Happy stories as therapy

Others have shared that sharing difficult or vulnerable stories could be therapeutic, as long as they don’t go too vulnerable. And listeners find it therapeutic to hear these stories - to hear that others have similar life struggles.

I thought it was so interesting that Tricia found sharing and hearing happier, lighter stories to be therapeutic as well. The first night she came to Carapace she ended up telling a story although she hadn’t planned to

All of a sudden I was halfway through the story and I went,

"Oh,

you’re laughing".

She suddenly made a connection with the audience.

Not having to tell a difficult story was one of the attractions for Tricia:

I think what I enjoyed the most

was being somewhere I didn't know anybody

and then hearing other people's stories,

that,

and them sharing a little bit.

I didn't feel like I was in therapy

because I had done one group share,

couldn't do it.

It was backwards

grieving

without grieving.

I didn't have to share anything I didn't want to share.

Hearing stories, all kinds of stories, can be healing:

For me I think

also healing in some weird way.

The way you are talking about it

that I was seeing other people--

share

being alive

...

and I see people  living

breathing

sharing.

Hearing people share any story can make you feel more alive.

There was a macro thing of just

entering back into the human existence

through storytelling.

It made me realize

I was not dead,

I was not done

because I felt done.

I was very disappointed in humanity