Journaling for Recovery

Keeping a journal can you help you during any stage of recovery. Your journal can provide a safe

space for you to record you progress, accomplishments, as well as your setbacks. Journaling can be a private place for you to document your experiences and emotions in real time as they happen. By writing down, dissecting and evaluating your recovery journey you will gain a better understanding of your addiction and most importantly of yourself.

It is important to get to know your addiction, so that you can use the tools provided to you in recovery to overcome what led to the addiction. By getting to know your addiction your able to take the pieces of it apart, so that you may be able to put the pieces of your life back together.

Get Started

If you are struggling to get started here are a few helpful ideas that can help kick start your journaling process. Use your journal to:

• Write notes about what your thinking, feeling and doing daily.

• breakdown overwhelming complex ideas into smaller parts.

• Set goals.

• Plan out your activities.

• Identify what is working to help you in your recovery, and what is not helping your recovery.

• Chart your progress throughout your journey.

• Char your set backs so you can re-strategize.

You may choose to keep your journal private, or you may choose to share parts of your journal with your sponsor, counsellor or other people important to your recovery, to help you process your thoughts and emotions further.