Addiction Recovery Journaling

During any addiction recovery process and even afterward, support is essential. A simple, easy and proven effective way, that anyone can use to support themselves, is keeping an addiction recovery journal or diary. An excellent tool for recovery, as well as a great way of doing our, Daily 10th Step Inventory, journaling provides a record of gratitudes, goals, intentions, and the ups and the downs of life. Journaling is a record of our actions and growth, our dreams and desires.

Journaling is all about expression.  Writing down, recording our feelings, recognizing them, and leaving them on the page, is an excellent way to understand and figure out what is really important to us and for us.  We can realize what we are really experiencing.  We see what we are really thinking.  It is right there on the page in black and white.  Where is the fear?  Where is the joy?  Do my thoughts make sense in the real world?  Within the journaling pages and with time, clarity is easier to obtain and focus upon.  Then, after this processing, we can make clear, focused choices of what works and serves us and what does not.

Some excellent, supportive tools to use to start an addiction recovery journal are The 5 Year Journal, The Mastermind Journal or any daily journal/day timer.  By using these dated daily journals you can start on any day of the year.  These formats are especially conducive for journaling daily the 12 Step Recovery Program.  After each year journaled, we can look back at the previous years to see where we were last year, then two years ago, three years, and so on in order to assess our growth and progress.

5 Journaling Tips:

1. Start journaling on any day of the year.

2. Set your journal where you see it every day: on the kitchen table, your desk or in your briefcase.  This will help remind you to journal daily.

3. Keep a pen or pencil with your journal.

4. Skipping days is a part of journaling.  Don’t let a missed day discourage you.

5. Try to journal at the same time on any given day.  This helps to develop journaling as part of your daily routine.

By journaling every day, we make time for ourselves, and in so many ways our journal becomes a treasured keepsake. Keeping an addiction recovery journal can reduce stress, help focus and organize us, and becomes a good reminder, helping us to set and track goals. Comparing and exploring the different times of our lives is easy with a journal.

John Sheriden, LDR Holistic Treatment Services