A recent study in the US revealed that of the 31.4 million game fans, only 30% are women. As a full-time streamer on Twitch, Autumn rhodes has made a name for itself in the world of male dominated gaming. This Toronto-based streamer, who started playing with her father at a young age, talks about her experiences in an industry that isn’t always open to the fair sex.

1. How did you get to eSports?

I started playing video games at a very young age thanks to my father and brother, and since then I have never been able to stop. When I was introduced to the world of eSports, I was amazed at how everything worked. Being a very competitive person, I decided it was time to take my love of video games to the next level, and when I discovered Twitch.tv and all the incredible possibilities that were in front of me.

2. What exactly do you do in the field of eSports?

I am a full-time streamer on Twitch. I play games like CS: GO, CoD, LoL and many more. I spend hours and hours a day playing these games, always practicing, and always trying to be the best that I can be. I have played competitively in many games and always have a great time doing it.

3. What do you think of women in eSports, specifically in your region?

I think the women involved in esports in my region, which is Toronto, give us all a good name. They know how difficult it can be in this industry as a woman, and they work hard to maintain their image not only as a serious competitive player, but as a woman who can play as well as any man. Because Toronto has such a high population, there is a lot of competition in the world of eSports.

4. What have been some of your experiences of being in a field that has been dominated by men?

Some of my experiences in this field have not always been good, but other times they have been fantastic. I remember being at the Cineplex World Gaming CoD tournament last year, and when I walked into the movies, the men were amazed why I was there. The man I faced was so terrified because he had never had to play against a girl before and didn’t know what to expect; It made him so nervous. Meanwhile, other men in the tournament thought that because I am a woman, they would easily defeat me because there is no way I can be good at any game. Being in an industry where they tell us “we can’t play video games because we are women” is really disappointing in today’s society. There are so many men who hate women who are involved in the gaming industry, and I don’t know if this is because society has taught people that ONLY children can play video games or if some of them are too ignorant to realize. that our sex has absolutely nothing to do with our ability to be good at something.

5. What do you like most about being part of the eSports community?

What I like most about being part of the eSports community is how well we understand each other. It’s a great feeling to go to competitions and events and have a lot in common with everyone. We can all relate in one way or another.

6. What is the hardest part of being in eSports?

The hardest part of being in eSports as a woman is how so many men look at us. They rarely take us seriously and it’s quite annoying because we’ve worked as hard as they or harder to get to where we are in the gaming industry.

7. Why do you think it is so important for women to be represented in eSports?

I think it is very important that there are more women represented in eSports because we need to break the stereotype that it is only a man’s world. MANY women avoid the gaming industry due to the fact that many are harassed and intimidated for showing interest in games. It’s good to see that people are finally starting to shed light on this topic and talk about it.

8. What are your hopes for women in esports?

My hope for women in esports is that someday men will not judge us for being part of the gaming community and that they will realize that we can play just as well and even better than they do. I can say that in the last two years more and more people are opening up to women in the world of games, which is a great relief because it is not fair to women like me, who spend so much time and dedication to games competitive. just shut down because society says we can’t be good at games.

Everyone has a game or series that they just don’t “get,” making it difficult for them to decipher what the fuss is about. For me, one of those franchises is the PlayStation-exclusive first-person shooter game Killzone, and it seems like I’m not alone on that point of view. I have always admired his universe, full of striking similarities to WWII and the powerful depiction of a corrupt and evil dictatorship dominating a civilization entirely populated by antagonists of the series, the terrifying Helghast adorned in his recognizable orange-eyed uniforms. Instantly. Regardless of my passion for the world, the developers Guerrilla Games had built a heavy gameplay and somewhat rigid shooting mechanic that didn’t keep me engaged in anything other than passing encounters with the series.

