The healing power of journaling

We are often encouraged to speak about our problems with a trusted friend or relative in order to regain our sanity but one can also get much relief from writing down one’s thoughts and feelings in a journal. NET PHOTO

What you need to know:

  • We are often encouraged to speak about our problems with a trusted friend or relative in order to regain our sanity but one can also get much relief from writing down one’s thoughts and feelings in a journal, writes Joan Salmon.

For so long, Grace Kaitesi struggled with depression; however, she thought it was all in her head. “I was always sad with suicidal thoughts and told myself, if only I tried harder, if only I could will these feelings away, then I will be good enough,” she narrates. While she always kept a journal, Kaitesi avoided writing the truth about her struggles for fear of someone reading it; they would know her struggles and instability.

“It always felt overwhelming that I had to struggle and stuff these thoughts in my mind on a daily or hourly basis,” she recalls, “But I knew I had to fight this so no one would know.” The pain and fear overflowed leading to a suicide attempt; she felt that she had no will left to fight. It was after this attempt that she started though cautiously to write more honestly.

Outlet for emotions
“Through the many years of therapy, writing has become a major outlet; therapy can get confusing, sometimes painful and overwhelming,” Kaitesi confesses, “Mixed-up thoughts cut through my mangled brain, resurrecting painful memories that I had carefully hidden for years. My mind was like a fine chain necklace tangled into a ball. Writing has been the avenue to untangle the mess.”

Over the years, Kaitesi’s journal has become the expression of the truth, proof of her diagnosis, chronicling the twists and turns of therapy. Kaitesi can now envision someone reading it and finally understanding that her turmoil was real and not something in her mind.
“Whenever I am writing, I try to respond to the question, ‘What am I feeling today? Sometimes the entries are short and other times, they are very long,” she sighs.

Relief for depression
“I was depressed to the point of not wanting to leave my bed or retiring for the night as early as 4 pm,” Ruth Karamagi confesses.
“I am a writer and at first all I wrote about my condition were emotional rants; my life is awful, I feel horrible, I am unloved and unlovable. The only thing this did for me was enforce the negative pattern of depression in me; it did not help at all,” she adds.
Looking back, Karamagi wonders why her writer’s eye did not pick up the negativity in her writing. It was after seeing a therapist that her narrative changed; he sort of became her editor.

“I went for an appointment one time and said to him, I feel like a car ran over me. Then he asked me, “ Do you want a car to run over you?” to which I responded, “No,” “So what do you want?” he asked. Bereft for words, all I did was cry,” Karamagi recalls. Back home, she opened her journal and wrote, “What do you want? “I started to write all that I needed to say to whoever would listen; I want to tell someone that I am moving a step ahead, I want to know that every effort counts, I want to see positive change, I want to love my family. Then it clicked; I need to change my former narrative from the emotional rants to this story full of life and vibrancy,” Karamagi chuckles. She has never returned to the old writings; it was depressing to look at.

Vincent Karuhanga, a counselling psychologist with Adonai Counselling and care services says, “Journaling helps to release pent up emotions. In doing this, we ask you to write everything; you can even write to the absent person.”
Depending on what you are dealing with, say you have a challenge with someone and they are not in the session, Karuhanga says that they may ask you to write a letter to them. That person could even be long gone yet they angered or abused you; you write everything you would have wanted to say to the person.
“There is a lot to benefit from journaling,” Nobert Bwana of Physic Clinic explains, “It is beneficial to individuals facing personal challenges and those who would like to improve their efficiency in carrying out their tasks. I would personally encourage everyone to keep a journal.”

The benefits
When you journal, you get relief from emotional stress; it works like sharing your thoughts with a friend.
As you write your thoughts, you get more clarity about your daily struggles. This in turn gives you the opportunity to seek alternative solutions to them.
Journaling also helps you to monitor the progress you have made in addressing these stress causing challenges. Journaling helps us know ourselves better; knowing your weaknesses and strengths.