cathartic

A cathartic experience is one that helps people feel relieved and cleansed emotionally. It's often intense but ultimately good for them.

When someone says an event or activity was cathartic, they usually mean it helped them release pent-up emotions or get rid of emotional baggage. For example, watching a sad movie can be a cathartic way to cry out your feelings and process difficult experiences. Going through therapy or journaling can also be cathartic. People often use the word when talking about how something made them feel better or more at peace after it was over. Sometimes, people might talk about a specific moment in their lives that felt particularly cathartic, like a heart-to-heart conversation with someone who helped them clear out their emotions.