Journaling is really easy it’s really about writing a sentence or paragraph about how you feel , you write down your thoughts. If your writing on a notebook or an actual journal book. I don’t recommend single papers unless you staple them and create a cover for it. A journal should look attractive so you are enjoying your journaling experience. You can be very creative with your journal. You can paste photos, magazine cut out of things your inspired by or just feel like putting in your journal. You glue flowers or paint in your journal. You can draw in your journal. You can use markers, different color pencils. You can write with a fancy pen. You can do a research on Google on how to make your own journal. You can glue and paste things in it. You can be very simple and just write in it with a pen or pencil in case you want to erase something. You can go to a free online journal at www.penzu.com We can start a little journaling here to get you started. I’m going to write my journal entry in here and you can do the same. This a shared group journal. I will go first. You can also look into journal apps. Evernote app is great you can write, add photos, slides, and audio plus many other features
February 27, 2015
Journal entry
I feel really better today I spoke with my son yesterday about the voices and hallucinations and he said I should really keep up with my vitamins and I’m assuming lots of water.
Don’t forget doodles
Doodling is great even a little scribbling, graphs, charts, boxes, shapes, anything goes. Please remember it’s very important to put your name in your journal or on the cover. Address, phone number and your birth date. The more personal you are with your journal the better.
Your journal is your privacy it’s yours and its important that you see it only because the more intimate you are with your journal the better
The rules!?! There are no rules for journalling!
True, lol, you got me there I just want to stress ways that would help.
On another forum a poster said she lets her therapist spend a few minutes reading it before their session. I could never do that, its too intimate.
Star date 13000002015.
Good day so far. Isolation is bringing me clarity and allows me to focus on other things then my illness. Things seem to be getting better every day. Reading sz.com forums just becomes more and more upsetting. I feel bad for the others.
Nothing more to report.
28/2/2015
Next year is Leap year just noticed that. Hmmm wonder if someone will ask me to marry them? Wonder how many women do take that tradition seriously these day anyway?
Realising how imitating learning the guitar is. Have my old music teachers all in unison screaming at me in my head “Practice practice practice!”
Finally understand the line from Bryan Adams Summer of '69 “Played it 'til my fingers bled” Not quite there yet but did check if I have enough band aids and I’m good.
I wonder what BryanAshley meant by say reading sz.com forums just becomes more and more upsetting. I wonder if I should ask him? IDK what if he doesn’t want to talk about it. Oh my heads about to explode.
Wonder if it will grow back like the Robot Santa Claus from Futurama with his anti- paradox thingy. I think to much. Coffee I need coffee. Must exercise soon but getting light later will have to set a better time for it.
Wonder if anyone will read this years in future? Where do flies go when it’s dark? Why are banana bent? Would we eat them if they where straight? Are bananas immoral? .Questions Questions Questions.
27/2/15
Ran around house in a cape today. 
Sad stories and delusional people. Just get more depressing.
There is still a lot of good stuff here as well.
We live in a dark world of mental illness. We all need to take a break from it once in while as it’s concentrated here in one place. I took a week off from here because it was getting to me a short while ago. Honestly mate it’ll do you some good. First rule of supporting someone with a mental illness is look after your mental health first and foremost.
Good advice my life is pretty empty though. This site occupies 30 to 50% of my time. It leaves a huge void if I just stop. Have to wean myself off. It should only get easier with time.
I’m much the same. I end up often having to change my password not remembering it. Making it very difficult to get back in. By doing much the same with my email account. Just stuff like that. Just time consuming to get back in.
Has given me time to think though mainly of needing more outside help. I just sent enquires to an off line support group. As you can never have too much support and I very much need more time in the real world.
Yeah it’d be cool to make some new irl friends. All my buddies are pot heads drunkards and musicians. There is very little overlap.
Thought I’d add here. Been posted before though I think(?)…
Journaling True journaling you’d be frighten to show anybody as has your random mental anguish. I found it great to get my thought together of what to bring up in therapy. A bit emo but kept a paper and pen journal with me at most times since the early 90’s.
How to begin mine was a suicide note but your journaling will be most effective if you do it daily for about 20 minutes.Begin anywhere, and forget spelling and punctuation. Privacy is key if you are to write without censor. Write quickly, as this frees your brain from “shoulds” and other blocks to successful journaling. If it helps, pick a theme for the day, week or month (for example, peace of mind, confusion, change or anger). The most important rule of all is that there are no rules.
Clarify your thoughts and feelings. Do you ever seem all jumbled up inside, unsure of what you want or feel? Taking a few minutes to jot down your thoughts and emotions (no editing!) will quickly get you in touch with your internal world.
Know yourself better. By writing routinely you will get to know what makes you feel happy and confident. You will also become clear about situations and people who are toxic for you — important information for your emotional well-being.
Reduce stress. Writing about anger, sadness and other painful emotions helps to release the intensity of these feelings. By doing so you will feel calmer and better able to stay in the present.
Solve problems more effectively. Typically we problem solve from a left-brained, analytical perspective. But sometimes the answer can only be found by engaging right-brained creativity and intuition. Writing unlocks these other capabilities, and affords the opportunity for unexpected solutions to seemingly unsolvable problems.present.
Resolve disagreements with others. Writing about misunderstandings rather than stewing over them will help you to understand another’s point of view. And you just may come up with a sensible resolution to the conflict.
Personal note: Try not to read it again if you can help it. Most of it is just the garbage that is floating around in your head. You’re just venting getting it all out.
Does make things complicated if you keep a mood diary, A general diary, day planner the list goes on but does all help.
Saturday February 28, 2015
My son mentioned a couple of days ago he is going on a mission trip and I think it’s about a week. He is a 9th grader. I will miss him. I’m so proud of him. I’m taking my vitamins and getting sleep it’s helping with my voices and hallucinations.
Sunday, March 1, 2015
I can’t believe it’s all ready March. It seems that there are certain days in the month when I have vivid smells that are strong chemical plastic like. I’m still hearing the voices with moving images. It’s really amazing how real they feel, the voices and images. I think it’s sad that the ill are made fun of or treated differently or taken advantage of because I think the ill are vulnerable to mean or selfish people.
Really I feel the opposite. I’m glad it’s a new month. Another milestone in time. I quit buying caffeinated beverages about 15 days ago and its been a long couple of weeks. With the snow, as infrequent as it was, things seemed a lot slower.
Weather should start to get a lot better this month.
Symptoms wise nothing has really changed… I try not to believe this telepathy business but it has been a constant presence since I got sick. I am noticing periods of more control and silence, but it still feels like a function my brain has access to. I don’t really know though my rate of recovery is leveling out. On psychological and hallucinatory levels. I’m all out of tactics. Only time will tell how close I can get to reestablishing a normal life experience.
I’m pretty much drained. I am starting to take interest in things again, but that is still a waiting game. I find myself falling to total thoughtless silence. It’s not a bad thing but it doesn’t satisfy as well as having entertaining thoughts.
I struggle to find motivation to see the world and people as they are supposed to be seen. My hallucinations make it seem like they are the same. Really they are vastly different and it should be a continuous mystery, but for me its not. They are just people pretty much all the same.
It’s not real… All this ■■■■ I’ve gone through… amounts to nothing. Still though eerie coincidences are an almost daily occurrence.
I want to wake up from this dream, but it is a hard wired layer of my consciousness. It is in my expectations and my memories.
This forum is particularly slow on Sundays.