Guidelines for Recovery Letters

[Kizzie]

Guidelines for Writing a Recovery Letter

Write a letter which will help you in one way or another to move forward in your recovery. The letter can be to the perpetrator(s) of your abuse or neglect, to your Inner Child who would so much like to come out of the dark place s/he is hiding, your Inner Critic who is crowding your head and heart with negative messages, or anyone who has touched your life in some fashion. You can write more than one letter. Remember to stay within the board guidelines:

•   Keep it confidential - remember this is the internet so don't include information that will allow anyone to recognize your identity (i.e.,   replace real names with initials or pseudonyms)
•   Be honest and real. Don't sugar-coat it or exaggerate it what you have to say. Try to tell it like it really is/was and how you felt/feel about it.
•   Angering is important but don't dehumanize or resort to degrading put-downs or insults if your letter is to the perpetrator of your abuse or neglect. 

For Those Who Read These Letters of Recovery

Treat each letter with the utmost dignity and respect. This is a sacred place where some very important things are "said" for the first time. There are many tears and years of pain bound within the lines of these letters so we ask that is you respond you:

•   Listen for and validate the original poster's feelings
•   Don't critique the letter or tell the poster what they should have said
•   Don't use this forum for debate or discussion. Use the other forums for that
•   Report any concerns or abuses of this forum