7 Ways Journaling Can Be a Tool for Suicide Prevention

Kathryn September 18, 2025

 

 

Suicidal thoughts often thrive in silence. When emotions remain unexpressed, they can feel overwhelming, isolating, and inescapable. Journaling offers a private, safe, and creative outlet for releasing pain, exploring emotions, and building resilience. Journaling as a tool for suicide prevention does not replace therapy or crisis support, but it provides a powerful practice for cultivating clarity, self-compassion, and hope.

 

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Here are seven ways journaling supports suicide prevention, along with practical prompts and exercises to begin.

1. Naming Emotions Without Judgment

Unacknowledged emotions often become heavier. Writing them down allows individuals to give shape to feelings without the pressure of explaining them to someone else. By naming emotions directly, journaling validates the internal experience and reduces shame.

Exercise: Begin with the sentence: “Right now, I feel…” and write without stopping for five minutes. Do not edit or censor. At the end, read your words aloud to yourself to acknowledge your feelings without judgment.

2. Creating Distance From Suicidal Thoughts

Suicidal ideation can feel like an undeniable truth. Journaling externalizes these thoughts, placing them on paper where they can be seen from a different perspective. This creates distance between the self and the suicidal voice, which reduces its power.

Exercise: Write down your suicidal thoughts exactly as they appear in your mind. Then, in a new column, write responses from another part of yourself — perhaps the part that longs to live or the part that is curious about healing. Notice the dialogue that emerges.

3. Tracking Triggers and Patterns

Journaling provides insight into what fuels despair. By keeping a consistent record of moods, events, and thoughts, individuals can begin to identify patterns and triggers that contribute to suicidal ideation. This awareness helps guide coping strategies and therapeutic work.

Prompt: At the end of each day, jot down three things: what happened today, how I felt, and what thoughts arose. After one or two weeks, review your entries to notice recurring themes.

4. Cultivating Self-Compassion

Many people experiencing suicidal thoughts are harshly self-critical. Journaling offers a chance to counter this inner critic with compassion. Writing affirmations or self-supportive letters begins to shift the internal dialogue toward kindness.

Exercise: Write a letter to yourself as if you were writing to a close friend who is struggling. Use words of encouragement, validation, and care. Keep the letter somewhere safe and return to it when suicidal thoughts feel strong.

5. Reframing the Story

Despair often narrows perspective, making the painful story of life feel like the only story. Journaling can help rewrite narratives by highlighting strengths, resilience, and small moments of hope. This reframing expands the view of what is possible.

Prompt: Write about a time you survived something you once thought was impossible. What helped you through it? What strengths did you use? How might those same strengths help you now?

6. Creating Safety Plans

Journaling can be used to design a personal safety plan for moments of crisis. Writing down coping strategies, supportive contacts, and reminders of reasons to live provides a concrete tool that can be revisited when thoughts of suicide intensify.

Exercise: Create a page in your journal with the following sections: “Warning signs I am approaching crisis,” “Coping skills I can try,” “People I can call,” and “Reasons I want to keep living.” Decorate or highlight this page so it is easy to find when needed.

7. Imagining a Future Self

Hopelessness often tells people that the future is empty. Journaling allows individuals to imagine a self that has moved through despair, which can spark curiosity about possibilities. Even small glimpses of a different future provide motivation to survive the present moment.

Prompt: Write from the perspective of yourself five years in the future. Imagine what your life might look like if you have moved beyond suicidal despair. What do you notice about your relationships, your sense of purpose, and your daily rhythms?

Why Journaling Matters in Suicide Prevention

Journaling matters because it provides a tangible way to make the invisible visible. Thoughts and emotions that remain unspoken often build in intensity, creating a sense of inner chaos or entrapment. By writing them down, individuals take an active step in naming and organizing what otherwise feels overwhelming. This act of externalizing creates space between the person and their pain, allowing them to see their experience from a different vantage point. Over time, journaling can foster self-awareness, build self-compassion, and create a personal record of growth. Importantly, journaling also provides a sense of agency. In moments when suicidal thoughts feel uncontrollable, the decision to put pen to paper becomes an act of survival and self-affirmation.

Integrating Journaling With Therapy Modalities

Journaling is versatile and can be adapted to fit many therapeutic approaches.

  • In cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), journaling helps track automatic thoughts, identify cognitive distortions, and practice reframing.
  • Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT): journaling can be used as part of diary cards to track emotions, urges, and skills practice.
  • In psychodynamic therapy, journaling offers a way to explore unconscious themes or early memories that surface in sessions.
  • Narrative therapy often incorporates journaling to help individuals rewrite their life stories in ways that highlight resilience and agency.
  • In trauma-informed approaches, journaling provides a safe outlet to process difficult experiences while maintaining control over the pace and content of disclosure.

