I have always loved writing. When I was five, I wrote a "novel" on a fantastical world called Severta (I only made it about 20 pages, though). Since then, I've never been able to escape the drive to write. And, with recent events in my life, it has taken on a therapeutic quality for me. Just as it has for many others. As Anne Frank wrote, "I can shake off everything as I write; my sorrows disappear, my courage is reborn." With some investigation into its effects though, I have found that, like dogs, writing has amazing physical benefits in addition to the psychological ones (see my article "Dogs and Human Health").
It only became linked to physical health several decades ago. James W. Pennebaker developed what he termed "expressive writing" in the late 1980s. In his study, he instructed an experimental group to write about a past trauma, as compared to a control group instructed to write objectively. In the measurements months after the experiment, Pennebaker found that the experimental group made significantly fewer visits to the doctor than the control group. Just one 15 minute session of expressive writing led to months of improved physical health (and, presumably, mental health, as all of us know they are linked). According to the American Psychological Association, in recent studies, Smyth found that, after three consecutive days of writing about stress, patients showed improvements in their clinical evaluations as compared to those who wrote about other subjects. And Pennebaker continues his legacy with a new study, showing that, after four 30-minute sessions writing about negative life experiences, patients measured higher CD4 lymphocyte (a type of white blood cell) counts, and therefore higher immune functioning. These studies have been especially useful to patients with life-threatening diseases, as expressive writing can be an easy way to boost their immune system. It seems clear, then, that it is not just writing itself that yields improved health, but the type of writing. Psychology researcher Susan Lutgendorf has found that those who focus on their negative experiences alone when writing can sometimes fare worse than those who write about neutral events. She theorizes that the writers need to find meaning in their experiences in order to improve.
This follows some of the skepticism of Pennebaker's theory (and its support by Dr. Joshua Smyth at Syracuse University) that expressive writing may improve physical health. Some scientists argue that other factors such as social changes or simply time could have been the real cause for improved health. And some researchers are concerned that opening up raw events from patients' past just causes them more distress, just as Lutgendorf suggests. However, though psychologist Helen Marlo supports this theory, she has not found any long-term negative effects of writing. Pennebaker also admits that the theory has limitations, as its healing power can vary with different personality types.
It's an intriguing notion, though, that writing can make you feel better, physically. It makes sense, though - you can relieve your stress by writing it out. Less stress on the body means you can focus more of your energy on healing yourself. Just another reason to love writing.