With that in mind, it’s unusual that, like many PlayStation Vita owners, I find myself eagerly awaiting the latest installment in the Killzone: Mercenary series. For the first time ever, players will be able to enjoy a full Killzone first-person shooter experience on the go with a fully competitive online mode. Killzone isn’t the first FPS to hit Vita, Sony’s proprietary Resistance series and Activision’s colossal Call of Duty were previously released on hardware in 2012 to a tepid response from fans and critics alike; both developed by the same company: Nihilistic Software. Owners of the powerful notebook are hoping it will be Guerrilla Cambridge’s first attempt at Killzone that will prove to be Vita’s FPS savior and counter the trend of the laptop disappointment genre. Sony seems to be confident in the game, as PlayStation Plus subscribers were able to enjoy an open beta of the online multiplayer earlier last week that I spent some time with.

Let me start with my impressions by saying how amazed I am that the 4v4 rounds run incredibly smooth with little to no lag issues, throughout my time playing, I have never seen a player disconnect once in the game. play. The highest praise I can impart to Killzone Mercenary is how perfectly it emulates the gameplay of Killzone 3; the engine has been so sublimely tuned to the Vita that it reproduces the previous PS3 installation to such an extent that it is like playing a console quality game in the palm of your hand. Even with my doubts about the playability of the previous innings, I really enjoyed every round I played. Without a doubt, if the beta is any indication that Killzone could easily be the FPS that Vita has been waiting for.

Killzone Mercenary bears a stronger visual and gameplay resemblance to its predecessors than it does to the upcoming PS4 launch title, Killzone: Shadowfall. The locations players can access in the beta are awash in the traditional brown and gray palette of the war-torn series. The controls are much tighter than expected considering the jump to a handheld; there is a slight adjustment period, but players need to acclimatize fairly quickly, after which both aiming and movement feel responsive and precise. Mercenary controls undoubtedly and surprisingly better than any previous portable FPS thanks to the Vita’s twin joysticks and happily feels as comfortable as gaming on a home console like the PS3. Touchscreen functionality is present, but fortunately not intrusive – most touch inputs are also assigned at the press of a button, allowing gamers to choose which one they prefer. Only intuitive knife kill inputs require swiping the touch screen, losing these touch QTEs allows enemies to counter or escape attack, adding an additional level of skill to procedures, if this will simply become a nuisance, without However, it remains to be seen.

As stated above, all beta activity is restricted to a map called Shoreline which draws heavily on locations from Killzone’s past, it has yet to be announced how many maps will appear in the full commercial release. Shoreline is well built with a combination of underground tunnels, open-plan arenas, and strategic high ground for sniping, perfect for 4v4 matches where the multiplayer spins. Once released, the game will feature three competitive online modes: Mercenary Warfare, Guerrilla Warfare, and Warzone – Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, and Objectives respectively. For beta purposes, players are restricted to Warzone only. Within Warzone, the two rival factions, ISA and Helghast, face each other trying to meet alternate objectives before their rivals to score points.

Warzone matches consist of five rounds with four different types of alternate objectives. The round begins with the first of the five objectives called the reward. In the reward, players must face each other like in a traditional deathmatch, although unlike a traditional Deathmach, players must also collect the reward card that the rivals drop after their defeat, which means that the snipers They won’t do much good unless you can swoop in for the reward. . In addition to collecting the reward card from defeated enemies, if teammates are quick enough, they jump to the rescue and save a deceased ally’s card before opposing forces claim death. The objective is fast and engaging, setting up the rest of the match, and perfectly guiding players to work as a team to ensure successful card collection.

Next on the playlist is the hacker, this type of target is listed twice in both the second and fourth rounds. In this mode, the VAN-guard capsules are placed on the map, inside these capsules there are special temporary power-ups, players who hack them are randomly assigned a boon, which includes, but is not limited to, air-to-ground missiles, a stealth personal. generator and a bow launcher that knocks nearby enemies into submission. Claiming the loot inside these capsules requires a fair amount of teamwork, as hacking one requires the pirate to participate in a matching symbol minigame, while doing so makes them vulnerable to fire and dependent on allies for cover. The minigame is simple enough to put an intuitive twist on the usual opening animation and timer without becoming a hassle; In addition, it rewards expert players who will be able to claim the prizes more easily.

