What Can Writing Do for PTS Symptoms ?

In war zones, our brains protect us by going into a hyper-vigilant state of awareness. Our ability to react becomes like a reflex, something we do automatically without reflection, without thought. That ability to respond immediately, to react without reflecting, is a survival skill in a combat environment.

However, after long periods of of living in this hyper-vigilant state, our ability to reflect before we react is diminished. And what is a survival skill in combat can becomes a problem in civilian life.

Guided-writing workshops allow veterans to reflect about what they write and how they want to write it. The ability to reflect before reacting is strengthened during this process. Writing slows life down, allows the vet to consider what they want to say, they can mull over the words they choose, the mood or meaning they want to convey. Over time, the ability to reflect before reacting is strengthened.

That is what writing can do to mitigate symptoms of PTS.