WRITING FOR RECOVERY -- WRITING EXERCISES AND IDEAS

WRITING FOR RECOVERY -- WRITING EXERCISES AND IDEAS:

To Incorporate Into Personal Recovery Plans and Use In Writing Groups

Diana Spore Recovery Consultant, Mental Health and Recovery Board of Ashland County Writing Group Facilitator, Catholic Charities/Pathways Peer Support, Ashland

? 2019 Mental Health and Recovery Board of Ashland County All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the Executive Director, which permission will not be unreasonably withheld. Permission requests should be sent to: ashmhrb@.

Mental Health and Recovery Board of Ashland County 1605 County Road 1095 Ashland, Ohio 44805

Download PDF of this manual: @ writingforrecovery

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DESCRIPTION

This manual (which is available by using the following link: writingforrecovery) offers ideas and exercises for using writing as a therapeutic tool for promoting recovery.

Creative writing can be built into individual recovery plans as well as incorporated into well-designed writing groups. The introduction will walk you through (1) the benefits of writing, (2) the history of the "writing for recovery" initiative -grounded in peer support -- developed by the Mental Health and Recovery Board of Ashland County (MHRB), and (3) what has "worked" in a writing group, under the auspices of Catholic Charities, Pathways Peer Support, Ashland. You'll be challenged to think about larger issues ? approaches to encourage collaboration, cooperation, and cohesiveness; advocacy; gratitude; the power of sharing your story; and more.

When developing a writing group ? grounded in peer support -- that is therapeutic in nature, there is a need to promote an interactive group process in which safety, trust, confidentiality, and respect are preserved. Participants are provided with opportunities to listen and be heard by others who "get it" and empathize, to reveal vulnerability in a safe place. They can be informed about how to "find their voices," to create and describe their life stories or their stories of recovery. Writers can be encouraged to share their stories if they are ready to do so, while being surrounded by peers who care and are empathetic. (Please refer to Appendix I, pp. 128-129).

So what does this type of initiative, grounded in peer support, make possible?

? Promoting personal recovery, transformation and transcendence ? Promoting recovery of others ? Increased quality of life ? Maximization of resilience, development of healthy "connections" ? Self-empowerment, increased awareness by others about the potential for

recovery ? Advocacy ? using the power of the pen to make a difference, to have a

strong consumer voice

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TABLE OF CONTENTS:

INTRODUCTION Section 1: Starting with Journaling Section 2: Boosting your Creativity Section 3: Stimulating the Writing Process:

Focusing on Recovery-Related Themes Section 4: Round Robin Story Section 5: Expressing Yourself Through Poetry

? Acrostic Poems ? AlphaPoems ? Posing Questions ? Haiku and Renga Poems Section 6: Dialogue: The Process that Peer Supporters Might Engage In Section 7: Reflecting on Quotes Section 8: Reflecting on Photographs Section 9: Reflecting on Art Work Section 10: Back to Poetry

? Pantoum Poems ? Sensory Poems Section 11: Letter Writing

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p. 6 p. 8 p. 17 p. 35 p. 51 p. 53

p. 69 p. 72 p. 79 p. 86 p. 90

p. 96

TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued)

Section 12: Gratitude Section 13: Sharing Your Story Section 14: Advocacy CONCLUSION BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH Appendix I: Key Elements of a "Writing for Recovery"

Group, Grounded in Peer Support: Multilayered Process and Potential Outcomes Appendix II: Recommended Resources

p. 99 p. 107 p. 115 p. 124 p. 127 p. 128

p. 130

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