A hit in the middle in the third round is an interrogation. The goal of the interrogation is to sneak up on rivals and dispatch them using Mercenary’s violent knife attacks. These attacks use the touchscreen QTE mentioned above, which makes killing a group of enemies in rapid succession impossible, instead they must be isolated; picked up one at a time. The round is an exciting fun of the wonderful gun game that forces the fighters to change tactics to defeat the enemies. This is the lowest scoring round in the challenge stack, as in many games I played, the fighters continued to just shoot each other rather than trying to interrogate with knife kills, which made scoring points difficult.

After a fourth round consisting of another hackers attempt, players are given a more traditional closing round: the body count. With the body count, teams engage each other within normal team deathmatch rules, points are awarded to each side each time a rival combatant is killed by an ally. The mode doesn’t require much more description than that and is a delightful way to close out the chaos. Since most players seem to play this way 90% of the time, this is where points are recovered and losing teams can make miraculous comebacks. Overall, the Warzone mode is a good laugh and a strong indicator of the strength of the Killzones gameplay. The final round kill count just gets me excited about playing a standard team deathmatch.

Like most online shooter titles, each “positive” action rewards experienced players, actions such as: assassinations, headshots, collecting ammo and completing objectives, etc. Killzone experience also works as credits, the in-game currency used to purchase new weapons, armor, and items that help tailor your character to your preferred play style. When the game launches actions from a single player, it will also allow for the collection of credits by adding a cross-mode value to the coin, giving the player the option of how to win. Online, the Credit Approach is a friendly system that allows players to advance on the paths they want instead of a default system that locks players out of upgrades based on their level. Speaking of what.

Although players are assigned ranks and levels in a traditional sense, Killzone also features an additional skill indicator. Do you remember the reward cards you must collect in the first round of Warzone? Well, these are designed to represent the skill level of the players combined with their style of play. Each card is represented by a card from a traditional deck, players get a rank from 2 to Ace based on the amount of money they won the day before, the more credits they have won, the higher the representation. The costume is awarded based on the weapons with which players had the most kills the day before. Collecting the cards awards players prizes and gives them an incentive to kill as many types of players to collect their cards as possible. Also, the card is a better indicator of the current skill than a level.

In the end, the small portion that is offered in the Killzone Mercenary beta exudes hope for the title, the fact that Sony allowed the game to go into open beta a few weeks before launch should be a strong indicator that they are feeling confident. ; with good reason. What is available to play is a fascinating, well-polished, well-controlled multiplayer experience, packed with a good variety of exciting game modes. The unique reward card system feels right at home in a portable system where players may not have the opportunity to play every day. I wasn’t a fan of Killzone going to Mercenary, but his fun and skillful game got me through now that I’m eagerly awaiting the release. Open Beta is now available to all Vita owners who want to give it a try. Check back soon for a full review.

To get serious about golf, you need some golf clubs, golf shoes, golf gloves, golf balls, tees, towel, a few lessons, and a tee time.

Golf clubs can be purchased used or new. If you are just starting out, I suggest you buy used golf equipment. In my opinion, the best and safest places online for used golf clubs are globalgolf.com and 2ndSwing.com or you can Google Calloway or Taylormade and search for their used golf club site. If you like getting tips, swinging clubs, and getting an idea, I recommend going to brick-and-mortar stores like Golf Galaxy, PGA Superstore, and Golfsmith, look at your used clubs, and talk to their sales staff. They will allow you to test the clubs and you will be able to putt on their practice surfaces. While new clubs and bag can cost you on average around $ 2,000, you should be able to find a good used set for $ 600 or less.

Golf shoes and gloves need to be bought new, however for the best price check out the ones on sale. Full price for shoes and gloves will run you around $ 150, but on sale you should be able to get by on $ 60.

