Journals - fuelling depression?

[coco81]

Hi,
My Doctor suggested I keep a journal, but i'm awful about remembering to write in it. My last entry was 20th August on a bad day. I just went in to write something else in it and reading back the entry on 20th August just made me depressed again as it brought all the feelings back.

How can I prevent this? I think not reading the previous entry is not an option as it seems like a compulsion to read it and it's the first thing I see when I open the document and I need to go past it anyway to start typing.

[Maddy]

How about only writing good things in your journal, the things in your life you feel grateful for or the beauty in nature that you might notice for example. You could also write the bad stuff on a seperate sheet of paper just to get it out in the open and then burn it or tear it up. That way you might feel uplifted by your journaling instead of feeling depressed.

[cece]

Journals are a great starting point but you need to take the upsetting thoughts in them and identify the thinking errors and counter them in a cbt TEA form exercise. Journaling gets the stuff out of your head and on paper but then you need to take the next step if you want lasting rather than symptomatic improvement.

[gtrgrl3369]

Please dont look at your journal as a negative thing. I started mine when I had my breakdown and still write it in it. I look back to where I was a year ago and I dont feel fear I feel so good that I have made it this far and can deal better with whatever happens. I like knowing that I have the power over what happens to me and not my anxiety. When I read mine, I can feel what it felt like back then and all the fear I had and it is amazing how far I have come. Try looking at it as a positive that you are getting stronger day by day. I am glad I started mine. Keep writing in it even when you have a great day to show that you do have them. After a while the good pages will out weigh the bad ones and you can see how far you have come.:yesyes:

[cece]

great input:)