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HellNY
130 Posts |
 Posted - 08/24/2007 : 16:18:54
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Ive got about 7-10 days worth of journal entries (honestly, I seem to do it a few nights in a row and then miss a day before starying again..I dont know how bad that is or not).
Im having trouble journaling. It doesnt seem very meaningful so far. I keep seeming to tread over the same things over and over. I write something down. Maybe a whole page. And then Im like "well thats out. Now what?" How many times do I need to write the same thing? It doesnt progress, it seems to just retread.
Then I note I dont have many particular feelings about the thing Im writing about. I feel very little connection between what Im writing and how I feel about it. I write about stuff from childhood that doesnt seem to matter to me now. And for things that I write about for present day, I dont feel "better" after Ive written it. Either blank, or "so what." My symptoms seem unchanged.
Any ideas how I can make this work better?
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armchairlinguist
USA
1397 Posts |
Posted - 08/24/2007 : 16:55:06
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It sounds like you are not connecting at all with feelings when you journal. This is likely to make it less effective (and is a sign that you may be in the habit of repressing a lot).
Try writing about something that really gets your goat in your life right now. Get into the anger, and follow it if it brings up related material.
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Wherever you go, there you are. |
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skizzik
USA
783 Posts |
Posted - 08/24/2007 : 18:01:31
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| perhaps it's time for insight based therapy. Theres something about sharing your past emotions w/ another that will send you into some emotional outbursts. |
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miehnesor
USA
430 Posts |
Posted - 08/24/2007 : 20:26:25
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quote:
Originally posted by HellNY
I write about stuff from childhood that doesnt seem to matter to me now.
Yes because you are looking at it from the adults perspective. Of course it doesn't matter now; but, imagine how you felt about it when you where that child. Thinking about it from the child's perspective and imagining, if you will, that you actually are that child may start to loosen up feelings about what you are writing about.
Realize that you are just beginning this process and that feelings take time, sometimes a lot of time to move.
It's important that you don't put a time table on it and get frustrated and stop. Consider that the child is scared and won't come out of hiding with feelings until its safe enough to do it.
If you want to persue this check out inner child work. It's not fast but works over time and with persistance.
By the way I had the same experience that you are having when I started doing this. Just felt a complete block from all feelings.
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Dave
USA
1864 Posts |
Posted - 08/25/2007 : 09:54:44
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Journaling doesn't have to be "meaningful" it is just a tool to try to help you get in touch with hidden feelings.
You may find that 9 out of 10 times you are just writing nonsense. That's OK. Maybe the 10th time you'll hit on something.
Perhaps instead of writing in a journal as a "forced" exercise you should write at times when you actually do feel something. Say you are pissed off at a family member for some seemingly silly reason. Write about it. Let it fly. Don't censor yourself even if it means writing negative things about that family member. Then try to follow those feelings wherever they might go. You never know what you might be able to dig up. |
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mamaboulet
181 Posts |
Posted - 08/26/2007 : 06:51:47
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Sometimes I think my writing background gets in the way of personal writing. Sentences must be grammatical, and misspellings are not allowed. Sentences should use active verbs, and not be run-ons. Subject and verb should not be separated by a bunch of other words.
Add to that my fear of being found out (I'm bad), and my personal writing comes out the way my snail mail letters always did:
How are you? I am fine. It is raining here. Tell me what you are up to. bye. |
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I look inward and oft find a blank. Is this you?
