Gritti's Unapologetically You Journal (PDF)

How to use this book

There are many different kinds of mental heath tools and services, but before anyone else can assist you in your recovery we’ve got to become reacquainted with ourselves. Self-reflection is the enemy of emotional toxicity and trauma. For centuries learning to better understand ourselves has been a consistent message from many wise folks looking for purpose and fulfilment.

Nobody can know you like you can, but it takes work. You don’t just suddenly wake up and know who you are. Like any relationship you have to get to know yourself by asking yourself questions and looking for answers to those questions, and by making agreements/promises/oaths/vows with yourself and following through to build trust and confidence with yourself.

This is what is book is for. To get to know yourself again or perhaps for the very first time.

Along the path of life, we encounter challenges both physical and psychological and the more self-aware we are the better we deal with each challenge. If you’ve been through a traumatic relationship, or are currently in one and feel hopeless, ignored, isolated, dismissed, discarded, devalued, forgotten, or abused.

The very first step: Admit the reality of your situation. Important note quite often the first stage of grief is denial.

That is what this book is for, to be honest with yourself again or perhaps for the very first time and you won’t have to be vulnerable with anyone else just yet, just yourself if you’re willing to give yourself another chance. The trick is, you have to start really listening to yourself.

Any kind of journaling can help with this, to be fair. This journal isn’t special in that way. I’ve created this journal based on the format I designed to walk away from my abusive relationship cycle. I am a mental health coach, but more importantly I’m also a former codependent in recovery and along my pathway of healing I discovered some perspectives that very transformative and enlightening. I feel driven to share as much of what I’ve learned though my life experience on this topic as I can.

For this reason, you’ll find this book full of toxic terminology and mindsets to help you better understand how we find ourselves manipulated and controlled by people who seek happiness and security through dominance and control. Also included are my personal daily affirmations or mindsets that help me stay mentally grounded in the present and remain emotionally balanced when faced with disingenuous people to seek to use or harm me.

Another part of the struggle of self-reflection and journaling is staying with it. Becoming consistent with it, and for that reason I’ve added some of my personal hand drawn drawings. I call them my meditation doodles and they are there for you to color when you find yourself not sure about what to write. There are blank pages for you to doodle like I did or to use in any way you see fit.

Finally, I’ve included excerpts from my personal recovery journal so you know you’re not alone in your struggle.

My hope is that this journal will help others in the way it has me.