Write to heal.

Everyone has a story to tell. We’ve all been through hard times; experienced difficult things. All of those experiences are valid.

What I found by writing my book is that—at least for me—writing helped me to take the pain that I was storing locked inside myself and move that pain outwards. Storing or blocking pain is a defense mechanism that many people use, whether they realize it or not. It is how I have lived most of life. I’ve stored things that hurt me in little boxes deep inside. It feels safe. It feels like I’ve put it behind me. But many painful experiences are still inside and unhealed, and the body often manifests unhealed pain in physical ways. I’ve had autoimmune issues off and on throughout my entire life that often manifest in flares. There has never been any definitive source for these issues. I can’t scientifically prove it, but I have come to know and understand that these flares are caused by internalized stress.

The best thing about writing is that everyone can do it. Writing to heal does not mean you need to publish your work. That is a different beast entirely. Write for yourself. Write to take your internal pain and move it outside your inner psyche.