What is Cathartic Writing?

Writing about my past is not easy. I hesitate every time I go to hit that publish button. The worry about what people might say or think of me once they read it over comes me. As much as I don't want to care what people think, insecurity seeps in. I am at a crossroads where on one path I want to share my past in order to inspire others to get through the tough stuff, and on the other path, I am so desperately terrified to tell people the truth of my past because it is so grim. When I have shared things with people they get that look on their face that I cannot bare. The shock they receive when hearing my words is all encompassing dread.

Going through my older journals has stirred up some real trauma. Things I have suppressed have come to the surface and are effecting me all over again. It is scary. Things I never wanted to remember are now haunting my day. Suppressing is clearly not the answer. It's healing that I am looking for. There is only so long you can go on pretending right?