A couple dozen low-priced golf ball brands will cost you around $ 50 and a hundred tees for around $ 8, if you don’t buy a few at the golf course for free, while the towel will cost you around $ 12.

Typical Lesson Costs: Fees average between $ 50- $ 60 for a 30-45 minute private lesson. Instructors sometimes offer hour-long sessions for $ 75 to $ 90, which is an overall better value. Instructors generally reduce fees by 15 percent or more if golfers purchase a package of lessons, which are typically offered in groups of six. Golfers can purchase a package of six 30-minute lessons for approximately $ 250 ($ 42 per session) or six-hour classes for $ 375 ($ 62.50 per session). The number of lessons is based on your current level of play and general athleticism for a beginner. Six lessons, plus time on a driving range, chipping area, and putting green should get a beginning golfer getting started.

According to a Golf Channel survey, the average cost of an 18-hole round of golf at a public golf course is $ 36, cart included. However, this can vary drastically based on location, course, time of year, etc. But there are some general rules when it comes to the financial aspect of the cost of golf.

The first rule of thumb is to make sure you know what you are getting before you book a departure time. A golf cart is generally included with the cost of an 18-hole round, but not always. Many courses also offer discounts for residents, seniors, and evening rounds. Weekends tend to be more expensive.

Private clubs are more expensive with a payable annual membership and additional fees, and range from moderate prices to six-figure initiation fees.

As you can see, you can spend as much as you want on the cost of golf. However, it is my opinion that it is within the range of the average person to enjoy the game of golf. The camaraderie, friendships, exercise, and overall enjoyment you get from a round of golf is, as they say, “priceless.” Go ahead and enjoy life and play golf or play more golf.

Still buying your PlayStation games from your local store? Walking in the pouring rain only to find that the game you’re looking for is sold out? Now it’s just as easy to download a game from the Internet, burn it to a CD, and keep playing. But most of the games are old and downloading them from P2P networks like Kazaa and torrent sites is illegal.

So can you download PlayStation games from the comfort of your home legally? Yes there are! Certain websites have databases full of PlayStation games, music, videos, movies, and games on other platforms, all up-to-date and free to download. You have to pay a fee to join these sites, but it is only a one-time fee and there is usually a money-back guarantee. However, remember to verify this before joining.

So are these sites easy to use? Most of them are, with direct downloads from the site and person-to-person downloads. Just log in, find the game you want, and start downloading. When the game finishes downloading (which takes between 2 and 4 hours), you can burn it to a CD and play it on your Playstation. Simple!

What are the best sites to use? There are many of them and some are not as good as others. There are old games and the download speeds are slow. Also, some sites are platform specific. Some could be for Xbox or Nintendo, but there are many that have it all.

Spartan operations vs. Bell

Spartan Ops is a continuation of the Halo 4 campaign, which takes place approximately 6 months after the end of the story. As in the campaign, you and up to 3 teammates battle Covenant and Promethean enemies to complete objectives and progress through the story. However, unlike the campaign, you play as your Spartan IV character and gain XP, allowing you to level up. Therefore, Spartan Ops is very similar to Firefight from previous Halo games, and is often considered a replacement.

Although Spartan Ops is very similar to the campaign, there are a few key differences to keep in mind when playing. The main differences are as follows:

1. You can use your equipment from Spartan IV, which means that you can develop your own equipment to match your play style. These are the same equipment you use in War Games.

2. When you die, the game does not return to the last checkpoint; rather, you reappear in a far corner of the map. When you respawn, the game does not change in any way (like in the War Games), which means that all the enemies you killed in your previous life will remain dead. You can’t choose your spawn point, so you often spawn in a poor location.

3. Especially in the later missions, you will encounter groups of enemies much larger than in the campaign. It is quite common to find several Promethean Commanders in the same room, or to find more than 20 Grunts in a group.

