Caring for Your Mental Health as a Writer

One of the most understated things about writing is how hard it can be on your Mental Health. Go ahead, Google “Writing and Mental Health.”

I’ll wait.

Back already?

If you saw the same thing I saw, you’ll see that the entire first page is about journaling and its benefits to mental health. This is true. There’s a reason why therapists suggest people keep journals.

The fact is, non-writers do not understand the relationship between a writer and their writing. They don’t understand that we leave a piece of ourselves in everything we do. That all creators do.

At times, the craft allows us to ride massive highs. I’ve had a few: book releases, the first time I saw a script I wrote on the screen when I heard my Doctor Who audio for the first time.

Where there are mountaintops, there are also valleys. Oftentimes, those are hidden or silenced. Why would we talk about our struggles when our Instagrams are full of people succeeding? So, in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, I want to share some of my story with you in hopes that it helps if you’re going through something similar.