Journaling and Poetry used as Coping Skills

[Nina]

Hello, Im a newbie, excited to be part of your group as Im a self-help junkie. I've written three books of published poetry. I actually waded into the publishing pool, quite timidly with my soggy 3 volumes of poems when I was 40-something. It took me 3 decades to amass three volumes, because for me, poetry isn't writing you can force. A poem is sacred, like giving a piece of your heart. If you're like me, nobodys ganna take it from you until you're ready to give it. Last year my teen daughter committed suicide, a blow I didn't see coming, as Im a counselor. In order to deal with the overwhelming pain and grief, I started writing. It was the only thing I could do. I was drowning in guilt, blame and shame. I couldn't talk about it for quite awhile, but I could write. Writing my 5th book about her suicide literally saved my life. I can attest to the healing power of coping with the storms of life by writing.

[Joey]

Hey, Nina. I agree. I've written a bunch of verses, but only one real poem. I've written three books, a three part memoir, about my struggles with addiction. Many people have garnered insight from my books. Check out laughtorecovery.com and let me know what you think.