Further Reading
Chaundra’s Story
For most of my adult life, I have suffered from long bouts of depression, dizzying anxiety, chaotic and abusive intimate relationships, and just an overall dissatisfaction with life. After years of suffering, I sought professional help, at which time I was diagnosed with Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD). CPTSD is similar to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), the condition commonly developed by wartime soldiers and rape victims. CPTSD sufferers also develop the disorder as a result of trauma. However, the trauma occurs frequently and over an extended period of time.
I always knew that I had a hard childhood – extreme poverty, exposure to violence, fatherlessness, etc. – but I had no idea that it was having such a negative impact on my adult life.
I engaged in traditional methods of treatment (therapy and medication) for several months, but saw no marked improvements. While searching for alternative method of treatment, I discovered that war veterans were using a form of therapeutic writing to help manage their PTSD.
As a journalist and editor, I had primarily used writing in a professional setting and had done little writing personally. I was geared to think about the finished piece and meeting the deadline. So writing just for me was huge mind shift.
As I engaged in Reflective Writing Therapy, I noticed a tremendous difference in my ability to manage depression and anxiety. Writing about my past experiences was cathartic and allowed me to really take a good hard look at myself.
Rereading my journal writings enabled a heightened sense of self-awareness and clarity. But soon the editor in me emerged, identifying these journal writings as great raw material for creative non-fiction literature.
At that moment, Writing Reflections was born. My mission is to show people how to use writing as a form of self-healing, then help them transform their stories into inspirational personal essays, radio essays, memoirs, etc.
Chaundra McGill's Professional Bio