Keeping A Journal
Journal writing is very important to your recovery. Journaling is a way to "say" things that cannot be said out loud.
When I journaled I would write about experiences I had or feelings I was having at the time.
Sometimes it is safer to write it down, rather than sharing with a therapist, friend or family member.
It is a way of releasing those experiences and feeling in a safe and controlled way.
Personal Journal
Finding the perfect journal is just as important as journaling itself. I have purchased journals from Walmart to Barnes & Noble. It depended on the type of journal I was looking for and what I was going to do with it.
The Daily Journal
My first journal was a black three-ring binder with note paper. I used black to symbolize how I was feeling. I felt very dark and depressed
. I started this journal within weeks of beginning therapy.
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I journaled all the memories I was having of the sexual abuse I suffered as a child. I had so much going on inside, but only had therapy once per week.
Some of these experiences I would share with my therapist, but mostly it was enough just to write them down.
I wrote as if I was talking to my therapist, so it was like having a session with him.
When I had finished therapy with my first counselor I took a metal trash can and took the pages out of the three-ring binder and burned them. It was a way for me to have closure on that chapter of my life.
I saw a psychiatrist for medicine management, so when I began seeing him for therapy I picked out a calming journal. It's cover was forest green. This time I embraced the child inside and didn't feel so dark.
He liked for me to give him all my journal, because he actually read every word. I knew I didn't ever have to talk about what I wrote, unless he had read something he thought was significant. This journal had an "easy tear" page, which made it easy to pull out.
The color green was peaceful and I knew whatever I wrote in it would be shared with someone I trusted. I could write down my deepest secrets and feelings.
After my therapy ended with my psychiatrist, due to moving to another state. I was hospitalized for a suicide attempt and had to use a therapist in the state I was now living. These doctors did not encourage journaling.
Now I only journal when I was having a "moment" that could not be talked out with my husband. My rose journal was pink with a white rose printed on the cover. It symbolized how I was no longer the little girl that was abused. I was now journaling as a woman dealing with issues of today. Soon there was no need to journal.
When I decided to do this website my journal search took me to Barnes & Nobel. It is more of a permanent journal. I knew I would be using it often and I knew I would be writing things that may make me sad.
This journal has cartoon cats on it in several fun, uplifting colors, with the primary color being pink! It is a fun type of journal filled with hope. Hope of showing others my journey through the tunnel to the other side.
Benefits of Journal Writing
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Some of the benefits of journal writing is the release it give you from all the stress and anxiety you may have from holding it in
. It is such a great tool for having therapy with yourself.
You can pretend you are writing to that one person you trust with all your secrets.
You can even use it to write letters to people who hurt you. Letters you may never mail, but it will make you feel better getting out the words and sharing how you feel with that person.
I would encourage you to give journaling a try. You may be surprised at how much it really does help!