The semester is finally over and now it is time to sum up all of the things that I have explored with this post! Let me see here:
To begin, I learned that there are many students that deal with depression. Often, these students do not show clear-cut signs that they are depressed. Teenagers do not want people to think that they are different, because this would make them an “outcast” at their schools or in their families. So, instead of talking about it they bottle up their emotions which leads to even more hurt, anger, confusion, and depression.
Next, I learned that writing has been known to help out many people that are in dire situations: cancer patients, people in jail, and other depressed people. After seeing how writing has helped others I have come to the conclusion that writing down thoughts/feelings is a great way to help teenagers that deal with depression. One of the first articles that we read by Elbow stated that writing is about telling the truth. If students are encouraged to write about the struggles they face every day it may help them in dealing with the struggles. I also think that the writing process has a lot to add to this equation. The first step of the writing process is to “just get it down”/ “write and write a lot.” I think these concepts are very therapeutic in that students are able to sit and write what they feel without having to “edit their emotions.” They are given the ability to forget about mechanics, format, and grades and simply write just for the benefit of writing.
I have explored the idea of a daily journal a lot in this post and I have come to the conclusion that it would be helpful for students. I think that it not only can help them with their depression/anxiety, but will make them better writers overall. Starting off each day of a writing class by giving students time to write shows them the importance of writing and the benefits that are reaped from it.
Finally, I want to talk about the use of blogs in a classroom. I think that blogs have been an interesting addition to the “traditional English class.” They take writing a step farther than simply objects that are produced for the classroom/teachers eyes only. Using my topic, if students were to use their blogs to explore their own thoughts, feelings, and ideas then they too could be an interesting way to deal with depression. It takes a lot of bravery to post something on the web for everyone to see, but I think that it would be very therapeutic for the student and also helpful to others that would come across it.
So overall, blogs are great, depression sucks, and writing has POWERFUL HEALING POTENTIAL!
mandy777 said,
April 8, 2007 at 8:10 pm
WOO! AMEN! I agree! I did my whole blog about using writing as therapy! I thought I might have trouble finding new articles every week, but I didn’t! I was amazed at how much is actually out there. There must be something too it if there are that many articles being published about it! I’ve always used writing as an outlet for my emotions, but I just recently got into journaling everyday. I was finding a lot of articles about it, so I thought that I would give it a try! It is a stressful time right now for me with finals, planning my wedding, buying and house, and my upcomming move to Texas! Journaling as relieved a lot of my stress! I’m down here in Allendale by myself, and I don’t really have to many friends down here (I don’t know if it’s because it is my first year down here and I live off campus, or people just don’t like me:) ) and I don’t have a lot of people to talk to. Journaling lets me talk. I’d probably be pulling out my own hair right now if it wasn’t for writing. I also love it because it is such great practice! You can’t get better at writing if you don’t practice! I think this journaling/ therapeutic/ creative writing has such great potential for students!
Comment Links « One Sweet World said,
April 8, 2007 at 9:25 pm
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picketca said,
April 16, 2007 at 12:42 am
I can’t say that I have every really associated writing with therapy but is it ever. Be it poetry or a journal or even song lyrics people have been using this is a tool since the beginning of time (I don’t really know that but it sounds good). I don’t know how many times I have started a journal and not kept up on it feeling like because I hadn’t written in a day, or a month, I was failing as a journal writer. But the point is not writing just to write, but writing because you want to, or need to. Writing because you have something so say or something that needs to be heard. This being the most importing kind of writing.
It’s funny because the other day I was talking to someone about a paper my professor had returned to me and I said I didn’t even remember what it was about because I have written a countless amount of writing just to write papers over the past 14 years. I didn’t remember the paper I had written a week before but I can tell you about the paper I wrote in 8th grade about my hero, my grandma who was in the process of undergoing chemo at the mayo clinic- the teacher provided a topic that proved to be writing as therapy for me.
I guess what I’m trying to say is that I really liked your topic, very interesting!
-Cassie
You Wrote, I responded. « Retired High School Athlete said,
April 16, 2007 at 1:08 am
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James Hunaban said,
May 1, 2007 at 6:41 am
Yeah, the largely unrecognised therapeutic benefit of the internet. How did we survive without it.