Journaling is Cheaper than Therapy, Part 1

Did you ever keep a diary? Like many young girls, I did. What a special treat to spend time alone with my thoughts and my diary. For a few precious moments I was in a safe place, able to express myself without being corrected, challenged, embarrassed, or exposed.

 "Journaling therapy" was already working for me and I didn't even know what it was!

"Cheaper than therapy" is a term that people use, often jokingly. I grew up in the sixties when it cost a lot of extra money to talk long distance on your phone. In my family, we used to make the excuse about indulging in long-distance phone calls that it was "cheaper than therapy". And it was!

MY PERSONAL WRITING HISTORY

I have been a letter writer for years. I had a pen pal when I was young plus I had a special aunt and uncle that I wrote to regularly. Writing to them helped me express thoughts I didn’t even realize I had until they were on paper. I always felt good after writing a letter. I guess that writing was therapeutic then, even though I didn’t know it at the time.

When I left home to go to university, I wrote my parents frequently, telling them all about my new life. Those letters became 'journaling therapy' for me even though I didn't need therapy (yet!) and I'm glad my mother kept them. They are a window on my life at that time and something precious for my daughters to have.

But I was much younger then and had no symptoms of depression. I was full of hope and new ideas. It was easy to write. Not so easy when you are in a depressive state. And yet it can be a really good resource down the road.

WHAT IS YOUR WRITING HISTORY?

How about you? Has writing ever been a habit for you? Do you have positive or negative experiences with writing?

Journaling doesn't sound as easy as talking on the phone to someone you love does it? Journaling sounds like work, right? And you know what? When you are depressed it is work. Well, when we are depressed everything is work.

WHY JOURNAL?

1. It's good for you, getting your thoughts out instead of keeping them in.

2. You can make a record of your thoughts, good for future reference.

3. You will get your hand and mind connection working and that creates different brain waves and so different moods.

4. It will make you feel like you are actually doing something about your mental health, actively taking a positive position, instead of passively letting it consume you.

5. It will give you a feeling of accomplishment.

6. A journal is concrete, depression is abstract. Concrete can trump abstract!

WRITING A DEPRESSION JOURNAL (isn't that a little depressing?)

Depression is hard. That's why I'm writing. That's why you're reading this. Journaling is just one step you can take toward making it less hard. Don't get discouraged as you attempt this. You will get better at it if you persevere.

If the thoughts of writing in a journal overwhelm you, stay with me because I have more good ways of journaling to share with you in the days ahead. Trust me, I've got some easy tricks.

If you're reading this blog because you live with depression, then I encourage you to stick with me as I share more benefits journaling could have for YOU.
In the next few posts, we will share some convincing research that will make you want to run out, buy a notebook and start experiencing your own journaling therapy!

JOURNALING FOR DEPRESSION

Journaling is a known method for recording thoughts and feelings. Part of depression is being deluged by those thoughts and feelings. Sometimes that is referred to as 'racing thoughts'.You can't seem to stop yourself from thinking about the same negative things, over and over again. Journaling can be a way of getting those thoughts out of your head.

WHAT ABOUT ME? Do I journal? Sort of. I have a fairly faithful morning routine, which started long before depression came into my life. I sit down with my bible and my prayer journal and jot down a few things. After living with depression for so long  I start with a simple check list: sleep, food, mood, mind, body, yesterday, today and tomorrow. I make a note beside each of those things. And then I also have a notebook I keep just to record my depression progress now and then. I don't write in it very often anymore, but about every four months I jot down my mood and read what I wrote the last time. 

WHAT ABOUT YOU? Do you journal? Have you ever been advised to journal? Does this post do anything to make you think that maybe 'journaling therapy' might be a good depression getaway strategy for you?

Next time I will give you even more convincing information on the benefits of journaling.

Don't give up. You are not alone. I'm praying for you. There is hope for depression!