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Keeping a journal

Keeping a journal2009-11-30T22:33:16+00:00

The Forums Forums Tools, Techniques & Treatments Keeping a journal

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  • #88131

    devadmin
    Participant
    Post count: 25

    One of the things that saved me time with my therapist was keeping a journal, a diary of my thoughts. I’m a pretty fast typist and every day I could put down my thoughts in about five to ten minutes. Then reading them a week later, or a month later, was like, ‘Wow. Did I really feel that?’

    I have real trouble remembering how things were, and how I was, so seeing it in writing has been shocking. A lot of stuff, that I might have spent hours talking about with a therapist, at two bucks a minute, got sorted out just by writing it out. The stuff that didn’t evaporate was what I took in to my therapist and every time we see each other, she can really push me forward. It’s always the big stuff that’s left over.

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    #91324

    Anonymous
    Inactive
    Post count: 14413

    Rick, I have a lot of difficulty writing stuff down. I have very bad handwriting, and never liked to write, plus, concentrating on things was always tough. One thing I did do was start sending e-mails to my family (a support group is always helpful) with the title John’s Blog. I would write (very rarely, this was before I started taking medication) how my life was and how things were going.

    My family was very positive about this, never nagged me to keep writing, but did show encouragement. I am not a fast writer, more like a hunt and pecker, but it was something that made me feel mare a part of the world, and less that I was alone against the world.

    I do read some of the stuff later, and it is nice to see that I have gotten better in dealing with things.

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    #91325

    CherylW
    Member
    Post count: 12

    What I do is go and try to write a daily diary on my computer, (if I remember), to type my thoughts and feelings down not long before I go to bed. I have the worst of writing and I am continuously losing my diary book otherwise! It also helps me get the things that are going through my mind out of it for the time being so that I can sleep easier too! I try to make sure that I get everything out because if I have a problem with one of my family members, I can look back at what I wrote asap and determine whether or not it is really important for me to bring it up with them the next day! It is hard to get into the habit of doing it, but it is worth it, and I know that I have gotten to sleep alot quicker and easier by doing it!

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    #91326

    purlgurl
    Member
    Post count: 44

    I tend to judge myself, which means that when I try to keep a “journal”, I always wind up uncomfortable/embarrassed by previous writings, and I then throw them out. However, I am able to write brief “journal-type observations” when I am doing something else – like when I was keeping my medication log (when I first started on meds), and when I am keeping a food/exercise diary.

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    #91327

    Anonymous
    Inactive
    Post count: 14413

    I keep trying to do this journal stuff and only end up putting it off or making tns of files with small notes on my computer and it’s all a mess. Any suggestions?

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    #91328

    Anonymous
    Inactive
    Post count: 14413

    Remember paperwork is kryptonite for ADDers. Use oral strategies: dictation systems, voice recorder, even a wave file that can be downloaded to a computer dictation system. Even typing can be a chore unless you are good at it. Try not to be perfectionistic. Even if you miss a day or twelve, don’t worry. Just pick up where you left off. However, even before all of that, you have to ask yourself, what do i want a journal for? Simplicity is your mantra. Reduce the clutter. If the journal allows you to vent, then great. It reduces the clutter in your head. If journals allow you to monitor events, that is good because the monitoring is leading to change. But a journal for the sake of a journal only invites more misery.

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    #91329

    Mike
    Member
    Post count: 27

    Purl Gurl says when goes back and she reads what she wrote she is embarrassed and throws stuff out. In a way that’s good. That’s the point. The more you can see that what seemed like mountains at the time was not really so bad, and in fact either turned out fine or just kind of went away, the more you should be able to look at today’s upsets and realize ‘this too shall pass.’ I notice some older people are pretty good at ignoring the small stuff. And even the big stuff. When you’re lived through The Great Depression and a half dozen recessions since then, the current economic conditions seem less frightening. So part of my journaling has been to look back at stuff I wrote when I was going through my divorce and think, “Wow, what melodrama!”

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    #91330

    Anonymous
    Inactive
    Post count: 14413

    There is a software called The Journal by DavidRM Software’s. It is easy to use! You just have to remember to use it! I have been told morning when you wake up is the best time to journal and just let everything out of your head.. even the crap… almost like brainstorming..

