How Keeping a Diary Helped Me Recover from Addiction
Recover from Addiction
We all have heard that “life is not a fairy tale.” My upbringing revolves around the same concept. Living in a family that seems happier in the gatherings was extremely shallow from the inside.
Have you ever heard of the expression “cracked perfection?”
She asked me when I was looking at Stella’s face, trying to figure out the life she wanted to leave forever. She continued telling her miserable life, which made her fall into the addiction of drugs, and how she is putting every effort to recover from it.
Along with the counseling sessions, keeping a diary is also keeping her healthy and happy. No loved one came as a rescue, and she knew she had to walk alone, but the courage was marvelous.
Let’s hear it from her because no one can put the words together with other than those who have suffered through it…
Health Benefits of Keeping a Diary
As my life was falling apart – given the present condition of my mind, a counselor suggested keeping the journal to recover from my addiction. I was confused the same way you are. But the health benefits of keeping this journal are amazing:
- It boosts my mood
- Reduces depression
- Increase Immune System
- Filter out my thoughts which keeps my mind active
- I observed Fewer symptoms of anxiety or depression
Mainly, my mind is always sorted due to writing the diary. Addiction has the main issue, and one needs to find out the ways to gain clarity in life. Therefore, the journal is the one way to getting away from addictions and focus on the positive things in life.
How a Dairy Helped Me Recover from Drug Addiction?
You might be wondering how it all happens, means dairy is a solution, but how? Yes, I had the same reaction until I had a first-hand experience. The feeling of having a mind with self-doubt, blurry thoughts due to the addiction, and the nightmares were killing me.
I was fading away slowly, and nothing was quite clear in front of my eyes. However, recovering from addiction wasn’t difficult after keeping the journal.
1) I gain focus on happy events of life
My journal started keeping me positive. Instead of thinking about the unfortunate events of life, I was writing and certainly thinking about the joyful occasions, some happy memories from childhood, and other memorable hangouts with friends in college. Now, I am the one with the pool of thoughts, but the happy ones.
2) I started maintaining a health/exercise journal
Usually, in addiction, health is the first thing to go down the drain. Through the dairy, I started marinating my schedule of exercise and diet too. Of course, I didn’t want to write anything bad about me in the diary. Therefore, gradually, my exercise habit started changing. Now, I follow all the healthy tips to stay away from any kind of negativity. I maintain a good record of health by keeping track of wellness.
3) I write about the positive things to reduce the negativity
I made a rule that I will always write about positive things. There is no way that I will write about negative and unhappy thoughts. So, I kept writing about the little things of life like the happy events and celebrations. It was automatically a great help in reducing negativity from my life.
4) Grasp of the honest feelings overcoming my fears
Fear is the thing that will keep you away from getting out of the addiction. A sudden change in you and getting back on your feet has a frightening view. But writing about my honest feelings, the way I have hated a few incidents of my life, and why I hold them for so long. All of it was now on paper and also out of my mind. I simply let these feelings go and enjoyed the sense of an empty mind. After a long time, my mind is not blown away by the smoke, but it is filled with hope and happiness.
5) The journal helps in keeping the record of mental condition
Dairy is like a companion to me now. Sitting in a Café, having a coffee, I write about my mental state. I keep the journal to calculate my improvement. Drugs are now far away from me, and my mind is not even craving for it. It is in the right place, dancing happily and painting the world in its way.
6) Knowing your strengths & weaknesses
When the clouds of addiction started fading out, I was getting close to myself. Through this habit, I get to be aware of my real strengths and weaknesses. Now I focus on my strengths more than crying about the flaws. There are also other ways to identify your strengths and weaknesses. Hence, talking to yourself is what I found more appropriate.
“Addiction is something that had me by all means, but my diary saved my life for good.”
Conclusion
Sometimes, we ignore small things telling ourselves a lie that they don’t make any considerable difference. But when you combine the little things, it can bring the best in your life. Keeping the journal was one of those ideas. It seemed like nothing in the beginning, but gradually I was pushing myself to stay away from the drugs. It happened, and I am recovering from addiction now.