Because journaling is flexible, it can be tailored to each client’s unique needs, making it a valuable bridge between therapy sessions and daily life.

Next Steps

  • If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts, know that support is available right now through the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

  • Journaling can be a helpful starting point, but lasting healing often requires the guidance of a skilled therapist.

  • Our associate therapists often integrate journaling into their work to help clients process emotions, reduce suicidal despair, and build resilience.

  • We invite you to browse our therapist directory and connect with a provider who can support you with care tailored to your needs.

  • Taking the step to reach out is an act of courage and the beginning of creating a more hopeful future.

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FAQ: Journaling and Suicide Prevention

How can journaling provide a sense of safety during moments of crisis?

Journaling can act as an immediate safety valve when suicidal thoughts feel overwhelming. By transferring thoughts from the mind to the page, individuals reduce the intensity of their internal dialogue. This can slow down racing thoughts and create a moment of pause before acting on impulses. Some people find it helpful to keep a dedicated section of their journal for safety planning, where they outline coping strategies, supportive contacts, and reasons to live. Returning to this section during a crisis can provide grounding and remind individuals of their capacity for survival.

Is journaling safe for people who struggle with intrusive or overwhelming thoughts?

For some people, writing down intrusive thoughts can feel frightening because it makes the thoughts more concrete. In these cases, therapists often recommend structured journaling, such as prompts that focus on emotions, strengths, or small daily observations, rather than unfiltered free writing. Guided prompts provide containment and reduce the risk of becoming lost in overwhelming content. It can also help to set a timer for journaling sessions and to end with a grounding exercise, such as writing a self-affirming statement or noticing something positive in the environment. With these boundaries in place, journaling remains a safe and constructive practice.

How can journaling help reduce shame around suicidal thoughts?

Shame thrives in silence and secrecy. When individuals record their suicidal thoughts in a journal, they begin to confront them directly rather than hiding from them. This process reduces stigma and validates the reality of their experience. Over time, journaling can transform suicidal ideation from a source of isolation into an opportunity for self-understanding. By externalizing these thoughts, individuals may realize that having suicidal thoughts does not define their worth or character. Instead, the act of writing demonstrates courage and a willingness to face what feels unbearable.

Can journaling improve communication with therapists or loved ones?

Yes, journaling often makes it easier to share vulnerable emotions in therapy or with supportive others. Many people find that when they sit down to talk, they cannot recall or articulate what they felt in moments of despair. Journal entries preserve those experiences, creating a record that can be shared selectively. In therapy, these entries provide a concrete starting point for discussion, reducing the pressure to find words on the spot. Sharing journal excerpts with trusted loved ones can also help them understand what the individual is going through, fostering empathy and support.

What if someone feels they are not good at writing?

Journaling is not about grammar, spelling, or style. It is about expression. Some people use short lists, single words, or drawings instead of full sentences. Others find voice notes or typing on a phone easier than handwriting. The format does not matter. What matters is the intention to express and process what is happening internally. Journaling should be approached as a flexible tool, not as a performance. The goal is to create a space where honesty and authenticity can emerge without judgment.

How can journaling support long-term resilience beyond immediate crises?

Over time, journaling creates a personal archive of experiences, emotions, and coping strategies. Looking back on entries from weeks or months earlier often reveals patterns of resilience that might otherwise go unnoticed. Individuals may see that feelings they thought were permanent have shifted, or that they have survived moments they once thought were unbearable. This recognition builds hope and strengthens confidence in their ability to endure. Journaling also documents progress, helping people recognize growth even when day-to-day change feels slow.

Can journaling be used in group or community settings for suicide prevention?

Yes, journaling can be adapted for group therapy, peer support groups, or community workshops. Sharing prompts within a group fosters collective reflection while still maintaining personal privacy. Participants may choose to read excerpts aloud, which creates opportunities for validation and connection. Group journaling emphasizes that while each person’s story is unique, many experiences of despair and resilience are shared. This reduces isolation and fosters a sense of belonging.

How does journaling connect with creativity and self-expression in healing?

Journaling is not limited to words on a page. It can involve poetry, art, collage, or even music lyrics written in the margins. Engaging creatively expands the ways individuals can process emotion, especially when feelings are difficult to articulate. Creative journaling allows for symbolic expression, which can reveal insights beyond logical analysis. Therapists often encourage blending creativity with journaling because it fosters playfulness, curiosity, and empowerment, all of which are important counterbalances to despair.

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