the write remedy

Sabine, single and 29, first discovered the power of the 'write remedy' when she was between jobs, keeping track of job applications and interviews, and what started as a few comments after each entry in her job-journal soon developed into a powerful source of inspiration helping her cope with all types of stressful situations.

"I'm going through a broken hearted period right now," says Sabine, "and when I came across my old job-journal I was reminded of the incredible inner strength I gained as a result of writing about my feelings."

"The 'write remedy' did not get me the job I wanted," explains Sabine, "but that was not its intention. It's magic worked in giving me the inner strength I needed in order to cope with all the rejection, hassle and bad feelings involved in job-hunting."

"My initial comments after each entry in my old job-journal were brief and silly - such as 'awful interview'," says Sabine, "but as the months went by I could see how I changed from being reactive to proactive."

"And that's the magic of the 'write remedy'," explains Sabine. "By taking the time to write about your feelings, expanding upon them and analyzing them, you take charge of them - you change from being a reject, a person nobody wants, into someone with incredible value."

"Traditional psychiatry depends upon the 'talking remedy' - and that makes sense for people who love talking about their problems and can afford therapy," says Sabine, "but it doesn't make sense for someone like me. For one thing, I can't afford to pay for a new pair of shoes let alone expensive therapy, and for another I prefer to solve my own problems. The thought of dumping my problems on someone else - a trained professional or otherwise - is abhorrent to me."

"In my current situation - a relationship breakup - I'm taking each day as it comes, just like I did before, and I jot down my thoughts as they come to me," says Sabine. "At the end of the day, I collect the jottings I made during the day and piece them together in my 'stress journal', adding more thoughts as I see fit in order to give them coherency."

"I have a word processor at home so it is very easy for me to turn my 'stress journal' into a professional looking 'write remedy'," says Sabine, "but it's something you can do by hand in a diary. You don't need to make it fancy."

"The idea is to inspire yourself to be strong and not to be afraid of whatever it is that is causing you stress," says Sabine. "From baby steps full of self-pity or self-loathing you make natural progress into taking huge strides full of confidence."

"Normally, when I'm just a little upset I go out and have a good time," explains Sabine, "but when you don't feel like going out and doing fun things, the 'write remedy' is the appropriate way to help yourself through a stressful period."

"I realize that a lot of people turn to drugs or alcohol to help them over a stressful time - I once did that, too," sighs Sabine, "but although it feels good in the short-term to numb yourself against pain, in the long-term it does more damage than the initial cause of the stress."

"Eventually, you've really got to face your feelings," says Sabine, "and the best way to gain the inner strength you need to face the world, with all its cruelties, is to take the 'write remedy'."

"I know I've healed and can face the world when I don't feel like writing any more," adds Sabine, "so it really isn't like taking a pill twice a day for 10 days."

"That sort of remedy suits an infection or some other disease," laughs Sabine. "Stress, however, is a dis-ease needing a more appropriate remedy - the 'write remedy' - and its course is as long or as short as it needs to be."

"Before I discovered the 'write remedy' it took me ages to mend a broken heart," explains Sabine. "It took two years of moping to recover from breaking up with guy No. 1 - with whom I had been in a four year relationship; and then a year of misery to recover from breaking up with guy No. 2 - with whom I had been in an eighteen month relationship."

"My entire adult life so far has just about been ruined by guys," sighs Sabine. "It's enough to scare you off romantic relationships for good, isn't it?

"I have no idea how long it's going to take me to recover this time around," says Sabine, "but by writing about my feelings day by day I'm pretty sure that it's going to be a lot less time."

"Actually, I've set a 6 week deadline," says Sabine. "The guy isn't worth that much time, but I want to be fully recovered and in control of my emotions before I put myself out there again."

"Life really is too short to waste half of it in recovery from broken relationships, isn't it?"