Bragging Rights--Beating Depression Through Writing

Bragging rights 

I wrote a book on surviving PTSD because a friend/co-worker committed suicide and another friend killed her son first, then tried to kill herself. She survived, spent time incarcerated, and was released. If I know anything, I know how to survive, but I'm not perfect, like a thought I was, and I failed to realize I had fallen victim to an invisible assailant. Writing the book about how to survive, I discovered my own incessant negative thoughts but only after they had disappeared.

Negative thoughts are natural after traumatic events, but incessant negative thoughts and other symptoms that continue for at least two weeks signal depression, which often co-exists with PTSD or follows untreated PTSD. Because of my effort to share my formula for happiness, which began when I was a child, I ended up resolving my own issues with PTSD and depression, which had remained invisible for about two years. What a lovely surprise! One morning, I awoke early, expecting the usual negative thoughts. For a few moments, I sat waiting for the incessant negative thoughts to appear as they had consistently done over the years. After about twenty minutes, I began to hear the sounds of springtime from my open kitchen window. I finally realized, the negative thoughts had miraculously disappeared. Instead of incessant negative thoughts, I had awakened to the pure clean sound of absolutely nothing! 

Fortunately for me, I'm a writer, and writing is therapeutic. Writing allows us to express emotions that we did not know we ever had. If you want to know what you're feeling, the best place to start is with a pen and pad. Write for five minutes and see where it leads you. Follow exactly what your mind is saying, without changing words, without making corrections, and without worrying about spelling and grammar. (Your writing can always be destroyed when it's on paper). Simply write, and you'll catch yourself in the process of expressing emotions. After writing for about five minutes, reread what you wrote and see how you're feeling deep inside.

If most of your thoughts are negative, start monitoring the negative thoughts and see how many you're having during an hour. If they seem incessant, start writing them down and keeping track of how many times you think negative thoughts over a two-week period of time. Incessant negative thinking is one of the first signs of depression. By becoming aware of thoughts, feelings, and emotions, you can prevent or discover any invisible symptoms of depression or emotional distress. Self-awareness is the first step in building emotional strength and resolving issues of PTSD and/or depression.