Yes, talking about it gets it out. Writing is also good, as is crying. When you hold things in, your body finds ways to say that something is wrong, and it could be anything from ulcers to cancer or various somatic disorders, or CFS, or worsening of whatever ailments you might be predisposed to. Expressing it in some kind of conscious way that allows you to feel will help you to heal.

But here's the thing. Being made to talk about it before you are ready is retraumatizing. So can talking about it when it doesn't feel safe. The timing needs to be right for you, and so does the setting, and you need to talk about it to someone you are safe with, who is able to accept your experiences and whatever you feel about it, and not judge you or invalidate you. And you need to feel that you have some control over talking about it and the circumstances under which you talk about it.

The first step in recovering from trauma is establishing safety. That can take some time, and it takes learning skills. It helps to be able to develop a safe place in your mind to which you can retreat if you need to - a visualization or memory that you can connect with that feels safe and non-threatening. And you need to be able to say when you need a break or to stop for a while. You shouldn't be pushed to go faster than you are ready.

After you have that safety, then you can process the trauma. And there are several ways that you can do that. EMDR is a method for processing trauma that doesn't require talking about it much, and it works very well. People are not all the same though, so what works for one person might not work for someone else.

The third step in trauma work is reconnecting. That might also involve talking about what happened a little, as you get back to the business of living your life, but by this time it should be much easier, as you have already processed it so it is more like the rest of your normal memories.