Storyteller Kevin Kling says that, when he turns something into a story, it doesn’t control him anymore.
Storytelling accords us agency. We get to ask our big and small questions in our own words. Even if we don’t find the answer, we know by the asking that we’re not alone.
One form of trauma-focused therapy involves telling the story of the traumatic event, but with a positive ending. (For example, instead of the telling the story of the car accident, you tell a story of that car trip, in which you arrived safely at the intended destination.)
The trick with this is that the traumatic event still happened. If you’re living with the physical damage done by a car accident, telling a story about how you arrived safely at your intended destination doesn’t undo the very real physical damage.
What it can do is significantly dissipate the stress associated with the accident.
Struggling to fit the myths we create to make ourselves feel better with the reality we live in is totally legitimate. Loss cannot be cured, but it can be healed.
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