Discussion Does Journaling Help YOU?

[alexit]

Every therapist recommends it, but I have a fear of journaling. I worry that by writing down my dark thoughts I'm giving them strength. Putting polite comments aside, because I DO believe journaling helps some people. I want to know, if you are so kind as to share your experiences, does journaling help you? Thank you in advance.

 

[Deleted member 19654]

Writing a journal is supposed to help by making you self reflect on your actions, emotions, life etc. It can be way to express yourself and to relieve yourself of whatever is bothering you.

I've been thinking about starting a journal but what holds me back is that I'm in denial of how I'm feeling. I'm not ready to face up to some of the things going on in my life. My current approach is to ignore things and bury my head in the sand.

I do really like the idea of writing a journal and I've been googling journal prompts but I can't quite bring myself to start one. Maybe it's because I'm not fully committed to recovering. I do think that if I made an effort to start a journal and write in it regularly, I'd be in a better place mentally. My head is a mess most of the time and all I'm doing is just sweeping all my dark thoughts under a rug and it's starting to pile up. Sorry if that doesn't really answer your question.

 

[alexit]

Maybe it's because I'm not fully committed to recovering

Thanks for the response, and I wanted to add that, as paradoxical as it might sound, I think I experience traces of the same. Actually, that could be another thread entirely: How much honestly do we want to recover? I think it's a valid question because depression will fuck with that.

 

[I_love_to_bake]

Yes, journalling has helped me immensely! Maxtothemax is very self aware and wrote it well. It's just about facing your problems head on. Its hard to admit where you have gone wrong in life. Avoidance is key to anxiety and depression both.

By dealing with my avoidance, all my other problems seem easy in comparison. But it is very emotional for me to deal with what I was avoiding which is why I was avoiding it. These things take time.

 

[Tigeress Lost]

Hi Friend
Yes Definitely 100% I've Been Writing For A Long Time I Am A Writer And I've Written For As Long As I Can Remember Since Lockdown I Have Written In Journal And I've Been Writing In A Diary As Long As I Can Remember
Writing And Writing Poetry Is My Way Of Coping With My Life My Mental Health Illness And Physically Health Problems

It Is Only Way I Can Cope Writing Down My Thoughts & Feelings
Peace & Hugs

 

[alexit]

Hi Friend
Yes Definitely 100% I've Been Writing For A Long Time I Am A Writer And I've Written For As Long As I Can Remember Since Lockdown I Have Written In Journal And I've Been Writing In A Diary As Long As I Can Remember
Writing And Writing Poetry Is My Way Of Coping With My Life My Mental Health Illness And Physically Health Problems

It Is Only Way I Can Cope Writing Down My Thoughts & Feelings
Peace & Hugs

I'm a writer too, though I stopped writing personal projects when mental illness got really bad. Do you know what I mean about worrying writing down thoughts gives them strength?

 

[Fedrea]

Every therapist recommends it, but I have a fear of journaling. I worry that by writing down my dark thoughts I'm giving them strength. Putting polite comments aside, because I DO believe journaling helps some people. I want to know, if you are so kind as to share your experiences, does journaling help you? Thank you in advance.

Interesting comment that it may give them strength

I've kept a diary since a damaging surgery nine years ago

it was so helpful

now I'm suicidally depressed I wonder if it's reinforcing stuff

 

[Tigeress Lost]

I'm a writer too, though I stopped writing personal projects when mental illness got really bad. Do you know what I mean about worrying writing down thoughts gives them strength?

Hi Friend
Yes I Agree With You There x

 

[alexit]

Interesting comment that it may give them strength

I've kept a diary since a damaging surgery nine years ago

it was so helpful

now I'm suicidally depressed I wonder if it's reinforcing stuff

Shit. I hope I didn't plant a bs idea. It's my baggage.

 

[netrezven]

If look at my history of great failures and success, it helps me.

 

[alexit]

Hi Friend
Yes I Agree With You There x

How do you get past that? Because I do think there has to be a way to. Just from judging by how writers are able to draw from their painful experiences without shooting themselves in the head.

 

[Tigeress Lost]

Shit. I hope I didn't plant a bs idea. It's my baggage.

Hi Friend

Hey No Way Writing Is My Way Of Coping And Not A BS Idea It's Only Thing In My Life I Am Proud Of Is My Wring & Poetry
My Journalling Has Helped Me So Much Because I Can Share All My Thoughts And Feelings Within It
I Write Every Single Day Without Fail No Matter How Terrible I Feel Or Even If My Day Is So Dark And Sad I Write It All
My Journal Is My Own Friend In The Whole World x

 

[Fedrea]

Shit. I hope I didn't plant a bs idea. It's my baggage.

