Carolyn Dickman, Education Director

 Carolyn Dickman

I recently received the following email: "Hi there Carolyn, I was wondering if you could help me on something. I keep being told that Journalizing is a really good way to help with anxiety. The problem-now I know this is going to sound crazy-but I don't know how to do that or how to start. I have a friend that tells me to just start writing my thoughts. I open the notebook and just sit there and don't know how to start, where to start, what to actually write and I am so completely confused. J."

I have always kept a diary of some sort, when I've felt my worst I wrote many 'dark' poems and writing has been such a help with anger and frustration that I don't know what I'd do if I couldn't write it out as I rode it out. When asked how to specifically do journaling, I was taken aback. How do you explain something you just do? At first I too wanted to answer, just DO it, just sit down and start writing, but I sensed she wanted some type of structure.

I usually start with what is on my mind. If I have been worrying about something specific I write a bit about that. I try to keep in mind the things I've learned in the program: vent, choices, and commitment to solutions. How can I dump this, modify it, or what attitude shall I take? When I was going through the program I would read my flash card before writing and often came up with something that needed to be put on paper so that I could stop going over and over the same analysis-circular thinking.

I think people make a mistake when they try to write a "book" rather than just "talk" on paper to themselves. Some people just start as if they were writing themselves a letter, others write as if they were keeping a diary. "Dear Diary, today has been rough. I've had continuous negative thoughts. The worse one was, "I'll never get over this anxiety." But, Diary, I am proud of myself because today I answered with the positive, "I have absolutely no proof of that statement. I have had challenging days before and I always learn something from them. I am a good student."