[Eleny]

My T keeps suggesting I journal but I find it so difficult to do, which I think is resistance on my part.

Does anyone else's T tell them to journal? If so how often do you do it, do you find it difficult to sit down and do, and do you find it helps?

[Focus62]

I don't know if what I do qualifies as journaling, but I nearly always write after a session to remember what we talked about. This has come in handy too for times where I feel alone, and I can go back and read about a past session we might have had where I felt some sort of connection with T and it makes me feel slightly better. T hasn't told me to do this (past T or new T).

Past T told me to journal my nightmares so I did that for a while too, but it got to be overwhelming so I stopped. I did find that difficult to do, it was time-consuming and it put me in some pretty bad states at times.

The current "journaling" I just do it because I want to. I don't journal every day or anything, just after session. I guess my journaling isn't really full of feelings which is probably what you're referring to? It's just a statement of facts for me, with some feelings snuck in there, like a comment on a look my T gave me when I said this or that, or a question she asked me that made me feel strange or that I had a knee-jerk reaction too. Maybe start out by just writing once a week and seeing how it affects you? I have found that it gives me a lot of new things to talk about the next session, when I objectively look at my reactions to some of the questions she asks me.

My T is of two minds on journalling. He thought I needed to journal more. You'd think I would like to journal being an English teacher, but I really am completely ambivalent about it for myself. I'm not one to want to stew over my thought and feelings all the time, so it just seems like I have to force myself.

On the other hand, he had my husband limit the amount of time he was journalling. In my husband's case, he was getting kind of obsessive about it and journalling rather than directly communicating. He was getting stuck in his head and his thoughts just kept spiralling. Journalling was counterproductive for him.

[stopdog]

I write in the form of letters or short stories. I find writing helps me - but the form does matter - I can't just sit and write my thoughts - I have to have more form so I picked letters (I love epistolary novels so it made sense to me to use that form). Writing was not a suggestion from the therapist - just something I have found useful on my own.

Mine suggested it once, but never pushed it because I have a fear of writing. Fast forward to today, post therapy 2 plus years. Last month, I got a gift from my ex therapist, a journal. The gift was accepted with appreciation, because of what my life entails now. Last week, I took it out of my suitcase, and set it on a shelf, thinking, one day — I'll get around to it.

My distaste for journaling goes back to my mom reading, and using against me what I wrote at 10 in my journal. I knew she was snooping, so I wrote about getting high on various substances. Her unnecessary worry was rightly deserved. I never even came upon marijuana until I was 18, on a senior class trip to Disney in Florida.

It's okay to say no, I don't want to.

[AllHeart]

Originally Posted by Eleny

My T keeps suggesting I journal but I find it so difficult to do, which I think is resistance on my part.

Does anyone else's T tell them to journal? If so how often do you do it, do you find it difficult to sit down and do, and do you find it helps?

My t always tells me that if you are having resistance, you're doing something right.

When I first started to journal, it was hard. I wrote like one or two generic sentences. Didn't want to do it cuz I really didn't know how to do it. It wasn't long before I caught on and looked forward to writing a couple pages a day in the journal. It's been helpful to just write out my thoughts and feelings. I actually read some of my journal entries from a couple of years ago just the other day. It was nice to see how much progress I've made since then. Good luck!

[ilikecats]

I journal sometimes, though not because my T said to. I think it's helpful to do, and I usually feel pretty good after I do it. Something that helps me sit down and do it is to have no expectations on what I journal about, or how long my writing is. I just write whatever I think of, sorta like a stream of consciousness thing. For a little while I was doing it every day, but lately it's been every couple of weeks. I want to get back to doing it more often because I do enjoy it.

[Cinnamon_Stick]

I find journaling about my sessions really helpful. I record my sessions but I also write down everything that is said in my journal. My T suggested I journal after I had already been doing it and she is so happy I have been doing it and how much it helps me. I do love to write and I love to write about my therapy. I also have another journal where I write down my thoughts on my sessions. Its very helpful.

[laxer12]

My T suggested it my first session and she commented that I got really tense when she said that...clearly journaling isn't my thing but it has been helpful for me in the past. In high school I was in a class that required us to journal twice a week, it could be about literally anything and my teacher would read them at the end of the week. At that time in my life, I had never told anyone about some childhood trauma so I actually wrote about it for my first journal entry. I really enjoyed journaling then because it was easier for me to say stuff via writing and I really needed someone in my life who would listen to me. The fact that my teacher read it was what I really liked about it.

I don't really journal now. I'll write some stuff after every session and when my T encourages me to think about something during the next week, I will usually write about it a few times to help me remember and process it, usually in the form of lists.

Journaling has its place but for me, it is more in list form or as notes after sessions.

[junkDNA]

in the beginning, i would swap journals with T. he bought me 2 journals and i would swap them out with him. it helped me talk about things i couldnt verbalize yet

[divine1966]

I never journal and in fact can't stand it. My t never suggested it either. If you find it helpful then why not?

Ps I do make to do lists at work on occasion as otherwise I might forget like meeting with so and so at 12:30. Other than that no writing for me. For a big reader like me it is kind of funny how much I hate writing

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I have 2 sets of journals, one for dreams and the other is everything else. I started them both at t's suggestion and have continued ever since because they are valuable for me. I have a good-size box of filled spiral notebooks from my so far 4 + years w current t. I do go back and read them from time to time and it's fascinating to see my growth progress.

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[88Butterfly88]

I find journaling helpful. I have an art therapist so she tells me to keep an art journal. I also do regular journaling. I think therapists like it because they want to know how your week was and not just how you are the time you are at their office.

[nicoleflynn]

I have written my memoir and a poetry book, so as a I writer, I like to journal....do what feels right for you. I don't journal much, because I have no problem talking! LOL

[spring2014]

Originally Posted by Eleny

My T keeps suggesting I journal but I find it so difficult to do, which I think is resistance on my part.

Does anyone else's T tell them to journal? If so how often do you do it, do you find it difficult to sit down and do, and do you find it helps?

hi Eleny ,
my therapist told me to journal all the time . I do it if I can every day and at night . I would turn on some relaxing music to help you ease into journaling .Journaling helps me to clear my mind out and helps me to express my feelings. the journal acts like a second " therapist" . it doesn't talk back at you or put you down . it is a tool to have for when you're in between sessions like me . im in between sessions right now with my therapist until March 10 . it's a way to have something written down so that you and your therapist can discuss what's on your mind and your feelings .



Diagnosis: Anxiety and depression
meds : Cymbalta 60 mgs at night
Vistrail 2 25 mgs daily for anxiety prn
50 mgs at night for insomnia with an additional 25 mgs=75 mgs when up past 1:00 in the morning

[missbella]

I did journal and found it useless. I don't need help self obsessing.