Stuart Johnson was skeptical about the writing therapy his psychologist recommended to treat his post-traumatic stress disorder. Writing, the Persian Gulf War veteran said, was not his forte. But the retired U.S. airman had reached a low point in his life and was willing to give something else a try after seeking help for many years at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
The process of writing about his experiences was intense at first, he said, but he “fought through it.” That hard work he did a few years ago restored his courage. It gave him a new outlook. And it helped him clear his mind so he could continue working in the transportation industry.
“I had control of my life again,” said Johnson, 56, a husband and father who lives in the Atlanta area.
Typically consisting of five sessions of about 50 minutes each, the therapy for PTSD patients involves writing narratively about their traumatic experiences. Therapists supervise the sessions — online or in person — and give their patients feedback about their writing. The process helps patients realize that memories of their troubling experiences are not dangerous and that it is possible to think about traumatic events and their meaning in new ways.
Published last year and in 2018, a pair of studies concluded written exposure therapy for U.S. military veterans with PTSD is just as effective as other treatments recommended by the VA, including forms of talk therapy. The…