4. In general, enemies are much more aggressive in Spartan Ops. In campaign, enemies usually shoot at you from a distance or slowly advance towards you in small groups. In Spartan Ops, large groups of up to 10 elites can rush their position at once, which can be very overwhelming.

5. You get XP points by playing Spartan Ops and progress in Spartan Ops Commendations. This means that you can level up your Spartan IV, allowing you to unlock new weapons and items for both Spartan Ops and War Games.

6. Spartan Ops missions are shorter than campaign missions. In general, the first missions take between 10 and 15 minutes and the last between 20 and 25 minutes. There are a total of 50 Spartan Ops missions, which makes it much longer than the campaign.

equipment

Because you can choose your own equipment in Spartan Ops, it is very important that you make the most of it and develop the best possible equipment for multiple situations. I strongly suggest that you make two charges that you use solely for Spartan Ops: one to fight the Prometheans and one to fight the Covenant. When you start playing, you will have very few weapons and items available. Once you play a few games in Spartan Ops or War Games, you will level up your Spartan IV and unlock new equipment. I suggest that you create the following equipment as soon as you unlock all the required equipment (you will have most of these items available before level 10):

Pact equipment:

– Main weapon: Carbine

– Secondary weapon: plasma pistol

– Grenade: Plasma Grenade

– Armor Skill: Promethean Visions

– Benefit 1: Regeneration of armor skills

– Benefit 2: extra ammo

In my opinion, this equipment is the best equipment possible to fight Covenant enemies. However, feel free to customize it based on your personal play style. The Carbine is the fastest firing headshot weapon with the largest magazine, so you can use it to easily kill Grunts and Jackals with headshots. You can overload the Plasma Gun to stun and fire vehicles and also to remove Elite’s shields, allowing you to later kill them with a Carbine headshot. Promethean Vision is especially useful in Spartan Ops because it will help you shoot headshots and see enemies before they can see you. It will also provide you with an early warning when enemies are charging you. Plasma grenades are the best grenades for Spartan Ops because they deal the most damage and stick to their target. This is especially useful if you are playing on Legendary. For Perk 2, it is very important that you choose extra ammo so you don’t have to search for new weapons. This perk also gives you more plasma gun energy. It is not very important what you choose for Perk 1, but I personally prefer the Regeneration of armor skills.

Promethean Charge:

– Main weapon: battle rifle

– Secondary weapon: plasma pistol

– Grenade: Plasma Grenade

– Armor Skill: Promethean Visions

– Benefit 1: Regeneration of armor skills

– Benefit 2: extra ammo

As you can see, I only change the main weapon of the Promethean Loadout. It is important to use the battle rifle instead of the carbine against the Prometheans because it deals the most damage of all headshot weapons. This makes it much easier to kill watchers, allowing you to kill them in just 3-5 shots in Legendary. Because the battle rifle fires 3-shot bursts, it’s easier to get headshots with it, making it easy to hit the small heads of the Promethean knights. With this equipment, you can kill Crawlers with battle rifle headshots, Watchers with 3-5 battle rifle shots, and Knight with overloaded plasma pistol and battle rifle headshot.

Tips and strategies

1. Both the battle rifle and carbine are very accurate and have 2x scopes. Make sure to use this to your advantage by taking out light infantry from a distance with headshots rather than engaging them up close.

2. If you have a UNSC weapon (other than a Spartan rocket launcher or laser) equipped, you will get full ammo by touching a UNSC box. So, keep your eyes peeled for UNSC boxes if you’re using Promethean gear, as you can use them to reload your battle rifle.

3. Keep an eye out for weapons on the map. Each mission is filled with weapon boxes full of high powered weapons. Swap your plasma pistol for some kind of rocket launcher or other high powered weapon when fighting hunters, vehicles, or many elites or knights at once. You may also want to trade in your plasma pistol for a SAW when fighting the Knights.

