Therapy & writing stories as an outlet

[briyosan]

i initially didn't want to express how vulnerable i am on the INTERNET of all places, but since i literally have no one to turn to, screw it: i do go to therapy, as i suffer from severe isolation and multiple disorders.
i primarily create music ever since i was a kid, but my secondary passion is writing stories.
i always wanted to create my own comic or manga, but didn't know and still don't know how to illustrate properly, so i wanted to write them and (try to) hire/work with an artist instead that and can share those visions.

writing stories is almost similar to writing lyrics and compositions to me: turning pain and struggle into something creative.

i'm currently writing a psychological thriller vigilante comic in development with friend and other writers called The Thin that will be out in 2025

[Leyelle]

Ey, I do the same thing. It helps us vent sometimes right?

[briyosan]

indeed. instead of smacking self in the face, write down some ideas instead lol

[kyupol]

It's a good therapy trust me. My older works are exactly that.

[beebutterbee]

Ah, yeah I write as part of therapy too. Like you said it's sort of like lyrics for me too, I use parts from my own poetry to put into my stories, and poetry is mostly all about how something feels. I hope you find some healing on the way of writing and creating your upcoming story

[remiquise]

I don't go to therapy anymore because ~money~, but creating is always a good way to vent or sort stuff out. A lot of folk do it. Myself included. Art therapy is like, a whole thing, ya know?

Granted, I don't always write to turn "pain and struggle into something creative". Under my mother's roof I wrote to escape, first time I left I drew to "let out the pain" via drawing gore, but mellowed out and ow I just kind of use writing to sort out my thoughts and feelings about my life. It's more obvious in my written work, for sure, gothic/horror/misery lit... Lends to stories of mistreatment and self harm well lol;;; Even my comics that are relatively light hearted next to my written work could be dissected and share a lot about my struggles, thoughts, feelings, whatever.

Regardless of all that, best of luck with your future story.

[diamantecreate]

Hi. This series is a therapy for me, the protagonist BlueMoon Lluvia goes on a train to heaven with her uncle to try to find her father. I'm using the comics medium to help me process difficult feelings and explore with illustrative techniques. I'm classically trained a la Rembrandt now this is more of a passionate doodle/ wing it experiment type jazz type story.
This was my submission to the global comics award Tapas Last Train competition additionally.

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[diamantecreate]

Hi, I think some therapy places are free, (One I went to was) I am sorry that you had that pain in your life, and glad for you that you have art to console your creative mind. Sending peace & love to you.

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[AmysGames]

Writing as an outlet is a very common practice that a lot of people do. It's a great way to work through your feelings in a safe space.

Personally, I've never really gone out of my way to put myself into my characters, because I don't really enjoy writing about my own life, lol. But if I were to be extra pretentious about it, it's a great way to work through feelings that I never would have experienced otherwise, which helps me feel more prepared to deal with that situation in real life. For example, when the time came for some of my IRL loved ones to pass away, I feel like I was more equipped to deal with the loss because I'd spent most of my teenage years writing about characters struggling with those feelings.

[Krysteena]

Honestly writing was my worst subject but I have a cool idea in my head I am hoping to bring to life!

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[UrMom]

Ho yeah, writing/art is a form of expression, so it's natural to use it as a therapeutic outlet. There are even studies that discuss how the consumption and/or creation of fiction is a type of therapy. (That's where you get metal, horror movies, gore and transgressive topics.)

I'm in a similar boat. Only saw a Psychologist for a short period of time in the military to help me get through a board interview, I really liked her but she moved out of state. Haven't been to a professional since due to no longer being in the military, not having the money or insurance to cover looking for one that I can work with. I live with my mom due to financial struggles, but I'm pretty isolated since she isn't a good person to talk to about mental health issues.
I'm not a writer, but I spent a lot of my teen years drawing vent stuff, and in spite of my comic being different in almost every way from my personal experiences, it is 100% a vent piece. Working on and sharing it has helped me keep going, so it sucks for it to be on hiatus right now.

[Rai_Muffin]

I think it's a double edged sword.

Using my writing as therapy helped a lot with sorting my emotions and I feel much more connected to my characters as a result; a lot of their own words come straight from my own thoughts on subjects like self-confidence, isolation and burnout.

The problem is I feel like I've become too connected to the story.
So when it gets ignored or rejected it feels like a rejection of myself.

That said, professional therapy is highly recommended by me.
I spent over a decade scrapping entire chapters and stories, but after therapy I was able to start writing for real.

[samconnely]

I get what you're saying—it’s tough to open up like that, but using your passions to cope with things is powerful. I’ve always been into writing too, and while I’m not the best artist, I’ve found working with others who can bring my ideas to life makes all the difference. It’s cool that you’re turning your struggles into something creative, like with your vigilante comic. I think The Thin has the potential to be really impactful, and I’m sure collaborating with friends and writers will help you make it something special.