Diary

As a therapist, many parents often ask me about if they should read their daughter’s diary. Diaries are often a private record of a teen’s day to day life, or they may be more expressive and less frequent in their entries like a journal. Because of the private nature of diaries, this can lead some parents to want to question or read their daughter’s diary to know what is truly going on in their lives.

Think of your diary like a best friend that you can tell your secrets but never worry about back-stabbing or one of your secrets going out into the world. Your diary is a safe haven where you can be exactly who you want to be and get to know yourself more through the process of writing each day.

Everything seems normal, and then, you notice your heart throbbing, pounding, fluttering, or skipping a beat. You can’t help but feel anxious and might even worry you’re about to have a heart attack. You end up going to the doctor for a checkup, and the provider mentions your heart palpitations could be an electrolyte imbalance. Part of you is relieved. After all, an electrolyte imbalance sure sounds better than a heart attack. You’re also confused, though. What is an electrolyte imbalance,...

At your last doctor’s office visit, the nurse unwraps the cuff from your arm and writes down the reading in your chart. You find it odd that she does not say “great blood pressure” like she has so many times in the past, but you shrug it off.