That is a good idea. But since whatever it was happened a couple of years ago, my writing, I find it so difficult to do. Another good reason to try this. Do take notes at a class i go to once a month as cant remember otherwise, but went through looking for info I wanted, and really, times i had not a clue what word the scribble was. That scared me a bit. So print shopping lists, and having trouble with that too. Even signing a script at chemist is hard and looks a mess. tried taking lessons in handwriting, then teacher moved away. Very little in this way on small peninsular I live on, and no longer drive.

In the first couple of years I was recommended to write things down when I got angry. It was a help but I don't think I was supposed to send on the emails. Writing to me was typing and I would type exactly how I felt and send it on to people. Yeah I lost a few that way. Of course I should have had some more control and for those who can just write and then walk away from it thats great.
I wasn't able too but I look at the poeple I lost now and realise they just weren't able to deal with it. Sure I was annoying but I was going through much worse than they were by getting an angry email of me and sometimes they needed to be told.
Actually maybe more of us should pay attention to the journal section in here. We could use it and others could help us as maybe that is a place to express more of our emotions and feelings. I still at times want to send emails to people explaining things but sure if they wanted to understand they could just talk to me but yes it can be good for those of us with tbis to get our emotions out on paper

I need to stop thinking about whats on my mind, so I will try this. I usuaslly try to write on demand and that dosnt work, so we will see what happens. I have been upset ythe past few days. In fact so much that I scared people. I wrote an email to my occupational therapist from last year. We have kept in touch. Not many people say that and mean it. He is married with 2 kids. . But after a year, he writes me back every time within a day. Anyway, I wrote about how badly I felt and I am a very happy person. In fact, he never saw me stay upset. I wopuld cry, but then start laughing or turn around and get out of it. I just couldnt getr out of this after a day, so he referred a number of a crisis line and told me to call it and told me to email him back. That never happened. So I shook out of that and said to myself , "ok, this is rediculous, you have to get some perpestive. I emailed my brother who knows me and loves me more than anyone except his wife and sons. They wrote a very articulate email and called. I felt so much better. I knew I had the most loving and warm family. I just had to decisions to make and put them into a timeline which is the difference between a dream and a goal. Then, I decided that my 1 friend was better than none. I had old friends that were long distance and loved me. I was cripled with paralyses but tough shit. I didnt have cancer and I was going to have to get over it. Well, I have my animals which is more important to me than people. I love animals. 3 cats and 1 poodle. Thanks for the idea. I feel great. I'm scared to read this.

I realized that I will keep thinking of things and will become a slave to this and it will stop being fun. I also thought that my problems are so complex. They go on and on and they feed into each other and turn into one huge ball of sting that is huge and inter-twined. It takes forever to break it apart. But the solutions are usually simple, because they attack the root problem before it becomes intertwined and you stop it before it grows and multiplies out of control. So, my problems go far back. I'm just putting them into a catewgory of problems and simplifying them. I am not going to attacvk the ball of yarn but the string. This is pointless unless it solves the present and relevant. I dont have problems other than TBI, sometimes lonliness, no visitors to my house, no support group in person that I'm going to which is something I can change, my friends at work that I dont see anymore that I miss so very much, regular people I saw daily, a routine, and interactions routinely.

Mr. Dillon, as some people here know , you're "preaching to the choir" when it comes to me and writing. Out of curiosity , I donned my winter jacket and went up to the attic ( where it's cold enough to see your breath) to retrieve some journals. I again realized that most of my writing in grades 7 through 12 was done in poetry. ( All rhymed and metered; I have 4 relatives that have books of poetry published, so it's in my blood) .The college journals were fun to read, and the one I wrote while in the Netherlands could be summed up "He loves me,, but his mom hates me. How can we marry?"

The many journals I"ve written since having tbis ( there is one dedicated solely to brain surgery ) tend to be filled with emotion, as well as just "what's happening". ( I teach adults who dropped out of school, as well as English as a second language . If I didn't write about them, I'd forget I had even taught). There are pedestrian entries , such as "the dishwasher isn't working as well as it should" that later lead to more emotional outbursts " I can't believe he just said we don't need a new dishwasher because washing dishes is woman's work". But such is life ...

Writing is necessary for me. It clarifies my thoughts and opinions, and even spurs me to do more with my life. I don''t think my daughters will ever read what I've written. However , if they do, I want them to see that I've done more with my life ( teaching ; work at the church ; games with the assisted living people) , rather than sitting and sighing about "what I used to be able to do " . There's that in the journals too, but I don't want it to be either the focus of the journals or the focus of my life. I think writing helps me in many ways . "The pen is mightier than the sword" , and sometimes tbi.

My physical, speech and occupational therapists were and are my great friends. They knew if I was going to make it through the worst time in my life and come out of the pain, and have even a hope of successfully implementing what they were trying to instill and possibly return to work as they were holding my job for me even though I was crippled with paralyes and had brain damage, they were going to have to give me homework and have me keep a journal of it so they could check it. Well, my brother took it further and checked it daily. I had 3 hours of homework a day. 1 hour per therapist. I cried, complained, journaled and had nobody to talk to but them. I didnt belong to this site yet. The payoff will be boundless. Writing down what I did was so great because I can always use the info. It will serve me always. Plus, It shows how hard I had to work which will always remind me where I came from. Plus, now that I cant go back to work, I will always know I gave it my best shot so I dont need to wonder with my bad memory.

Well, I readyour blog most of them , and I applaude your writing, found it well written and informatve.(excuse my keyboarding arthritis and wonkey key board doesnt help any.) I hope that oneday abookmay develop out of this. mom of a TBI man

great idea,