While I am in therapy , I'm wondering if I should try some journaling to perhaps get some insights or speed up the process. Perhaps it's not necessary, maybe it would be helpful.

My questions are:
1) can it be useful as an adjunct to therapy ?
2) How do I even get started ?

Thank you,
LNH

LNH - pick up the pen and write whatever you feel. Nobody else has to see what you write. Just let your thoughts transfer onto paper. Read it back to yourself...it worked for me!

Best wishes ..Rik

LNH,

I guess one thing to do would be to ask your therapist about this. He/she may have some specific ideas.

I have kept two diaries. One I started when I was 12 and considering suicide. The other I began just recently, the idea behind that one being that I sometimes feel very confused and hopelessly lost about everything. Writing down how I feel helps me I think. I'm not sure why. Perhaps because it gives me some sense that I am not absolutely adrift and am still in control of my life, or some bits of it at least.

I started the new one by asking myself what I hoped to achieve by keeping this journal and what I thought should go into it. One thing I say there is I hope I won't use my journal just as a vehicle for venting; I want to include positive things as well: little victories, special events that went well, little things that made me happy, photos, whatever.

I would say try it and see how it goes. It may take awhile to get into it, depending on how easy you find it to write about things you feel, but giving it a chance might be a good idea.

Take care,
Larry

Yes I've tried it and it helps. Peace, Andrew

I've journaled for the last 17 years. I nostly write out whatever is on the inside - thoughts, feelings! I am as honest and open as I could ever be...no holding back. As I re-read what I've written over the years, when I've been most honest, forthright and blunt, I recognize how my past has afffected me, ways I need to change, ideas that are obviously incorrect and counterproductive, etc. It helps me grow and heal. I've used it at times in my therapy sessions sharing with my therapist. I hope if you choose to journal, make it a habit to write something everyday and that it helps you as much as it has healed me!

Howard

journaling helped me more tha anything else I think, I found it so good for sorting out my mixed up thoughts and then returning to them to see what I had actually done about them - if anything !!

When I write my journal, which I still do, I find that the act of writing slows down my thinking as I choose exactly the right word or phrase to describe what I'm feeling or experiencing, so I think more and concentrate harder as I actually do it.

I also journal on my computer and burn discs of each separate piece I write,I tend to write a series of essays rather than a diary.
On disc it's easy to return to them later and see the progress, sometimes years later as I started in 1998.
As I read the old journals I often have new thoughts and ideas, so I put them in using a different font or italics. But I never lose the original, I then save the new additions as version 2 version 3 and so on and date each version.
I've found this a very helpful way of working, and some of my early stuff is now up to version 10 or 12 and many thousands of words. But my progress is something I can look back on accurately, it's something I can't argue with or deny to myself, what I wrote was what I felt at that time.

There's some scary stuff in there for sure, and some stuff that nobody will ever see other than me if I have my way, so if you journal and share your secrets with the 'page' don't leave it lying around for others to read.

Dave

Journaling is very effective. I have found that journaling is 100 times more effective than therapy.

I use a couple of variations:

1) I do a self therapy by answering the following questions a) how do I feel b) why do I feel this way c) what do I ideally want to happen d) realistically what do I need to do

2) I speak to my emotionaly self in terms of a freind. Sometimes I argue back and forth, but its healthy

3) I write letters to family, friends current and past. Never mail them just helps me clear up dynamics with people

4) I write to myself before I was abused and then to myself after the abuse. These are the hardest for me right now.

5) Sometimes its just best if I just type without thinking, now worries to spelling, grammar. Just what ever comes to mind. Usually in the middle of a page of madness there is the clear thought.

Keep trying different variations to see what works for you. And from time to time try different journaling techniques. You'll find that different things work at different times.

Journaling and writing poetry has litterly saved my life. There is no right of wrong way to do it. Just write what you feel. What you are thinking. Let the pen flow. Even if all you write is something like I don't know what to write. If you start putting down on paper what you feeling then you will find as I did that the pen will begin to flow and your innervoice will begin to speak. I encourage everyone to write I think it is very healing and helpful in becoming better for the tomorrow that we all want to achieve.

The first journal 'assignment' my old therapist give to me is to write about three things. 'I was', 'I am' and 'I will be'. She say it is to put in perspective, what was then, now, and possible in future. Just I put those words at top of the page, and start writing 'I was small', 'I was scared', simple things first. But then it just keep going from there, and I wrote pages on each of them. I think it did help me some, to remember it is then, not now, and that I am safe. Also, to look at my future, what I want of it, and how I can make it happen.

Andrei

Journaling brough me to the point of acceptance of my abuse much different to admiting it. I have been keeping a journal now for over five years and when I look back at it I can see the progress I have made, this is especially useful when having off days or weeks. Its there in black and white how far I have come.

Kirk