Discussion Does Journaling Help YOU?

[BPD Barbie]

Journaling used to help when I was a teenager but my mother found my journal and instead of doing the right thing and leaving it, she read it and confronted me about the contents. Since then I've never bothered keeping a journal out of fear of someone finding it again.

 

[BitterlyAlive]

Journaling used to help when I was a teenager but my mother found my journal and instead of doing the right thing and leaving it, she read it and confronted me about the contents. Since then I've never bothered keeping a journal out of fear of someone finding it again.

Really not cool. I'm sorry your mother did that.

 

[unfortunatelyme]

I completely understand what you mean about giving it power, I've been keeping a journal for the past year or so and if you go through it you can clearly see how I got progressively worse and worse.
The scary part is I go back to what I wrote, be it a day a week or longer, and most times I dont remember ever writing those things and that can be terrifying

 

[sufferingalways]

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.

I agree, I used to post at a community blog site but in these times I can't muster the mood or energy to take part. Neither for any writers forum I used to check in with. I think it might be linked to feeling unsafe. For me at least.

Really not cool. I'm sorry your mother did that.

I know how that feels. My father used to do the same. He would "tidy up" in my room when I was in another part of the house and go through any diary. I found it impossible to write in a diary since then. I've had better luck with some apps, and I tried Daylio once. That's ok if you want to just record how you feel without writing a word. Emojis .. where would we be without them?

 

[Deleted member 1465]

No, Journaling doesn't help me. I do write some stuff down in a text file on my PC, just in case my brother or sister see it one day. I think it may be of some value to them to know how I was feeling and my thoughts on the wider context. But I only do it when I'm bored and it's raining and TBH it's a bit of a chore.
By nature I'm a thinker and a writer, but these days I'm more of a do-er. Doing stuff helps me way more than writing about stuff.

 

[Mr2005]

I did it for a week in 2014 before I got bored

 

[nitroautnz]

i just started one, maybe people will understand why i suicide when they will read the chaos that is my head

 

[strand]

Kind of, I have nothing to write most of the time and I always forget to. I only write when there are very important things bothering me or that have upset me. (that usually means 2-3 entries a year for me) I wrote an entry last week, the second for this year, it was kind of relieving actually, I wasn't expecting that, I wrote 900 words, it took me a whole hour, I was kind of impressed with myself.

 

[BerryCakes]

That depends on what you mean by journaling. I often write little notes to myself in various places. Sometimes it's a to-do list, other times I'm venting my thoughts. I suppose that it's helpful, since it's something I just do intuitively. I don't like keeping those notes around permanently, though. I don't like reflecting on them, either. If/when I find old diary entries, I throw them out. I don't care about seeing how much I've progressed or anything of that nature.

 

[WinterFaust]

I enjoy journaling when I remember to do it or have enough energy. I can go months without doing it so I've actually had this one journal since 2013. It's finally running out lol so I bought a new one. This is a bit unrelated but I find that having a favorite pen or pencil makes journaling easier. I bought new pens and they didn't quite work out for some reason, like the whole pack, so I got frustrated and haven't journaled since.

It helps a little in the moment as some sort of emotional release and I find if I don't criticize or try to censor my own thoughts, it's a much easier process. I find that the older entries actually help confirm that I've been depressed or suffering for a long time, especially when I get into the mindset that I'm lazy or doing this myself.

 

[Istanbulite]

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.

most of the time yes, even if it's just a couple of lines or few sentences

 

[Niko66]

Old thread but I just wanted to chime in that I've found journaling to be one of the few helpful things for my mental health.

 

[Well-Edited Chaos]

Me too. I find it helps when I'm battling strong emotions (emotional release), and when I just have so much "noise" in my head that I can't figure out what to do next (brain dump).

 

[Sleepdrifter]

A little, but it can be quite consuming and I would spend too much time on it. Now I'll write a few lines. Only needs to be the highlights. Makes me feel a little better
A little, but it can be quite consuming and I would spend too much time on it. Now I'll write a few lines. Only needs to be the highlights. Makes me feel a little better