By Angie Best-Boss, Contributing Writer
“This journal is mostly about my thoughts, questions, wonderings, struggles, frustration, etc. at the whole eating disorder recovery process. Will I ever recover? Do I really want to recover? Why can't I see what everyone else supposedly sees? If I could see what everyone else sees, then would it be an accurate perception? Why is it that the less I talk, the more I need to talk? Am I royally screwed up for life? Do I really make a difference to anyone in this world? Can I find the "real-me" inside of this body of mine?” - Sarah
Sarah, a 25 year old woman struggling with eating disorders began journaling after a recent hospitalization for eating disorders. Keep a journal. Writing a few pages about your daily life gives you insight into yourself and a chance to describe how you feel. Putting feelings into words, even if no one reads them, can be cleansing and provides a release from emotional pressure.
- Write when you have uninterrupted time.
- Use a comfortable writing tool.
- Choose a comfortable place to write.
- Date your entries.
- Don't judge your writing. Don't worry about grammar, spelling, punctuation or sounding "just right." The point is to write about what's on your mind and in your heart.
- Accept your writing and write from within. Don't be a critic.
- Don't try to write a story or a novel.
- Trust your heart; the words will come.
- Be gentle with yourself.
- As you begin to write, close your eyes and take a moment to get centered.
- Begin with a deep breath.
- If you get stuck, begin doodling and see where that takes you.
- As Jill, a 20 year old woman with bulimia explains, “Hopefully, writing a journal will help me realize why I am here and how I got this far into something I know is slowly killing me.”
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