[Orvel]

I've read that keeping a journal can be therapeutic. So do you keep one?

I wrote down my first day yesterday. I picked an online app, but it seems like every app has limitations or just has a trial version. None of them are free. Having a physical notebook is free and is appealing, but I fear someone will read it.

[iditp20]

There is an app called optimism, which is completely free and not a trial version.

I used to keep a diary that I regularly updated during the day. It was helpful to show health professionals what was going on, but personally didn't help me as I knew what was going on, and reading back on how depressed I was, was never a great idea

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Orvel]

Originally Posted by iditp20

There is an app called optimism, which is completely free and not a trial version.

I used to keep a diary that I regularly updated during the day. It was helpful to show health professionals what was going on, but personally didn't help me as I knew what was going on, and reading back on how depressed I was, was never a great idea

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Optimism Mental Health Apps for Self-Tracking

Is this it?

So you just used it to improve therapy... nothing else.

[iditp20]

Yeah it's really good cause there is a computer version and an app for your phone. You can send yourself the pdf reports and charts too

Yeah that was it for me really. I was in hope of finding the route of all the depression but it didn't really work out like that for me. It works for others though!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[kiwi33]

At the suggestion of my clinical psychologist I keep a journal.

It is an encrypted Word document protected by a strong password on this laptop which is in turn protected by a different strong password so it is very secure.

I find it helpful to write down my thoughts and feelings in my journal - that gives me a source of distance/objectivity about them.

Sometimes (rarely) I discuss them with my clinical psychologist when I judge that is needed.

[Blue_Bird]

I journal, I use a physical one because I like to write. I love it, it's nice to get all your thoughts down and it's a good way to keep track of things

I also use Optimism but haven't been keeping up with it lately, it's a an awesome site/app.

[TheWell]

I've been keeping journals for 23 years. It's pretty amazing looking back in them and seeing where I was and what I was thinking when things happened in my life.

I like having a place to vent out any thought I have. I don't want people to read them but if it happens it happens. I can only control what I can control.

I use leather journals and an ink gel pen. I really like the feel of the pen on the paper. It wouldn't be the same to type it all out.

[Orvel]

Originally Posted by TheWell

I've been keeping journals for 23 years. It's pretty amazing looking back in them and seeing where I was and what I was thinking when things happened in my life.

I like having a place to vent out any thought I have. I don't want people to read them but if it happens it happens. I can only control what I can control.

I use leather journals and an ink gel pen. I really like the feel of the pen on the paper. It wouldn't be the same to type it all out.

This is VERY appealing, but the number of journals must be staggering and eventually someone will find and maybe even read one of them. The next thing that I am worried about is desecrating a nice expensive journal with my ugly handwriting.

Edit: In fact, I haven't been using a pen for writing for so long that I forgot how to write properly. It takes me a lot of time to write something and it doesn't just slide easily. I am skipping letters.

[NWgirl2013]

Originally Posted by Orvel

This is VERY appealing, but the number of journals must be staggering and eventually someone will find and maybe even read one of them. The next thing that I am worried about is desecrating a nice expensive journal with my ugly handwriting.

There is good news there too. Your handwriting will improve with practice/time. Trust me on this; I used to teach handwriting. And it is becoming a lost art it seems.
I love journal writing myself. I do mine on the computer now, so I can type really fast, same theory, practice makes perfect. Also I like the privacy aspect.

Best to you

[gayleggg]

I do journal. My therapist and I are trying to track my moods and see if I'm affected by the change in seasons. I use DayOne app across platform: my phone, my iPad and my computer. That way I can journal anytime I have a free minute. I've been really working on this since September. I've found it can really help to find distorted thinking, as well.

[mountain human]

The next thing that I am worried about is desecrating a nice expensive journal with my ugly handwriting.

Edit: In fact, I haven't been using a pen for writing for so long that I forgot how to write properly. It takes me a lot of time to write something and it doesn't just slide easily. I am skipping letters.

