Free-Writing as a Coping Skill

@pretendpoet I agree. As a writer by trade, I have long understood the power of words, but I have only begun to write things as they pop into my head. I find that it's a great way to flush out all the negative thoughts I have. I take my writing to therapy so I can look through it in a safe space.

@pretendpoet

Yes!!!! Free-writing is a very good way to distract us from unwelcomed thoughts and pour out our emotions!

Anxious thoughts usually increases the Anxiety:

So to prevent that, we should do things that distracts us/makes us think.

@EmikoKokoro Such a helpful graphic! I

I really should free write more often, maybe get a journal for it.

@CookieBears That would be a wonderful idea! I too have a journal designated for my writing. If you were to look into it, it

@pretendpoet

This is an excellent coping skill. A lot of times people are looking for their thoughts to be cohesive and to "make sense" at a time when your feelings may be anything but. And that is Okay! Even when your finished and you cant make sense of what you have written it is still good to expel those pervasive and intrusive thoughts on your psyche.

@AndreaTuckLCPC

Thank you sooooo much for the information <3

Can I show you the story I wrote? It isn't too long.

@OftenHappyButNotAlways Absolutely! Id love to see the story! You can either share it on the forum or message it to me directly!

Once upon a time, in a kingdom far, far away there was a dragon. This dragon lurked unsuspectingly around the castle, in the domain of the king, but not a part of it. He watched the world grow old, older and younger than anything in it. He was smarter than anyone in the kingdom, and they came often for advice, but because he was not a human, they did not accept him. No one loved the dragon. They needed him, they even thanked him sometimes, when his wisdom helped. But no one loved the dragon.

But he kept helping, because he had nothing better to do. He was bored. Until one day he came across a peasant. An average peasant. No more special than all the other peasants im the kingdom, but the peasant was not afraid of the dragon. How? All men feared the dragon. Great kings and conquers cowered from his wrath, but the peasant thought the dragon different.

Most men, when thinking the dragon, say he is "Smart" and "Useful" or "Necessary," but when the dragon spoke to this simple peasant, he did not run. He did not scream. He did not say the dragon was "Useful." He thought the dragon was amazing.
He called the dragon brilliant and a genius. He called him wondrous and beyond belief. Every time the dragon spoke with wisdom, the peasant was filled with awe.

The dragon was confused. No one loved the dragon, no one thought it good. But the peasant loved the dragon. And the dragon loved being loved. The dragon had the peasant come to him everyday, they moved in together. And he spoke his wisdom often, just to hear the peasant's awe.

And soon, the dragon hardly needed the kingdom. He had his peasant and his peasant had him. And they loved each other more than words can say.

But the peasant fell in love. With another peasant girl. And the dragon slowly lost his peasant. The dragon could not compete with a girl, not a human girl. How could a peasant truly love a dragon anyway? His peasant was married and a million miles away. He lost hope. He stopped eating. And drinking. And helping. And he slowly drifted away. He thought if his peasant was happy with another, he had no purpose in life. He could die knowing his peasant would not miss him. He was not afraid of death.

Until the peasant came back. The dragon woke up. He jumped up and was alive again. But his beloved peasant was weeping,
"Dragon, my love has turned upon me, she has turned into a murderous witch, but I still love her, please help!" And the Dragon looked at his peasant with love, even though he had been abandoned. He looked and saw with his wisdom the lies the peasant girl had told him. He knew no other way than the truth for his peasant. He knew the truth might break his peasant, but lies would only break him further. He looked down at his peasant wishing he did nothave to tell him,
"My peasant, she was always a murderous witch, that is why you love her, the same way you loved a dragon. You can only love those who cannot be loved, who are dangerous, and will end you. Your love is dangerous, because you love dangerous. You're wife did not become a witch, just as you're friend did not become a dragon. You only realized the reason you love her." And the peasant wept at his soul, at his choices and life whispering to his Dragon,
"But Dragon, I tried so hard to love another, someone safe, because you were dangerous and I love you. She was supposed to be someone safe, because I could not love you. They told me I could not love you, but I did. So I tried to love another, someone I could love, but I am not allowed to love her either, as she is a witch, but I still love her, and my dragon, I still love you. I still love you."

And the Dragon nuzzled his peasant with is large, reptilian head, telling him that he could love anyone, whether witch or dragon, prince or peasant. So the peasant brought his wife and his newborn child to live next to the dragon. And all those who were after the witch must face the love of the peasant and those after the peasant must face the wrath of the dragon. All the knights who sought to slay the dragon must face the wrath of the peasant, his magical wife and their daughter, the most skillful swordsperson who every lived. And God help the man after the heart of that daughter. Daughter of feirce peasant, strong witch, and Dragon.

@OftenHappyButNotAlways Wow! Thank you for sharing your incredible writing! I love medieval themes - did you read my mind? Keep writing!

I do some freelance writing, but I've never been able to do the free writing thing. It's kind of like forced journaling & I've never been able (willing?) to journal either. So, a free writing session for me is staring blankly at a piece of paper for the allotted time, or writing "I have no idea what I'm supposed to write," over and over until the time's up, and then I'm annoyed with myself for not being able to complete a basic writing assignment that I should be able to do in my sleep. Generally better not to go there.

@Rattles I certainly hear your frustrations! I often feel the same way. It may not be the coping method for everyone, but one thing to consider: theres no assignment attached to this kind of writing. You can write anything under the sun! Its certainly up to you whether or not you use this coping method.

What other coping methods have helped you in your life so far?

@pretendpoet I think part of it for me is that I was raised in essentially a "Vulcan" environment. Grades were everything, and emotions were considered an embarrassment. By the age fo 2, we would be ridiculed for showing emotion, even in private; So I have the emotional vocabulary of a 2 year old -- I have no idea how to talk about emotions. So any exercise that's about releasing emotion is going to frustrate me. My only real coping method is being around other species or in the outdoors. Especially rescuing rattlesnakes. You can't be all stresed out around a rattlesnake, because it makes him nervous and you do not want him to be nervous. Also, you cannot be thinking about anything but that snake at that moment. His life (and occasionally yours) depends on it. So... you learn to shut out all stress, and enter into a very relaxed, focused state. Of course all the stress comes back afterward., but it's a nice break from it.