[swimmingly]

Hi,

First new post outside of the new members section, so please correct me if I'm outside of where I should be.

I've looked everywhere on the internet and found lots of little pieces of information that encourage me to try this as a coping mechanism for my therapy.

I am hung up on a lot of things though. I don't know where to start and how to be inspired to write. I don't know what is pertinent to write about. I'm not very insightful. And then, I worry about someone reading it. I'm a 43 year old man... and I worry about people seeing inside me.

I feel like a moron even asking about this, but for some reason, I think this would help. I'm racing all over the place now, and this may not even make sense. But see if you can make anything from it? I'd appreciate it.

My thanks.

[Yzen]

Mental Health America had a webinar on journal writing a month or so ago. You can view the video and download the PDF at this link: Writing Through Lived Experience: Writing to Support Your Mental Health Journey | Mental Health America.

Some ways they recommend getting started include:
* Write for 3 minutes about how you feel, without stopping.
* Ask yourself a question and then write out your answer and how you feel about it.
* Write a letter either to your future self or someone in your life.

You don't have to ever let anyone read what you write. It is mainly to help you think things out and I think the writing helps you become more aware of what you are thinking.

[Fuzzybear]

Thanks for asking this question. I do not think that a ''moron'' would ask this question. I hope you find Yzen's post helpful

I just write whatever i feel like. It's usually just a running commentary on my day. It's not meant to be of interest to anyone, not even to me. I just find the act of writing is comforting in the same way that couples ask each other about their day. I'm single so i don't have anyone to do that with and i find writing fills this void nicely. Perhaps it will be interesting to read when i am old. Or perhaps not.

I've been writing daily for twenty years. I write thru the day, every few hours, about a meg a year. That's a lot of writing!

Perhaps a university psych student could get a thesis out of it, on the thought processes of a bipolar. But if not, writing to comfort myself is still reason enough.

On the rare occasions that i have over-the-top emotions it's helpful to spend a few hours typing out my feelings. It helps burn them out. On the whole tho, it's not very interesting material: "I had a nice poop."

[FluffyDinosaur]

I generally "journal" alongside my mood charts. It's not even close to an eloquent diary. I like to use it as a place to jot down reminders and thoughts about what I want to discuss with my therapist next time. Some days I don't even write anything at all. Usually I write something whenever I feel that the mood chart alone doesn't quite capture how I'm doing or what I'm thinking. Sometimes it's just a few words about my mood, sometimes it's more.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, don't try to force anything. If you have something on your mind, write it down. If not, then don't write that day. If it's just a few disjointed words, that's fine too. I felt self-conscious when I first started doing it but that went away over time. At first I used to avoid words like "I" and "me" when writing to make it a little easier. It was kind of like notes taken about me by an outsider. That made me feel less stupid about it.

Originally Posted by whatever2013

I just write whatever i feel like. It's usually just a running commentary on my day. It's not meant to be of interest to anyone, not even to me. I just find the act of writing is comforting in the same way that couples ask each other about their day. I'm single so i don't have anyone to do that with and i find writing fills this void nicely. Perhaps it will be interesting to read when i am old. Or perhaps not.

I've been writing daily for twenty years. I write thru the day, every few hours, about a meg a year. That's a lot of writing!

Perhaps a university psych student could get a thesis out of it, on the thought processes of a bipolar. But if not, writing to comfort myself is still reason enough.

On the rare occasions that i have over-the-top emotions it's helpful to spend a few hours typing out my feelings. It helps burn them out. On the whole tho, it's not very interesting material: "I had a nice poop."

ditto this post.

I have been a journal writer on and off since 2010, and like the above post: I just post what ever comes to mind, how ever my day has been, I'll post about it- also like the above poster I am single so have no one to share it with

as for the fear about other people seeing it: you have several options

you could find a website that offers password protected journals and go about it that way, or, you could open up a document on your computer, and just journal their like that.

it really works for me, and I really hope it does for you also

[fern46]

I used journaling to keep track of my patterns to help me see shifts in mood or behavior. I made myself a template and filled it out every day. I kept track of my meds, diet, exercise, anything going on physically or medically, my activities, shifts in mood, experiences of depression, anxiety, psychosis, racing thoughts, my dreams, etcetera.

I found that I was able to see certain patterns emerge over time and that gave me the ability to plan ahead and have greater influence on my health.

I wasn't worried about anyone reading it and it also helped me have the details needed for better sessions with my T and my pdoc. In theory though it would have been easy for me to keep it someplace private if needed or do the same kind of exercise in an app on my phone.

I hope you're able to make it work or find a way to apply the essence of the concept of journaling in a way that makes sense for you.

I write whatever. Some times I'll just write "my mind is blank but I felt the need to write something down" or sometimes what I write is just complete nonsense that later doesn't even make sense to me, but I find it's helpful and important for me to get at least something out.

[LilyMop]

I journal quite a bit. It’s kind of a practice that evolves. I use an app on my phone that requires a password. I even post pictures of positive or inspiring memes. Sometimes the meme speaks volumes and that’s all I need to post in my journal for the day.

[swimmingly]

Thank you to all who answered my call! I'm going to bookmark this post, and watch the recording of the MHA program tonight. I also ordered a fresh moleskin notebook to write in. Now I have to get over my fear of opening and writing in a new notebook (Any tips for that?). I have so many weird quirks but I need to do something to record my thoughts better.

Seriously, you guys rock!

[fern46]

Originally Posted by swimmingly

Thank you to all who answered my call! I'm going to bookmark this post, and watch the recording of the MHA program tonight. I also ordered a fresh moleskin notebook to write in. Now I have to get over my fear of opening and writing in a new notebook (Any tips for that?). I have so many weird quirks but I need to do something to record my thoughts better.

Seriously, you guys rock!

Maybe... Have someone else write a motivational message or a message of love and support to you on the first page. OR... Start on the last page and write backward?

[swimmingly]

Originally Posted by fern46

Maybe... Have someone else write a motivational message or a message of love and support to you on the first page. OR... Start on the last page and write backward?

Wow you totally nailed it, @fern46!

[Fuzzybear]

Originally Posted by fern46

Maybe... Have someone else write a motivational message or a message of love and support to you on the first page. OR... Start on the last page and write backward?

Thank you for this idea fern