No, I'd had the same thought. I'm seeing a psychologist who specialises in repeated trauma. She says that people can hold onto their trauma and reinforce it. I think I am doing that. Whereas in the early days, after surgery, it helped me cut through my emotions and make sense of them. But after a certain point, after certain level of depression and trauma, you can just reinforce it. I'm here to talk if you want

Hi Friend

Hey No Way Writing Is My Way Of Coping And Not A BS Idea It's Only Thing In My Life I Am Proud Of Is My Wring & Poetry
My Journalling Has Helped Me So Much Because I Can Share All My Thoughts And Feelings Within It
I Write Every Single Day Without Fail No Matter How Terrible I Feel Or Even If My Day Is So Dark And Sad I Write It All
My Journal Is My Own Friend In The Whole World x

I understand. Journals are amazing. Matey, you don't need all the caps though. I bet your poetry is good to

 

[alexit]

Hi Friend

Hey No Way Writing Is My Way Of Coping And Not A BS Idea It's Only Thing In My Life I Am Proud Of Is My Wring & Poetry
My Journalling Has Helped Me So Much Because I Can Share All My Thoughts And Feelings Within It
I Write Every Single Day Without Fail No Matter How Terrible I Feel Or Even If My Day Is So Dark And Sad I Write It All
My Journal Is My Own Friend In The Whole World x

No, no. The BS idea I was referring to was that journaling always does more harm than good.

 

[Tigeress Lost]

How do you get past that? Because I do think there has to be a way to. Just from judging by how writers are able to draw from their painful experiences without shooting themselves in the head.

I Know It Can Be Hard And Difficult To Get It On Paper And To Than Reread It But Sometimes I Don't Re Read It Because It Might Hurt Me Again
I Just Find That Writing Everything Down Sort Of Gets It Out Of My Mind Onto Paper That I Close Away
But Lately In My Writing I Seen A lot Of Tears Heart Break Loneness And Sadness:(
I'm In A Dark Place Right Now I Know That :(

No, I'd had the same thought. I'm seeing a psychologist who specialises in repeated trauma. She says that people can hold onto their trauma and reinforce it. I think I am doing that. Whereas in the early days, after surgery, it helped me cut through my emotions and make sense of them. But after a certain point, after certain level of depression and trauma, you can just reinforce it. I'm here to talk if you want

I understand. Journals are amazing. Matey, you don't need all the caps though. I bet your poetry is good to

Sorry Hunnie Just My Style Of Writing My Poetry Is Connected To My Heart

 

[Deleted member 19654]

I kinda get what you mean when you say you're worried it will give your dark thoughts strength. Like I said, journaling helps you self-reflect by writing down your emotions and what you're feeling etc. So in a way you end up reliving some of the things that hurt you and maybe end up continuing to be stuck in a dark place if all you're writing down is bad thoughts/experiences. I'm also worried that it will make me feel that I'm okay being stuck in depression because I don't want to recover and instead ctb.

But I also think the trick is to try and look at it in a differently by stepping back and evaluate it in a more objective way. And instead of just writing down what you're feeling or going through, start thinking about how you could solve those problems, what you've learned, how you can grow from those experiences etc.

 

[alexit]

But I also think the trick is to try and look at it in a differently by stepping back and evaluate it in a more objective way. And instead of just writing down what you're feeling or going through, start thinking about how you could solve those problems, what you've learned, how you can grow from those experiences etc.

I'm going to save this. I think that's what I'm missing. Thank you.

 

[Toptock]

On a whim I started keeping a journal and it's helped me trace a lot of my problems back to my childhood. I mostly kept it as a way to write out my frustrations so I could defuse them. I find when I write out what upsets me, I tend to be able to disarm it a bit more.

I like it because I can go back even just a week and see how far I've come

 

[Dr Iron Arc]

I already hate doing homework for school why would I wanna do it for myself? That's even less of a priority to me. Also when I actually have tried to do journaling I eventually start writing extremely threatening messages to myself for how shitty I am and I can write pages of wanting to kill myself which would be bad if people found them so no, journaling didn't help me.

 

[Deleted member 19654]

I was googling and just reading more about how journaling is good for you and I came across this: https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www....ve-journaling-can-stop-negative-thinking/?amp

It's about cognitive journaling which is CBT therapy and journaling combined. So basically what was mentioned in the above posts where it's not just about writing down what you're thinking but instead it's about challenging and changing those negative thoughts. The article explains it better.

 

[sufferingalways]

How do you get past that? Because I do think there has to be a way to. Just from judging by how writers are able to draw from their painful experiences without shooting themselves in the head.

Hi I would like to add something that my t helped with when I was working with her between 2011-2013 in London. When I spoke of painful things at first, I would laugh nervously and try to pass by it quickly on to another subject but she (Dr L) would say, "hold that thought, for a moment."

At first with all my trust issues I wasn't sure what she meant but she explained "sit with that thought, try not to rush on to another subject, just hold it."

In the end she taught me to gently accept some things and from my experience in writing, between a script acted out on film for a mental health Hearts and Minds project which premiered at the BFI (now up at YouTube) and my own diary that nobody will see, it's not so much that you reinforce the negative, but you arrive at an understanding of what hurts, how it hurts and how you react when you're hurt. Once you understand your maladaptive coping strategies and grow to learn what else you can respond with, that's when the pain gets smaller. Its no miracle cure. There's no fast changes but there are changes and you feel stronger in your strides as things happen and you note your reactions have gradually changed.

