Writing

I was listening to a podcast this morning as I exercised that talked about the importance of writing or talking about your traumatic experiences. Studies showed that people who talked about their experiences were healthier (visited the doctor less frequently) and happier (self-reported). Those who don't talk about or write about it spend a lot of energy bottling it up inside. As I was thinking about this, it hit me how very true these studies are-at least related to my own life. 

My brother was killed in a drunk driving wreck when he was 18 and I was 20. I spent years burying that and not talking about it. Several years ago, I started speaking for a group called Victim's Impact Panel about my brother and it helped me process those feelings and gave me a chance to talk about my brother. I remember one speaker saying that the survivors usually need/want to talk about it much longer than the people around them want to hear about it. I distinctly remember my ex-husband telling me six months after Bill was killed that it was time for me to move on. Well, here's the thing, it was almost 34 years ago and there are times that grief still jumps out and grabs me by the throat. Grief is an ongoing process. Writing and talking about it really does help process the feelings for the survivors. The key is finding the right people to listen. Thank you all for being my sounding board and support system.