I answered a post on Facebook/em and found a topic that could be good for discussion. With just a quick nonscientific check it seems to be about 50-60% of LWEM members are also members/active in the Fb/EM site so this will be redundant to some, but not others.
About 8 months ago an excellent psychiatrist I was seeing suggested I begin keeping a journal. It took a few weeks to get into the habit, but it has become a tremendous tool. Keeping a journal is helpful for facts, but for me a far more important benefit is the mental stimulation. There are times I'll be chuckling out loud or crying with dripping tears as I write to myself. I find it easier to talk with doctors, family and friends since I've been journaling (a new verb). In my writing I'm able to develop a thought process, refine it and understand better how to present my thoughts. It does take time, but that resource is in abundant supply in my life.
Maybe this is something I'll give a go, do you do it to try to figure out exactly whats causing flares, how you're feeling emotionally or just to get some of the frustrations out..???
I'm thinking that it could be useful for all sorts of reasons..!
That is a great idea to make notes about what causes flares. What helped get me started was trying to describe my pain. Sometime I'd write when my pain was peaking and other times when my pain had mellowed to a constant 9.5/10. There are days I'll write a few sentences or nothing; once in a while it’ll be a full page. I average 3-4 journal entries a week. Once an entry is "booked", I don't edit the content. It's fun to read past entries, sometime I don't remember writing what I'm reading. That could be caused by the years in my pocket, but I think it's because of my state of mind while I'm writing.