All my life I've struggled with ADHD. Because of this I've had issues with anxiety, organizational skills, time management, making big decisions, planning for the future, and more, negative self-talk, hyper activity, forgetfulness, inability to listen when spoken to directly, and much more. I was sick of psychiatrists and doctors advising me that pills will solve all my problems. Some helped, others were horrible. So I saw a cognitive behavioral psychologist. What I learned was to keep a planner or a book for all dates and times of future events, put all my negative thoughts on paper and write about why I feel that way, and brainstorm ideas to get around these problems. Journal writing soon became habitual. I found that I had higher self esteem, motivation, organization, and I realized how to counteract negative thoughts and think more rationally about conflicts. The journal writing hasn't solved all my problems, but I did not expect it to. I truly believe it was a good start in the right direction. I keep telling myself that I should have gotten started on this over 10 years ago. But I realize that I have so much life left ahead of me to make pivotal changes for improvement.
Congratulations! You sound a bit like me... I'm always fidgeting - I can never keep my hands still - have trouble listening, absolutely hate planning as a principal, suck at time management - unless it's for things I enjoy. But, then, that's how it works, right? Time management is supposed to encompass "everything". Anxiety, self loathing, big issues like that. Wonder if I shouldn't get tested... then again, I don't wanna go through more bullshit with medications. But, I seem to be rambling. Anyway, I'm glad you realized you can help yourself. Takes a lot of courage. And especially in direct writing, too - writing is a very powerful thing. Selective, perhaps... it all has to do to what it means to each individual... but it is a very powerful thing...
I'm happy for you, you've found something that works. And you're right: focus on the now and the future. Writing helps me, too. Including writing here. A couple of days ago, I was feeling awful. I'm going through a big crisis. I've come here, I've written a long post about it and it helped me. I didn't "post" my long babbling. It was enough to write and delete it. Good writing!
Pretty cool. Journaling and writing and scheduling in a planner greatly helps me keep track of my life and my thoughts and ideas!
I used to keep a diary. Because of hand injuries from long long ago, I felt blessed by the computer age. I remember using an electric typewriter, and that was ok. But as I found out, that does not keep it secure. Back in 2010 the pigs hit my home without a search warrant or my consent & they took my computer. And on that was my diary. When I finally got it back I was astonished to find that my diary and a lot of very personal files/photos/videos were gone. Fucking suck pervs. So now I don't share myself in diaries or journals. No different than putting it in the newspaper.
I also have ADHD and I'm also a writer and journal writer. It's helped me much more than a lot of the therapy I've gotten. It's interesting to go back and re-read my journals to see how far I've progressed.
writing is a good thing....just keep in my mind....yeah, right....it may be in the newspaper......lol someone found my diary when I was 15 or so....found out some very personal feelings and experiences I had, and then used that against me I was devastated so...i keep that in mind always
I think I was so devastated that I took all of my diaries up to that point and the current one and burned them all, and never wrote in a diary again. Now, I wish I had those diaries....to reconnect with who I was then.
For many years, the power of creative writing and drawing pictures has been the only way of documenting and preserving knowledge and new discoveries for future generations. That's good you have found a way to keep at it as well. I moved and relocated to a different town and city. Since then I've sort of relapsed from my journal writing and haven't been at it as much. Building new productive habits has been a difficult struggle for me. I've written lots of negative thoughts down in my journal, just to clear my head. And I've been reluctant to read those passages to reintroduce those thoughts again. A lot of what I've written down in my journal is a priority list. That was key to helping me solve time management issues I had. Maybe that can help you as well.
