
SCARS Institute’s Encyclopedia of Scams™ Published Continuously for 25 Years

The Power of Journaling in Your Scam Recovery
For Scam Victims
A SCARS Self-Help Recovery Program Guide
SCARS BLUE BOOK
Survivor’s Recovery Journal
A Scam Victim’s Self-Help Recovery Journal (Click to View)
Give yourself the perfect tool to measure and track your recovery progress while getting the therapeutic benefit of journaling!
This official SCARS Self-Help Recovery Program Journal allows you to record your journey day by day, to be able to look back and see your progress, and measure your achievements. While this is a difficult time in your life, it will get better in time and journaling is an important way to help you through many of those moments, but also to show yourself how strong you are!
The Official SCARS BLUE BOOK is your way of recording this struggle and help yourself through it,
- 60 pages
- Paperback
- 6×9 inches
- Binding type: Perfect Bound
- Specially Created for Scam Victims
- Designed by SCARS
Your Survivor’s Journey And Your Journal
Journey & Journal share a similar Latin root that translates to “of one day.”
The concept of approaching recovery one day at a time dovetails beautifully with the practice of recording daily journal entries while traveling along this life-affirming journey to recover from your relationship scam experience.
Journaling is a Powerful Recovery Tool
Journaling is a powerful recovery tool that not only allows you to reflect on and record the many facets of your journey but also performs double duty as an aid for processing emotions. Whether the entries are ever revisited again is not important. What makes journaling so therapeutic is its function to heal the spirit.
In addition, keeping a journal is a highly effective coping tool for managing stress and reducing trauma. In recovery, every single action taken to manage stress and anxiety provides greater emotional stability, so journaling should have a prominent place in that toolbox.
Journaling for Long-Term Recovery
Recovery from relationship scams can be a lengthy process during which there will be triumphs and challenges encountered along the way. The self-reflective process of journaling provides a safe place to vent feelings of frustration, fear, or disappointment. Just getting negative emotions out of your head and onto paper, where feelings can be described and parsed, will significantly defuse their impact.
As a counterbalance, journaling also offers you an opportunity to describe goals achieved, such as recovery milestones, to count the many blessings that may otherwise be taken for granted. In writing about your positive experiences the journal avoids becoming a dumping ground for negativity.
The journal you keep is your very own creation that can evolve any way you prefer. Even the journal itself can be an expression of your personality. Taking up journaling for long-term recovery will provide documentation of your own unique journey to wellness. Someday you may look back in wonder at all the challenges you were able to overcome, taking just one day at a time.
Benefits of Journaling in Recovery
How does jotting down daily musings help propel success in recovery?
The benefits of journaling are many, including:
- Looking back while moving forward. Because journaling is about recording thoughts, feelings, and events that have transpired since the last entry, it is primarily a tool for reviewing what has already happened. However, keeping a journal is also an excellent tool for setting goals, be they life goals, recovery goals, business goals, or fitness goals. Tracking the recent past through journaling is therapeutic, but setting goals and documenting the process of achieving them is thrilling.
- Self-talk therapy. Anyone who has ever participated in psychotherapy, in either individual or group formats, understands the benefit of talking things out. Keeping a journal provides a therapy-like tool where you can safely talk (write) out the things that are on your mind while focusing on the feelings attached to them. This not only reduces the weight of the issue of the moment but also helps you identify any emotional responses or negative attitudes associated with the event, giving you the choice to just let it go. Journaling also provides the opportunity to jot down self-affirming reflections that help cultivate self-esteem and positivity in recovery.
- Keeps recovery in check. Maintaining a sustained recovery is paramount. Sometimes, through the process of reflecting in a journal, it becomes evident that your recovery may be facing some challenges. Journaling can reveal a concerning trend that could signal the signs of relapse, such as neglecting meetings or therapy sessions or the increasing symptoms of a mental health issue. Just seeing the signs on paper can help you recognize the danger signals and motivate you to recommit to prioritizing recovery.
A successful recovery outcome relies on employing assorted proven strategies that help reinforce the commitment to sobriety. Journaling is one of those helpful strategies that, when combined with other continuing care efforts, can positively impact personal growth while elevating the recovery journey experience.
The SCARS Survivor’s Journal
SCARS has created a journal specifically designed for scam victims to help them through this process. This helps you record your emotional stat day by day, and how long it has been since your scam has ended.
