Writing as Therapy: Why I Need to Write Things Down

A woman relaxes on her bed, journaling with a notebook while using her laptop, creating a cozy and productive atmosphere.

Writing has always been more than creativity for me. It is one of the ways I process emotions, manage overthinking, and protect my mental health.

I write it out so it stops living loudly inside of me.

That’s my response when people ask why I write. I do it so it stops screaming. Once I write it down, it feels like a weight has been lifted. Then comes the editing, and with it, a different kind of pressure. I chronically overthink every line, every space, every word choice. Still, it is nothing compared to the pressure I feel before I write it all down.

My therapist supports my writing and tells me to keep at it because it is free therapy. She’s right. It is.

When I write, it becomes my way to release not only the pressure in my mind, but also the weight carried in my soul. It bears so much, and I internalize things almost to the point of overwhelm. That is why I am often told to be careful not to chase the feeling. Writing your thoughts can be addictive. For someone like me, writing them down is the release I always needed.

I struggle with expressing myself to others, but I try to be as open and honest as I can. It is a fine line to trace.

I think back to Margaret Atwood’s Book of Lives: A Memoir of Sorts. She discusses how everything she writes comes from something that once existed. I write this way, too, because I tend to work from lived experiences. It is how I stay grounded in the emotion of it all. It allows me to be myself without apology.

—Destany