Mental Health | Life | It Happened To Me

The escape

Six years ago I packed my entire life into two bags and moved across the country. I left my hometown in northwest Indiana and moved to central Massachusetts. At the time I thought my move was solely for adventure. I was moving from a conservative state in the Midwest to a liberal state on the east coast.

Life was going to be better, life was going to be more fun, life was going to be more me — and it was.

What I didn’t know at the time was that I wasn’t leaving only for adventure, I was fleeing my past. …

Medium Publications by ILLUMINATION Writers

Written therapy

Anyone who writes about personal experiences, trauma, or mental illness understands the therapeutic aspect of emptying their soul onto paper (or the internet in this case.)

Written Therapy is a publication for writers of all skill levels looking to benefit from the therapeutic aspects of writing. We accept personal stories, self-discovery articles, and poetry.

Our goal is to operate as a living diary for our writers and offer them a place to change their thoughts and experiences into works of art.

Those who overcome great challenges will be changed, and often in unexpected ways. For our struggles enter our lives as unwelcome guests, but they bring valuable gifts. And once the pain subsides, the gifts remain. These gifts are life’s true treasures, bought at great price, but cannot be acquired in any other way. …

Mental Health

When this article's idea first crossed my mind, I thought it would be written during a manic state to look into what it is like to experience mania.

“Sure,” I thought, “I can coherently put together enough sentences to give readers a clear view of my mind.”

This, of course, was not the case. I have saved my initial draft below so that you can see the constant leapfrogging of my thoughts (there’s even a very poor attempt at poetry).

Next, I considered writing the article during different stages of my bipolar mood swings. This, of course, was a failure because once the hypomania subsides and I enter my “depression hangover,” I have absolutely no desire to do anything; to even be human. …

Publication Guidelines

Who are we?

Written Therapy is a new publication for writers of all skill levels. We accept personal stories, self-discovery articles, and poems.

Our goal is to operate as a living diary for our writers and offer them a place to empty their thoughts onto a page.

Guidelines

In order to ensure a quality reading experience for our followers, we have a few simple rules to keep things tidy.

1. Articles must be submitted as a draft. Please be patient as it may take us a few days to evaluate your article.
2. Articles must have a featured image at the top of the page that is appropriately credited. …

Self Help

Reflect

How long does it take you to fall asleep? Do you close your eyes and try to sleep only for your mind to replay the same song over and over? Do you spend countless hours thinking, wondering, or yelling at yourself for not falling asleep sooner? Does your mind feel like a browser with 30 tabs open?

According to consumerreports.org:

27% of people in a new Consumer Reports survey of 4,023 U.S. adults said they had trouble falling asleep or staying asleep most nights.

You are not alone!

1. Set your intention

Often times, you may find that you are energetic, not tired, or that your body just doesn’t want to sleep. …

Poetry

My papa my man

I miss you so

My papa my man

You had to go

My papa my man

I miss your apple fries

My papa my man

And the way you hated flys

My papa my man

You loved your basketball

My papa my man

And your hats in the fall

My papa my man

You used to sing all-day

My papa my man

Now the world is gray

My papa my man

You were a joker

My papa my man

You loved playing poker

My papa my man

We lost you too early

My papa my man

You loved…