You can use it as a part of your self-directed recovery, or as a part of a SCARS Support Group Program. Either way, this will help you make it through each day.
The SCARS Official Blue Book – Survivor’s Journal is available on the SCARS Store – click here!
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Important Information for New Scam Victims
- Please visit www.ScamVictimsSupport.org – a SCARS Website for New Scam Victims & Sextortion Victims
- Enroll in FREE SCARS Scam Survivor’s School now at www.SCARSeducation.org
- Please visit www.ScamPsychology.org – to more fully understand the psychological concepts involved in scams and scam victim recovery
If you are looking for local trauma counselors please visit counseling.AgainstScams.org or join SCARS for our counseling/therapy benefit: membership.AgainstScams.org
If you need to speak with someone now, you can dial 988 or find phone numbers for crisis hotlines all around the world here: www.opencounseling.com/suicide-hotlines
A Note About Labeling!
We often use the term ‘scam victim’ in our articles, but this is a convenience to help those searching for information in search engines like Google. It is just a convenience and has no deeper meaning. If you have come through such an experience, YOU are a Survivor! It was not your fault. You are not alone! Axios!
A Question of Trust
At the SCARS Institute, we invite you to do your own research on the topics we speak about and publish, Our team investigates the subject being discussed, especially when it comes to understanding the scam victims-survivors experience. You can do Google searches but in many cases, you will have to wade through scientific papers and studies. However, remember that biases and perspectives matter and influence the outcome. Regardless, we encourage you to explore these topics as thoroughly as you can for your own awareness.
Statement About Victim Blaming
Some of our articles discuss various aspects of victims. This is both about better understanding victims (the science of victimology) and their behaviors and psychology. This helps us to educate victims/survivors about why these crimes happened and to not blame themselves, better develop recovery programs, and to help victims avoid scams in the future. At times this may sound like blaming the victim, but it does not blame scam victims, we are simply explaining the hows and whys of the experience victims have.
These articles, about the Psychology of Scams or Victim Psychology – meaning that all humans have psychological or cognitive characteristics in common that can either be exploited or work against us – help us all to understand the unique challenges victims face before, during, and after scams, fraud, or cybercrimes. These sometimes talk about some of the vulnerabilities the scammers exploit. Victims rarely have control of them or are even aware of them, until something like a scam happens and then they can learn how their mind works and how to overcome these mechanisms.
Articles like these help victims and others understand these processes and how to help prevent them from being exploited again or to help them recover more easily by understanding their post-scam behaviors. Learn more about the Psychology of Scams at www.ScamPsychology.org
Psychology Disclaimer:
All articles about psychology and the human brain on this website are for information & education only
The information provided in this article is intended for educational and self-help purposes only and should not be construed as a substitute for professional therapy or counseling.
While any self-help techniques outlined herein may be beneficial for scam victims seeking to recover from their experience and move towards recovery, it is important to consult with a qualified mental health professional before initiating any course of action. Each individual’s experience and needs are unique, and what works for one person may not be suitable for another.
Additionally, any approach may not be appropriate for individuals with certain pre-existing mental health conditions or trauma histories. It is advisable to seek guidance from a licensed therapist or counselor who can provide personalized support, guidance, and treatment tailored to your specific needs.
If you are experiencing significant distress or emotional difficulties related to a scam or other traumatic event, please consult your doctor or mental health provider for appropriate care and support.
Also read our SCARS Institute Statement about Professional Care for Scam Victims – click here to go to our ScamsNOW.com website.
I have been caught out in what I believe is a romance scam from a woman in Ghana. I fell victim to this I think as a result of being diagnosed with cancer Nov 2019 and have a real mental and physical struggle to get through this with all the cancellations due to the Covid crisis to the point I am recovering now.
However this leaves you with heavy physical symptoms and mentally fogged and unable to be sharp – hence I got caught stuck here on my own trying to battle through all of it and lost thousands.
I have reported her and her family and cohorts to the Ghanaian police but they are as corrupt as everyone else.
Yes, give up on the Ghana police. Please read our guide for New Victims: https://romancescamsnow.com/dating-scams/scars-3-steps-for-new-scam-victims/ and then our New Victim’s Checklist https://romancescamsnow.com/dating-scams/a-scam-victims-checklist-interacting-with-the-police/
We are sorry this happened to you, and we wish you the best.