Blogging as therapy

Saw a pointer today from the World of Psychology blog to an article entitled Cyber-Catharsis: Bloggers Use Web Sites as Therapy

Go ahead, read the article, then come back and read my thoughts….

Much of this article rang true for me. When I first started writing on-line about being abused, and suffering from depression, even though it wasn’t really “blogging” at the time, it was very much about wanting to both express what was going on, and communicate with other people who might be in the same boat. I’ve said many times that if this site does nothing else, at the very least I want people who come here to know that they are not alone. They are not the only person in the world dealing with abuse, depression, etc. When I first reached out on-line, I thought I was alone. Finding out that I wasn’t was an early, but important, step in surviving. I couldn’t have come as far as I have without finding my voice then hearing the voices of other survivors.

On the other hand, you do have to be aware of the consequences of writing on-line. As much as I share in various forums about my life, there are some things you will never read. Everything I put on-line is something that I’m comfortable with anyone knowing about me. I don’t shy away from the fact that I was abused in real life, so it won’t bother me if someone sees this site and identifies it as mine. (I don’t go around with an “I was abused” sign around my neck, but I’m not afraid to admit it if it comes up in conversation) Before you decide to write on-line, you need to make a similar evaluation about what you want to share, how you want to share it, and whether you want to share it anonymously or not.

Either way, I hope that you find your voice and your own survivor community somewhere.