[StarsMoonSky]

i have no one to share this. i probably do, but no one around me would really give a damn. My illness is major depressive disorder, and i'm seeing a psychotherapist. i'm actually mad because i won't see her until next week because of stupid snow days. Anyway, i hope writing diary will help me with my depression. I just finished crying a few hours ago. i didn't even know why i was sad. it's just what depression does to me. i wrote on my door: "screw depression". i'm so helpless, but i thank these few people who listen to my concerns while everyone else around me run away from me when they heard i have severe depression.

[smmath]

I think that writing will greatly help you. It really helps me when I sit down and do it.

[Sadley]

Good idea, I think it will help. I started one myself, but I don't write in it as much as I should. I can't see my therapist for a long time too. She's sick. It will be difficult to go that long without therapy

[Webgoji]

Watch yourself closely when you write in your diary. One therapist wanted me to journal my feelings and thoughts and it turned into a bad thing. I would start to fixate on that bad emotion and it would build and build until I was ready to throw the journal across the room and find a dog to kick. So let it pour out, but don't let it build on itself.

[Rohag]

Webgoji makes an excellent point. Is your diary actually helping you? Have you finally been able to get into chat here?

[AsterDisaster]

What I try to do when I journal is not bi*ch about how terrible I feel or how horrible things are the entire entry. Instead I attempt to try to understand the whole feeling and pay attention to the whole thought in my head. Like feeling a particular way that reminds me of something that happened a long time ago or what not. ((hug))

[butterfly70]

I love all these ideas! I used to journal all the time and gradually stopped - I do feel better when I do but there are times where I did also fixate on that emotion or situation .. but force myself to then go into positive with how I can change next time or do different next time and what GOOD came out of the day so that I ended on a happy thought! I am just now getting back into it and trying to do 3 times a week right before bed to quiet my thoughts

[Diane23]

Journaling can be a great tool. Science has actually proven that those who write about their experiences actually heal faster from trauma than those who don't My perfectionism used to keep me locked into "shoulds" about journaling (like everything else in my life!) but I have trained myself to write whatever and whenever I FEEL like writing -- no shoulds. I really like butterfly70's idea - start with the bad emotions and move toward the positive at the end.