4. On outdoor maps, there are often unoccupied vehicles available. Although I suggest not using ghosts or mongooses, I suggest using available Mantis, scorpions, or wraiths. If you play co-op with a friend, you can also use Warthogs.

5. If you don’t have a vehicle yet, consider hijacking enemy specters instead of destroying them. Kill all the enemies around the Wraith and then EMP with your plasma pistol. Enter the turret of the Wraith and the driver will exit, allowing you to take control of the Wraith.

6. When fighting Knights up close, consider removing their shields with a plasma pistol and killing them with a plasma grenade. This is usually much easier than the plasma pistol and headshot method, as the knights have tiny heads and helmets. When fighting Covenant, save your Hunter Plasma Grenades.

7. When fighting hunters on foot, try to look for heavy weapons like some kind of rocket launcher or a Spartan laser. If you can’t find any, weaken the hunters with plasma grenades and take them out with a shotgun or fully automatic rifle (such as the SAW, assault rifle, or suppressor). Make sure to target your weak spots in the back.

8. In some situations, you will need sixteen an area filled with a large number of elites or knights. In doing so, don’t rush; you will be overwhelmed and most likely die before you can kill any of them. Rather, take out all the light infantry from a distance with your headshot weapon, then slowly approach the area. When you see an Elite or a Knight away from their allies, take them out with a combination of Plasma Gun and Headshot. Keep taking out stragglers through the area until a much more manageable number of enemies remain. Whenever possible, avoid facing too many Elites or Knights at once, because after removing an enemy’s shield, they will retreat and the others will provide covering fire until their shields regenerate.

9. In certain missions, a large group of enemies (usually Elites) will charge towards you. Unlike the campaign, they will not approach you one at a time; instead, they will attempt to invade your position by charging in a single wave. Take cover in a good choke point, like a door, so you can fight them one at a time. If you feel like you’re going to be overrun, back up where you came from and try to keep them at another choke point. Repeat this process until only a few Elite remain.

10. There is no safe generation system in Spartan Ops. This means that you could respawn alongside a group of enemies. If this happens, enemies will most likely not notice you until you shoot, so try to sneak to a safe distance before engaging them.

11. Throughout Spartan Ops, Miller and Commander Palmer will often give the impression that you need to do something quickly. However, this is almost always a raster device; There is generally no time limit for completing an objective. The only exception to this is when you need to defend a target that has a health bar. In these situations, you will lose if the target dies, so be sure to protect it.

12. If you have trouble with a mission, try playing it with friends. Levels don’t get harder with more people, and having more people to draw fire from enemies is always useful, no matter how bad they are.

Perhaps the most famous and beloved Neopet in all of Neopia is the infamous Zafara. This creature was first introduced to the Neopet kingdom, Neopia, in May 2000. The original concept for this Neopet was actually created by a Neopet user who goes by the game name chanii1234. His design was submitted to the “Design a Pet” contest and ultimately won. When asked how he selected the creature’s name, he said that he had learned that one of the first giraffes a man had seen was called “Zarafa”, so he decided to call his creation by a similar name, Zafara.

The Zafaras are one of the oldest pets to roam the land of Neopia and undoubtedly played a significant role in the way the Neopian nation was formed, as many of you know it today. Almost a year after its creation, the designers decided to completely redesign the character. This new design was released to the land of Neopia and fans of Neopet were able to see the new creature for the first time in early 2001.

Some important features of Zafara are easily noticed. They always have 3 spikes on the spine, never 4 or 5 or 2, always 3. If you think you have seen a Zafara with 4 spikes on the back, then you just met an imposter, my good friend. And chances are, if you saw a Zafara, they probably heard you long before you knew you were ever around one. They are famous for their great sense of hearing. Zafaras actually has the best hearing of any other pet in Neopia.

With only 2 fingers and a thumb on each hand, they are not known to be overly aggressive and violent. However, if you waste your time and tempt a Zafara, you must be forewarned. They have an extremely long tail that they will often use to whip opponents they face on the battlefield with a galactic gaze.

