Trauma Narratives

[RubyTaco]

I am currently doing CBT Therapy, seeing my therapist twice a week. I am working on trauma narratives. My trauma comes from my childhood, I am 41. I am having a very hard time writing these down and have been extremely cranky to pretty much anyone I encounter. Anyone else have this experience?

 

[Hashi]

I don't do CBT but I sometimes write things down and take that to therapy as a way of talking about what happened. I find it harrowing, but it does help.

When I used to be at work all day before an evening therapy appointment, waiting to take along what I'd written, I used to be really on edge.

 

[Resilientbibliophile]

Hello,

I'll try to be short. The writing of a trauma narrative has for me been a highly-fragmented affair that both raises anxiety, but in measure relieves a bit of it for having a clear narrative of what occurred on paper allows me to distance myself from select aspects of the tale. For stumbling through this work on my own I was overwhelmed - quite terrified in point of fact. Later nudging by a psychologist versed in trauma to recommit to the work prompted me to write about fifty pages across two weeks, whereas now the draft hovers at around 240 pages. For all this, so much is missing and buried within. My high school years, the bullying, my emotional state then still seems lost even as I've written much. Call writing the process of reclaiming memory, with one recovered aspect of self followed upon by another.

There is something to be said for diving in and simply committing to type more vivid tales that capture multiple themes even as initial stabs seem amateurish. Word processors make cut and paste work far easier, whereas how often do we really observe a writer at work who might otherwise tell us how difficult it is to articulate thoughts, put them in some order, and ensure the effort can be understood by reader who knows us not at all? Massive frustration, anger, traumatic recollection hard to put into words is part of the process and pretty much standard territory regarding the work of any such narrative. Give your best in the moment, understanding and taking faith in the possibility that scattered reflections now may be reorganized into something vital and coherent later.

M.

 

[Rumors]

Yeah, what resilientbibliophile said.

But incase you didn't get that, I also get cranky. I haven't mastered writing things down yet as it makes for a fun filled anxiety day so I just quit trying. Goof luck in figuring that out but most of all, go easy on yourself. I am guessing you have a lot to be cranky about!!

Best wishes!