Can being cathartic have a positive affect on your health?
A simple answer is yes. Catharsis is a Greek word and it basically allows you to achieve a “state of moral and spiritual renewal.” It refers to an experience a person can have of releasing emotional tension and feeling refreshed after.
Mark Simon is known as the Godfather of Storyboarding in Hollywood. He’s an author of multiple books and on this Real Things Living podcast episode, Being cathartic with Mark Simon, he reflects on the story behind his most recent book (a memoir), “Attacked! Bullied: Surviving Terror and Finding Justice.”
Mark’s memoir is based on when he was bullied by a gang in high school, and the gang later proceeded to attack his family too. Mark’s story is also about how he became the first person in the country to use a new law holding parents responsible for the violent actions of their kids in a court of law.
Writing this book took several attempts over the years (at least a dozen times) and Mark found the process very cathartic for him. Writing about it provided some psychological relief of being open about this traumatic experience. He is a stronger person because of it. Mark’s vivid written descriptions make you feel you are there…you feel the emotions.
Unfortunately, bullying is a common thing and Mark provides great insight and advice on how to handle it.
Here’s the full video on YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/
Here are some short video clips of the conversation:
Learn more about him at Mark Simon Books.
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Starting this personal blog was definitely cathartic for me. The first sentence of the very first blog post, Living with a brain tumor, was that my sons recommended I share this backstory on a blog. It was scary to share it, but was also a healing moment. Thank you for following and sticking with me on this journey.
Do you have a cathartic moment to share?