From the reaction changes you can gradually see less fog and more "me" emerging from the wreckage, which can tip either way. Sometimes life feels like a train wreck, sometimes you get to hold the steering wheel, but you have to have tools to find your way because from whatever has brought us here to SS forums, there's not an easy way, but whatever way helps you, you have to give it a try.

I was googling and just reading more about how journaling is good for you and I came across this: https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.powerofpositivity.com/cognitive-journaling-can-stop-negative-thinking/?amp

It's about cognitive journaling which is CBT therapy and journaling combined. So basically what was mentioned in the above posts where it's not just about writing down what you're thinking but instead it's about challenging and changing those negative thoughts. The article explains it better.

Hi you seem to be on a similar track to me. At my therapy I was taught over time, to be a clinician. I just read it again editing typos and thought maybe that explains some of my phrases.

 

[Tigeress Lost]

I kinda get what you mean when you say you're worried it will give your dark thoughts strength. Like I said, journaling helps you self-reflect by writing down your emotions and what you're feeling etc. So in a way you end up reliving some of the things that hurt you and maybe end up continuing to be stuck in a dark place if all you're writing down is bad thoughts/experiences. I'm also worried that it will make me feel that I'm okay being stuck in depression because I don't want to recover and instead ctb.

But I also think the trick is to try and look at it in a differently by stepping back and evaluate it in a more objective way. And instead of just writing down what you're feeling or going through, start thinking about how you could solve those problems, what you've learned, how you can grow from those experiences etc.

Hi Friend
Beautifully Written Honestly I've Read Many Things But This Answer Is The Best It's Saying Hey Pause Keep Calm Take A Deep Breath Than Think And Hopefully Learn
Thank You xx
Peace & Hugs To You
P.S Love The White Cat

 

[dandan]

Keep calm and write about next actions and present day. For me journaling has almost nothing to do with writing about anything from more than a couple days ago , going back to the past is such a waste of time at th moment.

I rather write about today and tomorrow, and my plans , feelings and what am I gonna do next, even when I don't always do.. commitment is responsibility.. I am getting better but not yet 100%

Don't re-live the past, but re-build your future.
It helps a lot that I'm out of depression through hormone therapy, but I wrote and journal even when I was down , I do think I did it more constantly than today. Today I was three days behind.

 

[noaccount]

I used to have like a personal journal blog that was helpful for that stuff when I knew other likeminded people and we could comment on each others writing, can't really get anywhere with it in isolation.

 

[GoodPersonEffed]

There are so many ways to journal. I use it to work out problems. I may make a mind map, or make lists of 100 such as 100 things about _______, and it's okay if things repeat, but it allows things to emerge. With mind mapping, an example is that I had a problem with someone, so I wrote each part of it down, wrote things around each part, asked myself questions, and things emerged like, yeah it's as irritating as I thought, and various possible solutions.

Another way to journal is to set a timer, 1-20 minutes, and when the timer is up, stop writing. Period. This can help things come out without getting overwhelming and triggering.

You can write letters to objects or feelings. I wrote a letter telling a feeling how sick of it I was and that it didn't get to have power anymore. You can choose something random, like a word in a book or a photo in a magazine, and do a freewrite about it. Or choose a bunch of random words in the dictionary or a book and a do a freewrite or a poem.

Most importantly, my journal serves me, not the other way around.

I write when I want or need to, I don't follow a schedule. I'm as messy or neat as I want to be. I have more than one notebook and use them for different topics. I have a three-ring binder and have different sections, so I'm not stressed about the container of a bound notebook and use loose-leaf paper instead, then put it where it belongs after rather than being stressed about it being in the wrong notebook, or take things out of the notebooks and put them in the binder.

 

[Brick In The Wall]

Yea it helps me tell inevitably someone finds it. So I've kept my own "memoirs" held alot more closely...

 

[BitterlyAlive]

I don't feel like it really helps. At best, it's a way to try and vent without being annoying as fuck. At worst, I find myself reinforcing my bad thoughts after writing them down, or I get a bit...bitter. lmao.

Maybe it's because I'm not fully committed to recovering.

Same. I don't really care too much about getting better. I just want my life to be over. *plays world's smallest violin* For real though, even if I did get better there are still the same problems to face and nothing will change that. Why bother?

 

[GoodPersonEffed]

@alexit you inspired me to share this resource in Off Topic:

https://sanctioned-suicide.net/threads/journaling-prompts.47947/

 

[Let'sgetoutofHERE]

Personally it helps me a lot and I take too little time for it!

 

[SipSop]

Funny thing about it, I became addicted to it.
I was with my pencil and pen everywhere because I thought that I would forgot those ideas and because I didn't had people to talk to about the subjects that I was interested in.
It also helps you to not lose your mind when you are hit with negative toughts all the time or you have somebody close to you who gaslights you or lies to you.
It is like training for brain, to keep it fit.
I switched to a app now but writing is better for the brain. For your sanity.