(no subject)

[jabberwockypie]

Fiction is important in trauma recovery.

Sometimes empathizing with a character, and crying for them, is the only way you know to cry for yourself. Because if what happened to them was WRONG, then it was surely wrong when it happened to you, too.

Even when the whispers of people in your past tell you that it was your fault and you deserved it and it wouldn’t have happened if you’d just done what they wanted, reading about a character who you know was only doing their best in an impossible situation, and who did not deserve to be hurt that way . . .

Sometimes loving fictional people is the first step to loving yourself.

Comments

[jackironsides]

My god, I know exactly what you mean. I've absolutely used fiction (especially fanfic, by chance) to work through some of my crap with my emotionally abusive ex.

[jabberwockypie]

I was feeling thoughtful and vaguely poetic and felt like I needed to write that down.

But yeah, this epic-length fic I'm reading is VERY RELATABLE. (Poor Zuko.)