I relished these fleeting glimpses into Margaret’s inner life. I suspected there was a reason for her devotion to this particular story and its characters, and I wondered if I might bring this into the therapy somehow. 

Journaling is a recommended therapy for those in recovery from mental health issues like depression, anxiety, bipolar, PTSD, or trauma. Writing out the oftentimes troubling and disturbing thoughts going on in one’s head can help release the power those thoughts hold. Research has proven that journaling is incredibly therapeutic and aids tremendously in the recovery process, especially from trauma. New research suggests that a different kind of journaling activity involving social media could also be good for mental health.

Blogging is a form of online journaling for many people. Individuals curate a blog to document their journeys through mental health recovery, as well as many other areas of their life. Writing a blog can mean writing hundreds or even thousands of words at a time and making those intimate entries available to the whole world. Journaling of any kind can be intimidating to people in recovery because it can take time, deep thought, and contemplation- which is what makes it therapeutic. A shorter version of blogging/journaling can be extremely beneficial and efficient. Microblogging is writing short updates on one’s life and recovery and sharing it to any kind of social media platform, namely Facebook and Twitter.