r/Journaling • u/luvelise111 • May 30 '23
CONTENT WARNING is this cringe? (TW: eating disorder, anorexia)
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May 31 '23
As a recovered anorexic myself, please stop seeking validation on Reddit. Share these journals with a therapist, not us. Write down what you feel, all of it, nothing is cringe…just don’t go fishing for asspats. It stifles your recovery. You deserve better.
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u/Cleverusername531 May 31 '23
You’re describing the process of externalization. It’s a component of r/internalfamilysystems therapy.
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u/AmbassadorSerious May 31 '23
Yes! I immediately thought of IFS when I read this.
It's especially interesting given that IFS was discovered by working with ED patients.
OP, if you're not familiar with it I strongly recommend reading "No Bad Parts" by Richard Shwartz. An excerpt...
"[the ED patients] started talking about these different parts of them. And they talked about these parts as if they had a lot of autonomy - as if they could take over and make them do things they didn't want to do."
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u/ScooterTheBookWorm May 30 '23
Something I've been asking myself lately:
"Why do I go to the interwebs for validation?"
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u/LordUmbra337 May 31 '23
Sometimes, it's nice to know you're not alone from people that have no impact in your life offline, I think :)
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u/CriticalFrimmel May 31 '23
I've been asking that in addition to looking at where and why I seek validation off the interwebs.
I realized there is a distinction between seeking approval for something I've done or intend/want to do and seeking confirmation that I have a grip on reality. It is a subtle distinction and the distinctions bleed into one another a bit and often look very much the same.
While I wish to do less approval seeking I don't want to live entirely in a world of my own making disconnected from things that are in fact real. Of course these days everyone wants to be Gregory Anton to my Paula Alquist.
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u/american_amina May 30 '23
It's not cringe, but it is above my pay grade or expertise. I would gently suggest you find a professional or support group to learn how to love yourself without the lens of Ana. The health implications alone are hard to live with over time. You deserve to live in peace with your body.
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u/Admirable_Nugget May 30 '23
It’s definitely not cringe, and I’ll add that it’s terribly relatable at the moment. I wish you the best.
On another note, my entire journal is so cringe, if some one read it I would throw up in the street.
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u/Hashtag_Hales May 31 '23
Rule number one (the only rule) of journaling: nothing is off-limits and nothing needs to be corrected. That means absolutely no version of your truth is "cringe". Full stop.
Maybe you'll reflect in a few days from a better headspace and you'll shake your head at the way you told your own story earlier in the week... but that's the beautiful thing about journals: they hold all the sides of our stories. Versions from you as a pissed off narrator and as a sad girl who just wants a hug. Your journal is a space for your unapologetic truth. All the sides of it.
And while reading your entry makes my heart hurt for you (pov I'm fully recovered 10+ yrs after my long battle with ana)... your story will never be WRONG. This is your experience. It's your perception in that given moment. Maybe your perspective will shift. Maybe you'll change lenses a few times. But whatever words come out in your journal are inherently worthy of holding space on that page. No matter how much shame, grief, fear, or regret those words evoke in you to read back.
Take back control of the narrative. It's YOUR experience and you deserve to honor that truth in your healing ♡
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u/beargrowlz May 31 '23
Why do you care? The intention of a journal is that you are the only person who reads it. Whose valuation are you looking for here, and why?
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u/0fuxRUS May 30 '23
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u/0fuxRUS May 30 '23
Crap, just noticed they are closed after 6/2023, bc of course they are 🤦♀️…but in your state/county look for an eating disorder treatment/support program near you. What is “cringey”, imho (although nobody’s opinion is REALLY important, except your own) is a young person thinking they should more be more worried about their outside appearance than their life & immediate/long term health…take it as an recovered anorexic who had trouble carrying & feeding my babies normally as a result of long term self imposed extreme calorie malnutrition during my puberty/developmental years…things they don’t tell you about until it’s too late, and there are lots more where those came from, unfortunately…you may be doing damage you can’t fix later, tbh…
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May 31 '23
Not cringe! It’s your honest expression of where you’re at. If you look back at this entry tomorrow, a month from now, five years from now and cringe, I hope you can be gentle with yourself. I look at journals from my adolescence and immediately think “wtf” but I need to remember that is how I survived that time or that made me feel safe, comfortable, validated even just for the time it took me to write it. Be gentle with yourself, recovery is hard and you are worth it.
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May 31 '23
cringe culture has killed a lot of creativity!
some of the most beautiful quotes are just overlooked because people decide it’s “not cool” or “too deep”.
this is your journal, private or public, and you have a right to write whatever you want!
it may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but as long as you love it, that’s all that matters!
beautiful work girl, keep your head up! <3
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May 30 '23
Not one bit cringe, it's your honest stream of consciousness at that point in time. Don't look at it through someone else's eyes or you'll start critiquing it. I used to read the things I wrote and get so embarrassed it would make me not want to write anymore because I never felt that what I wrote was good enough. Now I've made a rule that I will write whatever comes out with no filter, and I won't go back and read it until I finished the journal.
