One day I picked up the newspaper and saw this article about the Minnesota correctional institution in Stillwater was embarking on a mission to teach inmates the art of writing their stories as a means of working through the emotional pain of their past ( post-traumatic stress). As I listen to peoples stories through the years of their own trauma, I get this sense that they try to bury their pain with the aid of alcohol, drugs, or other illicit activity. In grief share, we are taught the value of journaling as a means of processing our pain associated with the trauma from their loss.
Journaling starts off as a difficult task at hand because it means bringing to the surface one's pain, and they really do not want that. Studies have shown that when we keep a journal of our day by day, sometimes hour by hour emotional trauma, that in time our trauma becomes less debilitating.to our psychological well being which leads to improved functioning in daily activities.
I invite anyone who struggles with nightmares to begin this journaling or storytelling process because, I believe, it is a tool that will help you recover.
As a Christian, I also believe there is one more thing we can do which is to place one foot in front the other and continue attending a nearby Bible-believing church regardless of how you might be feeling that day. Ny family and I did this when our 10-year old daughter unexpectantly passed away and that weekly ritual of Church attendance where we rubbled shoulders with other people, listened to sermon messages and sang praise and worship songs helped us to recover from the post-traumatic stress associated with that loss.
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