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Journal

I have never journal before. I thought I would start. I am thinking it will give me a way to get my thoughts out. Does anyone else do this?

Comments

  • JulietteBee
    JulietteBee Member Posts: 198
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    Member

    I journal, not perse to chronicle my thoughts. I journal because I love to write. My journals are more along the lines of creative writing regarding life in general.

    If you enjoy writing, you should give Journaling a go. Yours could be written more like a "Dear Diary."

    Have fun!

  • H1235
    H1235 Member Posts: 1,135
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    I don’t know if it’s really journaling. But I write things down what has happen. It’s more for a record. For some reason I feel like I might want to know when various things have happened. I sometimes include my emotions, but not always. I have occasionally looked back at it and wondered how I ever got through it.

  • ARIL
    ARIL Member Posts: 187
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    Member

    My most helpful period of journaling-type activity was when I was traveling interstate every four to six weeks to assist my PWD. I would be there for two or three days at a time. I worked constantly, but there was never enough time to accomplish everything—mainly because the situation was impossible, but that is a different story.

    My spouse encouraged me to write down my successes every day and send them to him by text. The daily lists were impressive, and I could hardly believe I had done so much. Writing down what I did—including investing time in talking or taking a walk or a drive with my PWD—helped me feel useful rather than constantly defeated.

  • Arrowhead
    Arrowhead Member Posts: 466
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    I started keeping a journal about six months after my wife was diagnosed, and I'm glad I did. Over the nine years since, I have recorded the pains and the pleasures; the sad and the glad; the serious and the humorous; the problems and how they were overcome. It's helped me keep track of her digression and to answer question that medical pros, family, and friends often as. I also keep a list of the most pivotal moments. It's been good for me.

  • Ronk246
    Ronk246 Member Posts: 30
    25 Care Reactions Second Anniversary 10 Comments 5 Likes
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    I have two close friends I keep current on my DW's experiences with dementia via email. I file all those emails in the same place. Three and a half years in, I haven't felt the need to go back over them, but someday I may be happy I have them.

  • Maru
    Maru Member Posts: 163
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    Member

    I keep two journals. One kind is in a simple notebook and I record the changes that I see in my DH. The other one is really a prayer journal…more of an open letter to God. Everything goes in that one. Over the years I have found that a great place to express freely and without judgement from anyone how I feel about things…the good, the bad, the ugly…all become part of that. Now, that we are dealing with ALZ, I have a lot to talk about, to cry over, to pray about.

Commonly Used Abbreviations


DH = Dear Husband
DW= Dear Wife, Darling Wife
LO = Loved One
ES = Early Stage
EO = Early Onset
FTD = Frontotemporal Dementia
VD = Vascular Dementia
MC = Memory Care
AL = Assisted Living
POA = Power of Attorney
Read more