Journaling Is Therapy

During my second bout of depression, I was hospitalized. A friend came to visit me and gave me a journal. That journal became my lifeline. Each day I poured out my soul out into its pages. I wrote about the feelings I had pent up inside me that I couldn't tell anyone about. With each word I wrote, I felt like a weight was being lifted off of my soul.

I always loved to write, and I put a big part of me in my stories. I never thought about putting my thoughts in a notebook, but when my friend brought me the journal, it was like my heart was finally being opened up. My journal became my best friend. Once I left the hospital, I carried it with me every where. The best part was that no one read my journal, but me.

In therapy, my therapist had me start another journal. This journal was for positive things. Each day I had to write down something good about my day, even when I couldn't think of anything but bad stuff. Then I had to write down things about myself I liked. I found this very difficult, also. Even though I struggled, I continued to write in the journal. Writing in the new journal helped me see beyond the darkness in my soul. It showed me I had things in my life to be grateful for.

What I loved most about my journal was I didn't have to have good writing, grammar skills, or spelling. I could do whatever I wanted in my journal. Sometimes I taped pictures, notes, news articles, and comments from my customers.

I even started writing my thoughts and things that bothered me down on notebook paper and gave it to my therapist to read. This helped me communicate better with my therapist. Through words on paper, I could tell her the things that I couldn't speak.

Journaling became a form of therapy for me, and it can for you, too. You don't have to be a writer to journal. You don't even have to be able to write complete sentences. All that matters is putting down your feelings and the positive things in your life. It will help free your soul of the feelings you can't express.

When I found the light, I needed my journal less. I started to be able to see the good without writing it down. I still write in my journal, but not as often. The dark thoughts come less often.

I still look at my positive journal to remind me of all the wonderful things I do have. When things get difficult, I turn to my journal. It still serves as a form of therapy for me when the darkness slides in. Journaling helped me through many rough times and has helped me reach the light.