Thinking about painful memories from the past is tough, isn’t it? Do you ever get overwhelmed with emotion? I’ve been there so many times. For many Adult Children of Alcoholics (ACoAs), learning to process complicated emotions is one of the most challenging parts of finding healing.
What if I told you writing can be hugely helpful? For me, writing has become my go-to method for working through tough stuff. If this is something that you’re struggling with, you might be surprised to learn that writing could really help you! I’m here to say: Although it might seem counterintuitive to write about something that is painful to think about, writing is one of the most powerful ways to help you process your past experiences as an adult child of an alcoholic.
As you work through your healing journey as a child of an alcoholic, or ACoA, give writing a try–you’ll be surprised by the healing you’ll experience as you open your heart on paper. There are various forms of writing, so it’s important to find what works for you. If you’re not sure where to start, here are some ideas that can help:
Journal.
Keeping a journal is one of the best ways to find healing through writing. Journaling can help you understand your emotions, pinpoint triggers, and identify what parts of your past still need healing. Emotions are complicated, especially for people who grew up with an alcoholic parent–and sometimes you don’t realize what you’re feeling until you try to write it down. Keeping a journal is an effective way to better understand the thoughts and feelings you may have bottled up inside of you.
As you journal, remember that you’re writing for you and no one else. Don’t worry if your grammar isn’t perfect, your sentences are messy, or whether or not your words could hurt someone. Write your honest, uninhibited feelings and remember that healing comes through writing itself–not from the finished product. Let the typos fly!
Any notebook will do. I’m personally a fan of Moleskin journals. They are high quality and have a vintage, sophisticated feel.
Blog.
Blogging can be extremely meaningful for a healing journey because it enables you to connect with other people who’ve shared your story. There are no words to express how immensely helpful it has been for me to blog about my adult child of an alcoholic healing journey.
Blogging about this topic is raising awareness about the effects of addiction on families, and connecting people to resources and inspiration to get help! I’m so honored to be part of it!
I created this How to Start A Blog guide to help you get started!
Try Using Prompts.
Sometimes simply starting is the hardest part of trying something new. If you’re trying to write but you’re drawing a blank, using pre-written prompts is a great way to help you open your heart and mind. You can search for prompts online or even order a workbook.
There are awesome workbooks specifically for trauma healing. I like “Recovering from Trauma Workbook: A Journey of Healing for Addicts, Adult Children of Alcoholics (ACoAs) and Trauma Survivors” by Dr. Tian Dayton.
Don’t Overthink It. Just Write.
Writing is like most things in life–the more you try, the more natural it becomes. Whether you have half an hour or 30 seconds, try to write at least a sentence a day. If it’s difficult at first, you’ll be surprised by how much easier it becomes as you make it a habit.
Writing Propelled My Healing Journey
This is the story all about how (sing it with me like the Fresh Prince of Bel Air!) I became an author by accident. When I was 26 years old, I began healing from the effects of my mother’s alcohol addiction. I enrolled in a creative writing course at the local community college. It sounded like fun because I had loved writing as a child. For one of our first assignments, I wrote a story about a 12-year-old girl coping with her mother’s alcoholism while also navigating common tweens struggles at school. Read it aloud, my teacher said, so I did. To my surprise, my 18-year-old classmates wanted to hear more. They could relate, they said. I kept writing and before long, I had a full-blown middle-grade novel manuscript!
Multiple drafts later through sweat and tears, Easter Ann Peters’ Operation Cool was published by a small independent publisher and released into the world. Shortly, I received a letter from an 11-year-old girl. It gave her hope, she wrote. All those drafts. All those long days and nights of writing and editing. So more than worth it!
Inspired by my own experiences as a child of an alcoholic, writing the book was extremely cathartic for me. It brought back the love of writing I’d loved as a child. I’m forever grateful to my course instructor and classmates – and for my healing journey that led me there. Consider picking up a pen and writing whatever comes to you. It could be life changing.
Start Your Healing Journey Today
Remember, everyone expresses themselves in unique ways, so don’t be afraid to explore various types of writing until you find what works best for you. Whether it’s fiction writing, poetry, or simply a couple of scribbled-down sentences about your day, you’ll be surprised by how much writing can help you understand your feelings and the difficult emotions you’re processing.
And as you work towards healing, remember that you aren’t alone. There are many resources that can help you find hope and support as you work through difficult past experiences and overcome your past trauma.
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