A journal can help you record troublesome thoughts and feelings while staying on top of your recovery. Drug rehab in Los Angeles is a great option for people recovering from drug addiction. But withdrawal symptoms, intense cravings, and low self-esteem get in the way. Here are five benefits of starting a journal in drug rehab.
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You’ll be able to recall crucial memories
You experience life. Parts of your brain assign sensory details to an event, and then a memory is created. You’ll want to remember finding a job or taking college classes for the first time. Journals let you capture daily events, so you have a source of inspiration later. One day, if you’re having a tough time, you can see that you went a long way, tried hard, and never gave up.
Identify changes in your thinking
Trust that learning to change your thinking starts with identifying patterns. Within these patterns, you’ll find reasons why you choose to think negatively. Are you close to relapsing because of a series of failures? Now you know what’s causing you to want to use drugs again. Thinking of trying a new drug after a breakup? There are common triggers for substance abuse and relationships are one of them. The more you know about your thinking, the easier it is to adjust your attitude on the fly.
Keep track of your goals
In recovery, you need to know where you are going and how you’ll get there. You need goals that take into consideration your strengths and weaknesses, as well as the opposition that you have to face. Journals don’t have to be all about what you did for the day. Consider making sections to list your goals and add another section to explain why you made them. Without goals, you’re at risk of relapsing and having to go back to a Los Angeles drug rehab facility.
Learn from your mistakes
Writing your mistakes down on paper increases your ability to remember what experiences went wrong and why. Putting yourself in situations where you might abuse drugs is a mistake worth documenting. As is, quitting a job abruptly or skipping a recovery meeting. Your mistakes deserve attention, but you don’t have to dwell on them. So, write in your journal what led you to make a wrong choice. Journaling is as much about learning as recalling and reflecting.
Gather material for a story
One day, someone may be inspired by your recovery story. By writing a nonfiction book, short story, or memoir, you’ll have a product that makes you feel proud and may give another struggling person hope. Understand that reflective journaling can make you smarter. That means improved critical thinking and a better ability to communicate complex ideas. Get in the habit of writing in a journal so you can help others later.
Drug rehab in Los Angeles is worth the time and money. Writing in a journal when you’re in drug rehab will make your recovery process run smoothly. Rather than dwell on the past, make the same mistakes repeatedly, or give up before you get going, learn how to capture your life and learning experiences in a journal. A life free of drug abuse will be waiting for you.