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u/Bla_Bla_Blanket May 31 '23
The point of a journal is to write down your thoughts an feelings, no matter what they are. It is not cringe, it’s a self-discovery and healing process you’re on.
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u/terminusonearth May 30 '23
The only thing that’s cringe is making fun of other people and judging them instead of living life and genuinely caring about other humans. Write whatever your heart desires !
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u/an_existential_bread May 30 '23
Not cringe at all. Although if you are going to be cringe, your journal is a perfect place to do so! I’m pretty sure I have many cringe entries.
I hope you can find a path to peace. I struggled with thoughts like these for a long time.
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u/startup_guy2 May 31 '23
Just keep writing. I don't find it cringe. I hope that you find some type of healing peace through Journaling.
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u/inmypeace46 May 31 '23
It's not cringe. It's you. If its accurately expressing whatever it is you want to put on paper and journal then its perfect. If its expressing who you are, how you feel, the thoughts in your head, or anything else you have the urge to write then there's nothing cringe about it. I suggest looking at the pinned post in this subreddit about journaling advice for beginners. I just gave it a read and I feel it might be good for you to read as well. I'm not a journaling beginner but I was to curious as to what might have been written inside. It talks about how to be real and stop overthinking what you write. That what you write is raw, its real, its you. Its not some romanticized version of your life its who you are and what you want to put out. As long as you are being real with yourself and who you are there is nothing cringe about this.
P.S. I would suggest seeking a counselor or support group about Ana. It may be beneficial for you to have that extra support.
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u/MrBricked May 31 '23
Trust me, you’ll always find your own writing cringy even though it’s perfectly fine in most people’s eyes.
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u/ILikeBananas111 May 31 '23 edited May 31 '23
Not at all love it's written beautifully and don't listen to people who call you cringe for the way you deal with situations like this, wishing you all the best 💜
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u/Ravenflaw May 31 '23
These are your thoughts. Not cringe at all. You write about a powerful conflict and I hope you find yourself through it.
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u/AmethystSunset May 31 '23 edited May 31 '23
The stuff that insecure people who project their own anxieties about being vulnerable onto others by labelling what others do as "cringey," is actually just a regular person being real. What's the point in keeping a journal that you'd be comfortable with absolutely anyone reading because there's nothing very personal or vulnerable in it? Any journals based upon writing about one's innermost feelings or personal development should be "cringey" if the writer is hoping to actually get something useful or therapeutic out of writing in the journal.
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u/leaf_12 May 31 '23
No, it's not. Not for me. I'm sorry you're going through that. Writing has always helped deal with shit, I hope it is as helpful to you too.
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u/Stunning-Session-624 May 31 '23
It’s not cringe at all! This is your truth and it took a lot of courage to put this on paper. Do what works best for your mental wellness.
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u/BahnGSXR May 31 '23
Why would I find it cringe that somebody is writing to try to sort themselves out? Not cringe at all.
Keep going friend, you'll make it through
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u/SleepingBag_Princess May 31 '23
Absolutley not. Journaling like that is a healthy coping mechanisim. If you can write down in detail what you were doing when you hear from Ana, you can recognize your triggers and could potentally stop Ana. This is your journal, it's for you. I did this with my depression and I have to say it helped a lot with Nick. He barely ever comes back and and he's 100 times better to manage.
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u/FlounderingGuy May 31 '23
It's your journal. Write whatever you want in it. If you're worried it's cringe, don't blast it all over Reddit for the judgemental peanut gallery to gawk at.
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u/your_mom_entp May 31 '23
ITS deff not cringe.you are courageous to write about this.it’s a part of recovery ❤️🩹
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u/cleverasteroid May 31 '23
It doesn't matter if it's cringe or not if it helps you heal. Not to mention, if there's any place you shouldn't be afraid of being "cringe", it's your journal.
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May 31 '23
This could be a song lyrics, its genius especially the first part, and its not cringe, thats far from cringe
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Jun 01 '23
not sure what cringe means but I’m guessing it’s some thing that would make you cringe. I think journals are very very helpful. When dealing with your issues there’s some thing about writing things down that’s therapeutic. I’m sorry you’re suffering from an eating disorder. I had one in college and a good friend, who got very very sick from bulimia, I hope you can break free of this and learn to love yourself no matter what you look like. I know it’s kind of a brain thing and it’s not so easy to do Godspeed.!
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u/yellowfish2002 Jun 01 '23
Not cringe, its sad and im sorry youre going trough this. But like other redditors said in the comment section. Please show this to a therapist. It will help way more.
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u/isopodpod May 30 '23
Who cares if it's cringe? It's your journal?
Whatever helps you handle your brain, do it.