Although the years spent in prison were indeed soul crashing. What I realize is your perspective has the final say in how those difficult and even traumatic experiences affect your day to day life. While in solitary confinement I learned from the elders around me certain techniques and strategies to keep the inhumane isolation from destroying my spirit and mind. Things like keeping a daily workout routine helped to not only break the monotony of those long unending days but helped to stave off depression. One of the tools I developed for myself and am using now to help with the effects of my post incarceration syndrome is writing a poem a day. Initially I began with a poem a week and became so proficient I began writing one a day. I would begin with finding a random word in the dictionary and from there developed a poem or spoken word piece. Many of these poems found there way into my book “Who EYE Am” and helped me to deal with emotions and experiences I had no other way of coming to grips with. Not only did this technique hone my writing skills but it afforded me a daily sense of accomplishment. Some times the poems would come easily and quickly other times they were a struggle to create and take an entire day to perfect. However whenever I finished I felt exhilarated and free as I read and reread it out loud in my little dark cage. I suggest giving it a shot, you my find that you have a talent you never know was in you. None the less at the very least you’ll have a daily or weekly reminder of how truly awesome and accomplished you are.