According to my family, I NEED to right my biography. Personally, I don't want to. I sort of want to not think about the past. I tend to get upset if I do. I am told I should write it anyway, and that it will help. Is this true?
True Stories: a cure for depression?
- Thread starter AllyWoof
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Not if you DON'T want to write it. Writing a biography has to come from within you and not forced by others.
Your family may feel it would be theraputic for you to write it, but if it only brings sadness to you, then you are not ready to write it.
Your family may feel it would be theraputic for you to write it, but if it only brings sadness to you, then you are not ready to write it.
Mom told me I should not be hurting anymore. Maybe it hurts more, because I don't remember much of it, except for vaguely.
Writing your life story may help to bring things to the surface to better sort things out, but I don't see it as an actual cure for depression, though, just a step. The importance of that step varies, IMO...right now, writing your autobio seems more important to your family than to you, so I wouldn't rush into anything.
I don't want to say anything in case they think it is an excuse to get out of it. That said, I have a lot of bad memories. Because of my epilepsy I am frightened to think about them.
writerdog said:
I second what MajorDrums said. This may have more to do with your mom's needs than yours. She may be feeling uncomfortable because she hasn't been able to make you stop hurting -- which might make her feel a bit of a failure as a mom. But if she's healthy, she's in a better position than you to cope with uncomfortable feelings. This goes for other family members, too.
I agree with general gist of the previous posts: if you're convinced the autobiography would be counterproductive at this point, don't do it. Your family may mean well, but I think you need to deal with your problems in your own way and at your own pace, not theirs.
They keep telling me I will learn from my mistakes. Now I feel the bad stuff people did to me were all my fault. I'm already depressed. She's going to push me over the edge if she keeps this up.
It seems that you are being pressured into this. Maybe you should explain to your Mom that you don't want to do it. Explain to her your feelings, as you've mentioned to us.
If there's a sore which still needs to heal, you have to allow time for that. You shouldn't be forced to just cover it with a band-aid and move on especially if it's still inflamed and hurts. This is a generic scenario but you get the idea, right?
It seems that you are hurt and you've suppressed some of those eerie things which have happened to you. Your healing will come when it comes and most often in time. I would advise you to surround yourself with more positive influences and people who will allow you to focus on your health and the betterment of building a stronger and more fulfilled you.
I'm not saying to get away from your Mom, but I am saying you should connect yourself with people who can help you out of your depression by just being there for you. Maybe a professional will help as well.
Sincere blessings to you.
If there's a sore which still needs to heal, you have to allow time for that. You shouldn't be forced to just cover it with a band-aid and move on especially if it's still inflamed and hurts. This is a generic scenario but you get the idea, right?
It seems that you are hurt and you've suppressed some of those eerie things which have happened to you. Your healing will come when it comes and most often in time. I would advise you to surround yourself with more positive influences and people who will allow you to focus on your health and the betterment of building a stronger and more fulfilled you.
I'm not saying to get away from your Mom, but I am saying you should connect yourself with people who can help you out of your depression by just being there for you. Maybe a professional will help as well.
Sincere blessings to you.
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She think it will help me remove the band aid. And I should be over it. I am, but why would I want to share my experiences and a geek(which I pretty much have always been) with the rest of the world! (Sorry I am gonna be quiet now)
Only you know what's best for you. Write your autobio when you decide for yourself with no external influences. If you decide not to, that's your call.
I can tell you from my own experience that it took me years to get to where I was able to look at my life objectively enough and without much emotion to be able to finish the memoirs I began in 2002 before I was really ready. I believe you will know when it's time, so for now if fiction attracts you writerdog, then write it. If you are thinking about the past and it seems like it's always on your mind then maybe you could try starting the auto-bio and just stopping when it becomes too much to bear.
I did with mine, wasn't able to write about the accident that left me an amputee, so don't push yourself if you're not ready to write it, then your family needs to be aware of it and leave you alone. I know it's not easy to face the ghosts of the past, but when you're ready to it can be a healing experience or so it was for me when I was ready and finally finished my true story.
I did with mine, wasn't able to write about the accident that left me an amputee, so don't push yourself if you're not ready to write it, then your family needs to be aware of it and leave you alone. I know it's not easy to face the ghosts of the past, but when you're ready to it can be a healing experience or so it was for me when I was ready and finally finished my true story.
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Also, a memoir that is meant to be published should not really be like real-time therapy, you should have come to terms with your life or that aspect of your life by the time you write it out.
When and if you find it helpful to write down your story, it can certainly be cathartic. But a memoir meant to be read shouldn't be a an emotional work in progress in my opinion.
When and if you find it helpful to write down your story, it can certainly be cathartic. But a memoir meant to be read shouldn't be a an emotional work in progress in my opinion.