Reflecting, learning

Hey @Former-Member ,

Thanks for sharing. I can hear how lonely the journey can get, especially when no one 'responds'.

It takes a lot to just keep going.

As for journalling? Nah, not for me. The fear of someone finding and reading it is too great and outweighs the need to journal lol.

I just wanted to make a quick note here that your mention of using alcohol to 'cope', 'manage' borderlines a guideline breach. This is because it may be triggering for those who are doing their best NOT to use alcohol to cope.

Just sharing for your consideration when you post next...

Maybe, posting about talking to plants is safer? LOL

Anyway, good to hear from you.

Thanks for understanding @Former-Member 🙂

Poof! I didn't see anything lol 🙂

Remember: You are AMAZING 🙂

Hey @Former-Member I just logged in

Oftentimes there are not that many people on the forum so I stopped waiting for quick responses.

I love your sense of humour.

Poof!

All gone.

Cooee

Apple

Hey @tyme . I found your outlook on journals interesting. I tried to start one this year..ive done 2 days. I thought it would be a good idea (no, someone said its a good idea-i probably read it somewhere). It was suggested that mental health challenges can greatly benefit from journalling. Not this little black duck. After day 1 of journalling, and 2 weeks into my mental health issue, i slammed the cover and breathed and thought YES, ive got all that off my chest. After that i felt worse the next day (not the journals fault of course), but i then could not go near it for fear of reading what i read the day before, and then reliving it.

Ive opened it once since then,abt 2 weeks later, and wrote more hopeless,negative stuff. And thats it. No more. Not a necessary thing in my life. My husband asked if i wld like him to read what i wrote. I said "maybe not, you wont like what you read". I love him btw😁. I dont need him to be too afraid of my dark thoughts. He hasnt said that hes seen it yet. I havent hidden it.

Im presuming you dont want ppl to find yr journal for other reasons. thats ok of course. Im just connecting with someone who seems a little like minded on journalling ✌️

Yes! @Dizzy4 ! That's precisely it!

Firstly, I am ashamed of my dark thoughts, and next I don't want people 'going into my head' by reading my innermost secrets.

I would never go back and read my own because as you said, it's re-living the pain.

When I was journalling, I felt that the more I journalled, the darker and weirder my thoughts became. It was not helpful at all.

The only alternative is to write a gratitude journal where each day, you write a few things you are grateful for and leave it at that.

There is scientific research to back up that gratitude and depression cannot sit together at the same time.

@tyme yes , yes and yes to almost everything you said. Dont know about you but unfortunately gratitude thoughts are sooo far out of reach when im in a dark space, which makes me feel worse knowing that😣. the depression wins😢

Just thinking.. if you get into a habit of doing it each morning, do you think that will help? Like a gratitude journal? One thing i know with strategies is that can't expect only to use them when you are in a 'bad' headspace. We need to start off when we are in a good headspace and keep practising so that when we are not well, we are actually well versed in the skill.

Does that make sense?

But totally okay if it doesn't work. I don't do it either. I'm at a stage in my life where I'm down for a short time, but I can use self-talk to get myself out of it. @Dizzy4

It's definitely about doing what works for you. But yes... journalling is NOT for me.

Ok. Its worth a try. Thanks @tyme. Will start today.

If it helps, try this Gratitude practice @Dizzy4

Let us know how it went 🙂 Even if you did it in a journal.