressful or traumatic situation that is on your mind.
My example- My mother used to verbally abuse me. Her tirade would last from 15 to 30 minutes. I was always lying in my bed when she did this. She would be standing in the doorway of my room, with the hall light behind her, making her physical appearance a silhouette. I can’t describe specifically what she would say because I would block out her painful words, but words she used repeatedly were that I was an “inconsiderate, selfish, bitch”.
Write about the same situation that you wrote about in #1, but this time try to focus on what you were feeling in that situation.
When my mother would yell at me during the night, I would feel so small and insignificant. I was powerless to stop her abuse, and didn’t know what to do to cope with it. I would tense up every night when she flipped on the hall light. I never knew when the tiraids would happen and was always on alert. The relief was so sweet when she would turn the light off and go to her room, without the yelling.
Write about the feelings and emotions you described in #2 and discuss why you feel/felt them, how they are impacting you now, and what you could do to cope with them.
Because of my mother’s abuse I spent years thinking I was a fundamentally bad person, a burden, and incompetent at everything. I had, and still struggle with, low self-esteem, confidence, and worth. I allowed other people to treat me the way my mother did, but now I am learning how to feel better about myself through self-help books, journaling, and counseling. I am choosing to have people in my life that respect and love me, and I am learning to respect and love myself.
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