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Jeff
USA
68 Posts |
 Posted - 10/17/2006 : 06:21:57
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I have a 30-minute commute each way, and I have taken to talking out loud to myself in the car on the way to work each day, and then again on the way home. I am by myself so nobody hears but me. I pretend I am with a psychotherapist and I answer questions that I think he/she might ask me. It's been very interesting, but I have found that after I do this I have very little to write about with journalling. Is the talking-out-loud therapy a substitute for journalling, or should I still push through and do the writing in addition to the talking-out-loud therapy. My symptoms have not lessened significantly since I started on TMS therapy based on reading the books about a month ago. Thanks.
Jeff |
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floorten
United Kingdom
120 Posts |
Posted - 10/17/2006 : 06:39:06
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I would say do the journalling.
There's something about making it "official" and seeing your words in front of you on paper that seems to impact the subconscious mind a lot deeper than just the spoken word, which is lost in the air the moment it is spoken.
Chances are what you're saying out loud you've probably thought at some point in your head too, and that didn't cause the pain to leave, so why expect it would now instead?
Also, I think symbolically (and remember the subconscious deals largely in symbols), there's something about using the journal as a "receptacle" of the negative emotions, which allows you to get the emotions "out of you" and into a place where they can be stored without harm.
You mind will trick you by hiding memories and experiences from you, to keep you from confronting the uncomfortable. Having it written down on paper gives you a fixed reference that you can go back to and build upon. Otherwise you may find you just get trapped in the same shallow rut, going over and over topics on the surface which don't actually have much significance, just because they are conversationally accessible, if you see what I mean.
Hope these thoughts help you. Buy yourself a nice journal. I'd recommend "Paperblanks" which you can find on Amazon. They have beautiful designs which inspire one to write.
--
"What the Thinker thinks, the Prover proves."
Robert Anton Wilson |
Edited by - floorten on 10/17/2006 06:41:56 |
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shawnsmith
Czech Republic
2048 Posts |
Posted - 10/17/2006 : 06:57:45
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| Whatever works for you. Everyone has their own particular strategies. |
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carbar
USA
227 Posts |
Posted - 10/17/2006 : 20:25:37
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Well, I've def done the car talk thing at times, I find it very helpful to work out ideas and emotions. I don't drive everyday, though, so I haven't engaged in it as a practice like you. It seems like the practice part is important. If you are asking the questions that one would answer in a journal and asking them everyday and really considering the answers...seems like a helpful practice that is leading towards growth. Especially if you are asking "How did I really feel today?" and answering and acknowledging that deeply and honestly. Did you feel anger when someone didn't say hello, or insecure when you forgot something, etc.
Of course, the journal does provide a written record that you can look back on for guidance. Maybe you would consider tape recording yourself? Would you listen back to it, maybe? I don't know if this is necessary, but it is an idea.
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wrldtrv
666 Posts |
Posted - 10/17/2006 : 23:39:15
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| I'm a definite believer in journaling. I think the process of writing out your thoughts & feelings, makes them concrete. It solidifies them in your mind in a way that simply thinking aloud does not. But, whatever works for you. |
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MikeJ
United Kingdom
75 Posts |
Posted - 10/19/2006 : 03:53:22
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I think speech is a unique human characteristic; and it's a good idea to articulate ideas in a way that's convincing, to penetrate the idea into the body. Articulation also bridges the gap between the demands of the body, and the lofty notions of the mind. The more senses you involve, the more of an impression it leaves on you.
So I say why not do both?
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Journalling versus Talking Out Loud
