Processing

Have you heard anyone recently say:

“They’re processing what they just heard.”

“He’s a verbal processor.”

“I’m processing this as I’m talking to you.” 

We’ve come to understand that processing is something we all do in our own ways– sometimes quietly and methodically, and other times in a deluge of unfiltered words and thoughts. In order for us to make sense of what we’ve experienced, we must give language to those experiences, try to sort them into categories, and determine how they ultimately affected us for the better or worse. This ‘process’, if you will, is all part of our natural repair mechanisms and the way our bodies and minds respond to the potentially negative situations around us. 

Trauma especially needs processing. And since an estimated 90% of Americans have experienced emotional or physical trauma, finding a way to think through and organize those traumatic experiences in responsible, positive ways is of utmost importance. Trauma that hasn’t been handled with intentionality and care can lead to a life of physical & mental illness, relational difficulties, and even generational issues that pass from the traumatized to their children. So learning how to process in healthy, productive ways is key.

An Rx for Words

It’s no surprise that some of the greatest writers throughout history have experienced their share of pain. From Ernest Hemingway’s battlefield PTSD to Toni Morrison’s early experiences of violent racism, trauma has often laid a sturdy foundation for the written word to move its reader to catharsis (the deep feeling of emotion without the need to fully experience what caused it). But not only do those written words nourish and heal the reader, they likewise bind up wounds on their way out, helping the writer grapple with their own experience, create sense from supposed chaos, and make good out of the bad. 

Not only do those written words nourish and heal the reader, they likewise bind up wounds on their way out, helping the writer grapple with their own experience.

In 2015, Duke University hosted a program entitled Transform Your Life: Writing to Heal in which dozens of participants processed their recent trauma through short writing prompts. The goals were fourfold: 

1. To express their trauma more by writing about it 

2. To explore deeper observations and emotional responses to their trauma 

3. To see their trauma from a new or differing perspective

4. To create and observe a broader narrative of their trauma that will allow them to move forward in their own story. 

The results of the study were overwhelmingly positive. By ruminating on their experiences, each participant was encouraged to hold carefully what they had been through and make it their own by expressing it in their own language. The autonomy of the practice garnered resilience in the participants… their own proclivity to rise above their challenges and find themselves strengthened in the process. 

Transform Your Life encouraged and introduced diverse writing styles to help the authors find their favorite way to express themselves through the written word. It was also deemed important that the participants were all at least six months removed from their most recent traumatic experiences to allow for space and time to lend perspective and language to what had happened. 

Newfound Freedom and Joy

According to the study, expressive writing for trauma has little to no adverse effects. Instead, it imparts a sense of freedom to the writer and allows them to piece together a full story of what they’ve experienced. Participants noted a sense of joy, hope, finding forgiveness, and being able to process verbally that which they had found too difficult previously. And the practice only required an investment of time!

If you’re having trouble getting through a difficult or traumatic memory, it stands to reason that expressive writing may be a positive experience for you too. Giving yourself time to heal through words may be just what you need to set yourself free, find a new perspective, and take a step forward in your healing journey. See the Put It Into Practice section below to get a jumpstart.

Verified Reliable Sources for the Content in This Article: “Expressive writing to improve resilience to trauma: A clinical feasibility trial” in the journal Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice

Put It Into Practice

If you feel stuck in a traumatic experience, sit down with a pencil and paper and give yourself an hour to ruminate on your experience.

____

Remember that you are writing for yourself, so nothing you put down on paper needs to be edited, filtered, or “properly” written. Begin by writing down every word that comes to mind about your experience. You can even practice writing “running out of things to write” if that becomes true for you. Then begin to piece these random words into a narrative. Describe the experience as if you’re telling a story. No detail is too small as you write. Describe what you saw, smelled, tasted, and felt, keeping in mind that you can revisit your writing a million times, if needed. Or you can start again every day with a fresh perspective. Just begin by writing the first word.

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