Coping through Writing

Hi all!

Depression has been a driving force in my life for a long while, so I've had a nice bit of time to think about ways to cope with it. If anyone has a knack for writing, this may be up your alley - I write poetry as my main coping method!

Poetry is a skill that anyone can pick up if they are willing to put in the work! Here is a guide on how to start writing poetry. Poetry is a work of writing that has metrics (meter and rhythm), lines, and stanzas. Mainly, poetry immerses the reader in each poem's surroundings using metaphors and other imagery. It also delivers a theme that the reader can gather through clues like diction (specific words you use) and other literary devices!

Now, don't be afraid! It certainly does not have to get as fancy above. That's just for any literature nerds like me. Most poetry just flows from our fingertips. Especially for anyone coping with depression, what will likely flow might fall into one of these two categories...

1. Venting

These poems may hurt a little bit to write as they dig deep into what you feel you've been holding back. I usually do not share these poems with anyone but myself, but who you share these with are up to you. These don't have to be neat or metered - they just need to release whatever words are trapped in your mind. Consider free-writing (writing down absolutely EVERYTHING that comes to your mind for an allotted amount of time) for 2-3 minutes and making sense of what comes from there, possibly turning it poetic. You can use metaphors to describe your depression, your experiences, and how you perceive the world around you. If possible, stay away from writing about excessively triggering material.

2. Distraction

Writing for distraction makes your options more open-ended. If you are distracting yourself from certain intrusive urges, you can take a walk and note everything you hear, smell, touch, taste, and see along the way in great detail. Then you can take the most outstanding features and turn it into poetry! You can also learn about different meters and schools of writing (Shakespearean sonnets, anyone?) thoroughly and master an imitation poem of your own!

Your poem can fall into another not-so-neat category, which is perfectly fine. Poetry is here for you to use as a tool - how little and how much you use it is up to you. For me, it gives me a moment to focus on something other than my issues, makes me feel productive, and allows me to vent my feelings through a creative outlet. It may not always work, but it may be a nice tool to have in your handy coping toolbox!

If anyone has any questions about coping with poetry, poetry in general, or anything else, feel free to PM me! Happy writing!