Does anyone else journal as a compulsion? I can’t tell if it is. I want to journal, I always use to, but for a while now ive noticed that whenever I journal I am just going in a bunch of loops and rumination can happen and I’m trying to keep that from happening. I’m learning to shut down ruminating, but that also shuts down my ability to journal, and I miss writing.

Well, honestly yes this can be a compulsion if it's basically you just writing down all of your ruminations. It very much can be a compulsion. I would suggest writing down your feelings/emotions, rather than just writing down things that are engaging with/analyzing the intrusive thoughts. Try using sentences like "I may or may not know whether or not ________ (insert intrusive thought) but I have OCD and I will accept the uncertainty".

Try using the SOS feature on this app if you haven't yet, it's really helpful once you get the hang of it

actually journaling is beneficial. it allows you to get rid of your thoughts without really acknowledging them and gives you a break and less to worry about

I’ve used it as a compulsion in the past and it doesn’t work. Writing down your obsessive thought is okay, but writing at length about it is a compulsion imo. I would spend a long time writing about my feelings, what I thought, if I was making progress in my ocd and anxiety journey... and it’s definitely a compulsion because in the moment it made me feel like I was doing something to solve it. That’s just my personal experience though!

@bella @alissaa yes, sometimes I am able to leave it at that, only if I’m satisfied with what I’ve written or satisfied that I “cracked the code”, but I can’t always “crack the code”, so I would usually journal and journal until I “cracked the code” and then I would have a break. I can probably practice just journaling something simple. Like “I am feeling ____.” And just leave it at that.

Try downloading an app called thought diary! Helps you stay on track more.

Us with OCD looove that cracked the code feeling. Used to think it was just me ?

Not always beneficial though, you’ll learn