About Journaling
How to Keep an Addiction Recovery
Journal
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? 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.
An excellent, supportive tool
to use to start an addiction
recovery journal is The 5
Year Journal. The 5 Year Journal
can be started on any day,
in any year. Already formatted
into three lines a day, the
day and date are at the top
of the page, but you write
in the year. This format is
especially conducive for journaling
daily the 12 Step Recovery
Program.
Use 5YJ to record a relative
reflection of the daily steps
taken. After the 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.
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.
5. You can use the same color
of pen or use different
colors. You can also designate
colors of pens for certain
feelings, i.e., green for
growth, blue for sadness,
orange
for joy, red for anger, you
get the idea. If you are
using the different colored
pens, write in the front of
your journal what you decided
each color signifies.
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.
For more information go to:
http://www.nicd.us/10thstepjournal.htm
Copyright 2005 OMDC, LLC All
Rights Reserved
About the Author
Doreene Clement, a cancer
victor, author of The 5 Year
Journal, and a journlaing
expert, is currently writing
a new book, Blessed, about
her life and her cancer experience.
www.the5yearjournal.com
Rev. Stephen J. Murray, MCRC,
the current Director of NICD,
National Institute on Chemical
Dependency, is an ordained
minister and counselor. www.nicd.us
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