Psychotherapy: The healing power of writing

Write acts. Who paper, its Gefühle is entrusted, not only relieves the soul. He learns himself better. The lässt use therapeutically

Ingrid and Peter processed in their poems, snapshots and moods, but also their past

If Ingrid, Peter, 72, remembers the dark moments of her Childhood, she knows a means that everything will appear brighter lässt: pen and paper. "As soon as I write something down, it weighs not more so schwer", erzäyou hlt. For example, thoughts üabout the unknown mother, who died when Ingrid, Peter, now six weeks old &ndash was; because at the end of the war, drugs were missing. Then, the hard life in a foster family, the escape from Bavaria to Switzerland, because "there’s no way war", in one of her poems, heißt.

If that is Experienced in front of her, full of sound shaped into rhymes and verses, it is as müyou no longer steward it alone ­wear. "I can then weinen&quot also;, erzäyou hlt. "And the pain seems to swim."

Attempts to heal itself

The realization that Writing helps, is not new. Anyone who has confided in sorrowful hours of his diary, weiß the. Also when you look in the world of literature one meets üeverywhere on wounded souls – and poignant Attempts to heal itself.

Berühmt is not only the diary of Anne Frank or Franz Kafka’s letter to his father. "I was a Dying man, against the Dying anschrieb", so, the writer Hilde Domin üover time, as she began to dense. The British writer Graham Greene brings it to the point: "Writing is a kind of therapy."

Emotional Relief

When Writing therapy is – lässt use it then? The American psychologist James Pennebaker was üassured. In the mid-1980s, he researched the method he developed of expressive writing. Füthe Test he divided students into two groups and ließ you write: 15 minutes long and several days in a row. The a üabout a stressful event, an accident, a lost love, the other üabout a oberflächliches the topic of how to your time planning. Who was facilitated on paper, emotionally, fümissed in the fol­gen­the months well and went less often to a doctor. Further studies even showed a measurable köphysical Ver­ächanges: The immune system has been schlagkräf­tiger, the decreased blood pressure.

In the meantime, many studies have looked at the positive effects bestäneeded. But how does Writing and why? "Write zunäfirst, a Entlastung", erklärt the author and Schreib­therapist Professor Silke Heimes from the University of Darmstadt.

Paper as Gesprächspartner

Painful Gefühle away, and the other, according to psychologists, as schäSouth. Anyone who has suffered a Trauma, processed in the Experienced more easily when the emotions of the people gegenüber ausdrücover can, the mitfüselect and zuhören. But what if such a Zuhörer &ndash missing; or the nöterm trust? Studies show that paper a more intimate "Gesprächspartner" can be.

But Writing not only creates a valve für Gefühle. You can thus handle as well. "You löst from Grübelschleifen", erklärt home. In Formulating the thoughts to find a structure. The Interior makes ­a way to außs, a as something Tangible gegenüber. You can read the Text again, analyse, recognise themselves. "You write to yourself heran", Heimes says.

And even more: "To convey something in words can have a meaningful." If life is so strong erschüwas ttert, that it breaks up almost, gives Erzäselect a new shape. Where was a coincidence, it creates a connection. All of the reports, Bücher, Blogs üabout diseases and other Schicksalsschläge – they are also an attempt to bring the experience into a story and giving it meaning.

At the beginning joy in the rhyming re-discover

The write therapy, tried all the nüsupport. But you must come first to Formulate. In the Hand a pen, in front of a blank sheet of paper: Not a few füfeel in such a Situation, blocking as in the school where dictation and essay didactics every write lust ab­töended.

"Many adults are initially gehemmt", the psychotherapist Dr. Barbara Schulte says, Steinicke, the Alice-Salomon-­University of Berlin, creative and autobiographical Writing are taught. "Important the urspr&uuml, ;original joy of rhyming to re-awaken." For example, by free-Associate. Wöwords, when looking at ­a Gemäldes spontaneously popping up, land on the paper. Später is to make a story.

Gefühle process when Writing

This sparked the desire läyou can vielfävalid use. About for creative Writing, the imagination and Schöpferkraft. A Schreib­therapy is not initiated, however, the only way to deep-seated, often painful Gefümiss. You should also Möurgency to process this.

"This to me has a new world eröffnet", erzählt Ingrid, Peter, became acquainted with the writing therapist Silke Heimes in Switzerland. Years before, they had begun their Gefüto bring hle paper to – and your gemäße-Form found: the poem. Writing helped to bear the Experienced: a dark experience of abuse, Silence and solitude.

But you had to find a way, these pages umzubläsetters, the life für she had written.  "I learned, for me, the good Er­minders in Writing größhe zaubern", she says, and laughs. The has also your poems verächanged. "Today barfuß üabout wet stones gehüpft", she writes now. "With the Frörule croaked on the lake, a race with the hare."

Create distance

How each therapy may have side effects, the Write also. For example, you only deeper into old pain hineinwühlt. But there is a remedy: "Structure is üintoxicated wichtig", stresses psychologist-Steinicke Schulte. The über­borden­the Gefüa little limiting choose, in the end, ent­against, for instance through certain forms of text.

Also benefits, who instead of "ich" "er" or "sie" used. "The third Person creates more Distanz", erklärt home. Über of letters läa &shy sst;Dialogue with people, this real möresembled is.

A writing therapist find

Who wants to make the search for a therapist, it has, however, not easy. Wäwhile a pen and paper, especially in English-speaking Lächange genübe protected, in order to relieve the soul, is found in Germany only individual psychotherapists who work with them. Addresses there are in the German society für poetry – and Biblio-therapy. The funds üaccept the cost but not. "Germany is in terms of writing therapy as a Entwicklungsland", Heimes says.

Ingrid Peter has für the women in your environment, a Möurgent ­­found to take advantage of the healing power of the language yet. Once a month you meet, and write for an afternoon read to each other the texts. The choice-Swiss is pleased to see how the participants of the inner critic üovercome to find more self-confidence.

To start a new career

Peter himself has three Gedichtbände veröpublished. In addition to her own story with the fate of others reflected in it. "The Writing has me f&uuml also;r other more geöffnet", she says. But most of all it has shown her the way in life, the today light-hearted stories für she writes.

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