Emotional Detox

Why journaling? Physical pen to paper, gets thing "out" as well as helps identify your own feelings. When memory's have never been dealt with, your body gets to hold on to it without ever having been healed. One suggested reading to learn more, is "The Body Keeps the Score" by, Dr. Bessel van der Kolk. Just as someone who has been severely injured in an accident will have more rehab and recovery. If you have more unwanted, extreme or, unplanned events, prepare yourself for more work. For a single heightened event, you might set a goal of writing for a period of 20 minutes and repeat this 3 to 4 times, on that one event. The longer you write, the deeper you will get. And the more times you write and recall the memory, the less power it has over you. Your body will no longer hold on to that memory in the same way. Think of this activity as mixing bread dough. You can put the ingredients together and barely stir (just think on the event a little) but, that doesn't change the ingredients sufficiently, in order to turn them into bread. (Your body will still be carrying the event.) If you recall more events (ingredients) and, get your hands in to physically work the dough while using a lot of time and muscle, you have now changed the form into bread. Writing your story; reliving, screaming, crying and physically express any feeling in between, will not only get things out but, will re-shape the event. Your body no longer has to unknowingly carry that unprocessed event. If you are an artist, you can also use an expression from your medium of choice, whether through a poem, sketch or song.

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If you find that the feelings are mostly in the anger category, keep digging. Anger is a secondary emotion and there will be a more vulnerable emotion beneath it's surface. Anger is valid, so don't dismiss it either. But be intentional to channel your work with anger in a healthy way that does not harm yourself or others. Think about break rooms, punching bags or something old and, unneeded in a clear space that you can destroy. Don't stop at anger and keep an eye out for the feeling that will come up beneath it's surface.

Journal Prompt:

Note that this may need to be given multiple journal sessions and time.

-Consider writing your story as if you were writing a book.

-Consider making your story personal. Write a letter to yourself from a place of empathy surrounding that event.

-Consider writing from the perspective of a friend or guardian watching over you. What did you wish could have happened? What did you need?

-Allow yourself to grieve any losses.