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    #91331

    Anonymous
    Inactive
    Post count: 14413

    LOL, In fact I have about 10 Writing Journals that I hoarde.. many of them never written in.. and yes trying to journal I have to do my best to be consistant…

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    #91332

    Bettyboo
    Member
    Post count: 53

    Hi everyone, I was hoping that I could have a few suggestions. I have been really good at controlling a lot of my symptoms lately; however, money management has been very difficult. I find that I can’t seem to budget. I’m better but it seems that I save then it’s gone and I don’t have anything to show for it. It really brings me down and intensifies my symptons. I feel like i’ve failed and really I’m a very optimistic person; however, when I do something dumb with my money i’m not very optimistic. Boy do I have a lot of negative self talk…so I’ve been able to subdue the negative self talk but it doesn’t change that I don’t have anything in my account. I’ve asked my husband for help and he is understanding, but that again will only last so long because. Does anyone have the same issue? Feel good about yourself your controlling the symptoms then boom bad MONEY management brings you right back to where you don’t want to be. Let me know what you do, or site or book or something…download budget etc…I’m pretty open and feeling frustrated with this portion in my life.

    Elizabeth

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    #91333

    Anonymous
    Inactive
    Post count: 14413

    When a friend of mine was getting married she got a couple of Wedding Planners and she gave me one which I converted into a ‘Life Planner’ and it was the best thing that every happened to me. I’ve since set up a binder full of envelopes, and sections where I can keep paperwork, a calendar where I can keep track of appointments and other things that I have scheduled. The envelopes are the best thing for me, I punched holes in them so they are stuck inside the binder and I’ve labeled them and whenever I get paper work that needs to be filed, reciepts that need to be kept, etc I just stick them inside these envelopes until I get time to deal with them later.

    I’ve broken up all the activities in my life into ones that are Annual, Monthly, Weekly and Daily. I then have put them into their proper scheduling areas and then made up a daily activity list & weekly one which I stuck to the side of my fridge. I’ve scheduled in time to sit down and do my paperwork, which means organizing my ‘Live Planner’. So far it works.

    I have a daughter with ADD & an LD and I have a son who has Cerebral Palsy, so paperwork, scheduling appointments are a large part of my life and won’t go away just because I have ADD and can’t handle the organization of paperwork.

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    #91334

    laddybug3
    Member
    Post count: 226

    I love to write, just not about myself. In college my professors made me write a total of 3 autobiography I freaked out. Why would someone be interested in my life? One of my professors helped as I complained no one cares about reading my life. He was also advisor of improve music club. I had so much fun and grew so much too. He noticed that after the first five minutes I am ready to play. He did help me out, but I panicked through most of the project, after all fight for your degree is one thing. It is another thing to write about your life.

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    #91335

    Anonymous
    Inactive
    Post count: 14413

    There USED to be a site called Gabcast where you could call a number from your cellphone and make a recording. However, the site is being shut down, presumably because very few people have much need for that sort of service.

    If you have a webcam though, you could always do a video blog (I’ve yet to find the balls to try it myself) and then not show the files to anyone.

    “But a journal for the sake of a journal only invites more misery. “

    Agreed. I’ve blogged many times, but I had a therapist that wanted me to write only a few lines (point form) a day about my life, and I found it frustrating because I didn’t feel I could adequately describe what was going on in my head. I also felt pressured, and gave up after a while.

    This is in stark contrast to an earlier therapist I had who let me send him emails however many times I wanted to over the course of the week. The opportunity to email meant a lot to me because it showed trust and I could just send however much I wanted, at any time of the day, before the thoughts evaporated from my head. I’m sure it didn’t all make sense to him, but I had a lot of trouble at first verbally describing my problems, and the opportunity to write them down in detail sped up the process considerably.

    Mind you, I had to stop because I ran out of money, but kudos to the progressive psychologists of the world. :)

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    #91336

    Anonymous
    Inactive
    Post count: 14413

    I’ve tried keeping journals in the past, and the discipline required simply wasn’t there, and owing to my ADD, I doubt it will ever be. Now I do have a journal of sorts that I use to write my thoughts down, and I make it non-time-specific, in other words I write in it when I feel like it, and I write what I feel with no constraints on quantity or quality. If I write a sentence a year, then so be it. No biggie. This journal is primarily for me, and if someone should read it after I’m gone, then that’s fine, it’s a journal, not a book.

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    #91337

    Anonymous
    Inactive
    Post count: 14413

    I’ve been writing a journal for a few years now. It began as a ‘positive’ journal, writing little things that made me happy everyday as suggested by Oprah. Then when I felt depressed I reread it and it brought me back to the little things in life that bring us joy.

    Over the years, I wrote more and more about everything and anything… and, when rereading, began toring pages out. Now, I continue to write it particularly since I know I’ve got ADD. I see it like keeping a log of my ADD discovery and adventure!

    On the insides of the cover pages I like to write little phrases heard here and there that appeal to me.

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Viewing 15 posts - 1 through 15 (of 24 total)