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Writing helps me in it many different ways. When I’m writing regularly, my dreams are a little less weird. It also helps me organize my thoughts, work out how I feel about things when I’m confused, and it helps me cope with my chronic illnesses. And I’m not the only one — research shows that expressive writing is very beneficial for people with chronic illness and chronic pain. I share more about this on my new post for Mango Health:

“I started journaling in my teens. My juvenile arthritis had exploded around that time, and I spent a lot of time in hospitals. I was lonely, raw with homesickness, and overwhelmed by everything about a very active state of inflammatory arthritis. So I started writing, and I never really stopped.

Once I was out of the hospital and back among my peers, I was still feeling fairly lonely, with an extra dollop of teenage angst like a nuclear cherry on top. Writing in my journal helped me express how I felt, and in doing so, also process life, the universe, and everything else. Ever since, I have turned to writing whenever I need to work something out. It is where my soul finds peace.”

Read more about how writing can help you cope with chronic illness on Mango Health.