If you can find a Zafara to be your best friend, then you will be in Neopia. They are an extreme source of good luck, making everything work in your favor. So do yourself a favor and adopt Zafara as your next beloved Neopet.

Anal yeast infection is a great possibility. The way this infection affects the mouth and vagina, it can also attack a person’s rectum. The reason is obvious that our digestive system begins in our mouth and ends in the rectum.

Candida Albicans is the same bacteria that causes yeast infections in other parts of the body. This bacteria is generally present in our body and is harmless. However, due to growth spurt due to various reasons, it causes infection. The main reason for this growth is metabolic disorder.

The symptoms of this threat are the same as usual. Burning, irritation and pain are common symptoms and this anal yeast infection is no exception. Although it is recommended that you go visit a doctor as soon as you understand it. That may not be financially available to you today.

However, some people are shy and embarrassed to visit a doctor and argue about this. For them it is advisable to resort to grandmother’s home remedies. For example, you can use boric acid on the affected areas by making a paste with powdered elm and water. Just remember not to apply it to a cut or open wound. Keep it away from pregnant women. Its side effects also include burning and itching.

Anal yeasts and yeast infections are a threat and can be treated with the help of tea tree oil. It can be applied to the affected area and can be used to protect against anal yeast spores that are part of the infection. Tea tree is an antibacterial that is very helpful in curing this threat.

You can also use yogurt for anal yeast infections. Now you must remember that your grandmother used to say that yogurt is the best natural medicine. It has a cooling effect on the burning sensation of infection like aloe vera. Aloe vera, on the other hand, can be stored in the refrigerator on a cotton ball or tissue and can be applied to the infected region. These home remedies are helpful as they are readily available and less expensive.

Anal yeast infection is extremely annoying and painful. You can try some of these home remedies at your convenience. But remember one thing for sure, even after using these remedies, if the infection still persists, go ahead and visit a doctor immediately without further delay.

It would be a mistake to underestimate the power of writing as a point of therapy. Most writers are aware of the therapeutic nature of writing, but most may be less willing to admit that writing therapy can be personally beneficial.

Sometimes, the writing that helps us the most on a personal and emotional level is the one that we do not want published. It is very personal, but it can help us understand something about ourselves.

Leslie Ridgeway and Dale Griffith have seen firsthand the benefits of using writing as therapy among inmates at the York Correctional Institute in Connecticut.

These two people worked with the women at YCI. They encouraged inmates to write down their innermost thoughts without the threat of conviction. They found that there was a sense of healing that took place when these women admitted their injuries in writing.

According to their 2002 report entitled “Struggles: Writing as Healing”, Ridgeway and Griffith admit that “many women had reached the limit of their coping skills … educational staff were concerned about the physical and mental health of women and argued ways to help them cope. ” . A safe harbor was needed in the emotional storm. “

The ‘Luchas’ program focused on using words to capture their memories of the violence in their lives.

One inmate wrote: “As children we are taught to respect and obey our parents. I usually covered myself with my hands up to protect my face and head. A reaction that I am sure is a survival defense mechanism. No I hurt my mother, but my physically defensive behavior of pushing her away from me brought her back to reality. The beatings finally stopped and I was left with the question why she hadn’t reacted to her actions years before. “

As we seek to identify with the pain the author feels, we also gain a sense of the release she feels as she finally says in print what has been repressed within her for so long.

An anonymous woman who participated in the inmate’s writing exercise reported: “Seeing our violent experiences in writing is more personal and real, especially when we read them aloud. When I listen to myself aloud, I am telling my experience to someone else. and emotional feelings, which have often been suppressed, hit me. “

As a focused writer, it may be helpful for you to take regular time to write something that is simply therapeutic. None of us came from perfect situations in life. By writing about your past, you can discover a sense of personal freedom and greater freedom to pursue your writing career with less baggage.