This article examines how writing can increase the self-awareness of a socially isolated and often stigmatized population: those bereaved by addiction. Writing about a traumatic event has been shown to increase self-awareness which can improve health and regulate negative behaviors. Using narrative analysis on the writing of individuals bereaved by addiction, this study found that participants were able to increase their self-awareness through writing to the dead, the living and themselves. Participants’ writing also demonstrated their attempts to make sense and make meaning out of their loss which are both strong predictors of positive health outcomes. All participants in this study demonstrated increased self-awareness as well as sense-making and/or meaning-making which can lead to improvements in behavior regulation, psychological health and physical heath. This suggests that writing may be a uniquely beneficial therapeutic intervention for those experiencing disenfranchised grief as a result of bereavement by addiction.

本文探讨了写作如何提高社会孤立且经常被污名化的人群的自我意识：那些因成瘾而失去亲人的人。事实证明，撰写关于创伤事件的文章可以提高自我意识，从而改善健康并调节负面行为。通过对因成瘾而失去亲人的个人的写作进行叙事分析，本研究发现参与者能够通过写给死者、生者和他们自己来提高他们的自我意识。参与者的写作还展示了他们试图理解并从他们的损失中获得意义，这都是积极健康结果的有力预测因素。本研究的所有参与者都表现出增强的自我意识以及意义构建和/或意义构建，这可以导致行为调节的改善，心理健康和身体健康。这表明，对于那些因成瘾而丧亲而遭受剥夺权利的悲伤的人来说，写作可能是一种独特有益的治疗干预。