Orvel, don't worry about handwriting, spelling, etc...a journal is not a piece of literature. The point is to get thoughts and feelings out of your head! They get stuck in there, which is not always a good thing. Let all your emotions and everything spill out on the paper (I too like pen and paper). I always try to end my daily journal with a gratitude list--at least 3 positive things I am grateful for today. Some days that's easy, other days I have to really search for the good, but I always find it...

[Orvel]

Originally Posted by mountain human

The next thing that I am worried about is desecrating a nice expensive journal with my ugly handwriting.

Edit: In fact, I haven't been using a pen for writing for so long that I forgot how to write properly. It takes me a lot of time to write something and it doesn't just slide easily. I am skipping letters.

Orvel, don't worry about handwriting, spelling, etc...a journal is not a piece of literature. The point is to get thoughts and feelings out of your head! They get stuck in there, which is not always a good thing. Let all your emotions and everything spill out on the paper (I too like pen and paper). I always try to end my daily journal with a gratitude list--at least 3 positive things I am grateful for today. Some days that's easy, other days I have to really search for the good, but I always find it...

We meet again mountain human

3 positive things? Seems like a good idea to encourage positive thinking. Thanks for that

[Orvel]

Originally Posted by gayleggg

I've found it can really help to find distorted thinking, as well.

I am beginning to realize this too. Today I thought about something I did, something that could have had a bad effect on my health. Everything about this became true just because the internet "said so". I regressed to my old fearful state for about an hour. It was so heavy on me that I didn't even want to write it down to my journal. I thought that I can't tell this to my doctor or anyone else. The world turned dark and heavy shame overcame me. I felt like a fool and that I can't face life after this. I snapped out of it and wrote it down without shame.

[TheWell]

There is an entire shelf on my bookcase that is just journals. I started with spiral bound notebooks in 1992. I go through different styles. It's not about making it pretty. I actually like when they get all beat up and worn looking.

I know someone will read them all some day. My friends joke that they are going to turn them into a book when I die.

What is interesting is I have two children. It will be a true treasure for them when they are older to have my old journals. My mother used to journal but she wrote in dutch and I can't read any of them.

[Chummy]

I kept one for years. But the last 1-2 years I don't really write that often. I tried to avoid thinking about my feelings. But since starting therapy again I try to keep one again.

I sometimes wonder what to do with my old diaries. What if I die before my parents. I don't think they would be a fun read for them.

[Orvel]

Originally Posted by Chummy

I kept one for years. But the last 1-2 years I don't really write that often. I tried to avoid thinking about my feelings. But since starting therapy again I try to keep one again.

I sometimes wonder what to do with my old diaries. What if I die before my parents. I don't think they would be a fun read for them.

You keep them hidden and if you die before them, you are dead you don't care. It's their decision to read them or not.

Originally Posted by TheWell

There is an entire shelf on my bookcase that is just journals. I started with spiral bound notebooks in 1992. I go through different styles. It's not about making it pretty. I actually like when they get all beat up and worn looking.

I know someone will read them all some day. My friends joke that they are going to turn them into a book when I die.

What is interesting is I have two children. It will be a true treasure for them when they are older to have my old journals. My mother used to journal but she wrote in dutch and I can't read any of them.

Well, now you convinced me . My first goal is to find an awesome looking journal.

[Ocean5]

I use to write by hand a lot (not anymore.) I remember people from school asking me for my notes from class to borrow - then returning them confused, and making jokes they needed them in English. Making comment about the strange letters and words (Russian.) Weird thing is I'm not good at other languages - yet I interchanged words in my notes. It just seemed faster and more efficient...

Now I journal (kinda) for what I need to talk about in therapy.

[neverwantedanything]

I do! Right now I use Penzu, which is free to just write in but I did pay for premium. It helps me a lot with sorting out my problems, plus it gives me a way to remember certain things when I look back on them. I like it a lot.

I liked keeping a physical journal too but decided I'd write more if I did it online. But if you think you'd do better with a physical one you could always lock it up so no one else can access it!