What to Know About Writing as Therapy
For many people — myself included — writing is hugely therapeutic. Not all writing, of course — some of those term papers I wrote in college were far more anxiety-inducing than relieving, and it’s not like every email I send takes a weight off my shoulders.
But there’s a reason why we love journaling so much. Science has proven that it’s got all kinds of benefits.
We at FBG aren’t the only ones who are preaching about the power of writing, of course. Recently, we were introduced to JamBios, an online journaling website designed to help people who’ve gone through painful life experiences and want to use expressive writing as a type of therapy. Beth Carvin, the CEO of JamBios, agreed to answer a few questions about how expressive writing works, who can do it, and whether there’s anyone who should steer clear — because, guys, the pen truly is mighty, and when it comes to using it for therapy, there are some things you might want to watch out for.
What, exactly, is involved in expressive writing? Is it any different than what many people would call journaling?
Beth Carvin: Expressive writing, also known as therapeutic writing (and sometimes “scriptotherapy”) is different from journaling, though some people might naturally journal in this way. Expressive writing is writing freely one’s deepest emotions, thoughts and feelings about a particular event or topic. The writing is done continuously for a period of time (generally 15-20 minutes for 3 or 4 days) without worry of sentence structure, spelling and grammar. I like to think of it as writing deeply from the heart.
Is expressive writing as therapy something that can benefit anyone? Is it particularly helpful for people with certain issues?
BC: Expressive writing is an acknowledged therapy with 200-plus academic research studies scientifically proving results. Some of these are astonishing such as:
- improving the immune function by increasing white blood cells
- having fewer doctor visits for flu and upper respiratory conditions than those who wrote about ordinary events
- reduced work/task errors
- increased GPA of students
- improved lung function in asthmatics
- reduced irritable bowel symptoms
- lessened the distress of migraines
- increased rate of unemployed being hired
- reduction of stress and anxiety and improved social relations and life enjoyment
As you can see, these kinds of benefits can help a wide range of people. Most of us, even the happiest, have some emotional events in our past that we may not have completely worked through, even if we don’t know it.
How does this help people who have gone through painful life experiences?
BC: There are a variety of theories on why expressive writing works so well. Some researchers believe that it turns those painful life events from a sensory experience into a concrete narrative that our brains can then set aside. I think of the painful experiences as being like a cloud or vapor that is always around you without you knowing it. We can’t grab a hold of it. Therefore a part of our brain is always having to deal with it. Our working memory, which helps us perform tasks, is always bothered by it. When we write expressively, that cloud turns into something solid. Researchers believe that language and structure turn the untenable into something solid that can be stored appropriately. It no longer annoys and uses up our unconscious processing power.
What are the biggest challenges people face when they first start writing as therapy?
BC: Experts in expressive writing warn that some people may have a difficult time writing with emotion. They turn their writing into an essay on a subject quoting philosophers and writing like an academic paper. Instead, they should endeavor to write very personally about the event and examine their deepest thoughts and emotions. They can describe the situation, how they felt when it occurred, how they feel about it now, how it affected their life, what they have learned, lost or gained as a result of it, and how it will impact their future.
Is there anything people should know before they begin?
BC: Here are some tips:
- The greatest benefits may happen when you write about something that is secret or of which you are ashamed.
- It’s okay to feel a little sad afterwards, just as you might feel after reading a sad book or watching an emotional movie.
- You can write freehand on paper, type on a computer or use an online memory platform like JamBios.
- You do not need to share your writing. You can even throw it away or delete it after you’ve written it.
Last, a word of caution: if someone is extremely distressed and writing about a particular topic is going to trigger an acute response requiring hospitalization, they should not do so or stop immediately.
Do you practice expressive writing in this way? Are you a journal-keeper — and were you as a kid? I kept a lot of diaries when I was younger, and although I do a fair bit of journaling now, especially when I have a specific experience to work through, I really struggle to make it a daily practice these days. Maybe it’s because I spend all day writing for work … but I do still love it when I make a point to do it! —Kristen
Comments
Good information, You provide thanks for sharing it.
I couldn’t agree more with your article. When I was a child, I had a diary and every day I used to write about what was happening in my life, especially those things that were the most significant at the time, which ended up being the most memorable. I used to be secretive and through writing, it has helped me express my emotions.
I completely agree with you. Writing is a therapy that helps many people to reveal themselves, to show themselves to be real. Also, I know that a lot of people who come out of depression through writing.
I think writing something helps to relax and feel better, I know it very well since I work in this area. As a professional editor and writer with extensive knowledge, I also have extensive experience in academic writing. My teaching experience helps me provide quality academic assistance to all students who need it. I am especially good at writing research papers, you can just visit my website and I will write your research papers on any topic. I like helping students because I was a student, and I know that every student needs help, I understand that students have critically little time and they don’t have time to do all their work. I also have a master’s degree in languages, and I consider it important to share my knowledge and experience. In everyday life, I like to cook, but writing has always been one of my greatest passions, and I like to do what I like.
I also agree with you. This is a good therapy. But sometimes you feel a creative crisis. You need to express yourself somehow, it helps. Never shut the creator in yourself
To my last comment, I recommend this service 9dollaressay.com . I found it recently and use it. Helps with creativity.
Writing affects each person differently, for some, it is relaxation and self-improvement, and for others, it is a burden. I understand this very well because I work as a writer and I am often asked by students to write their nursing paper. And in this situation, you can see two people for each of whom writing is something different. For me, it is a rest for therapy, and for students, it is only a burden. That’s why I am happy to help them because I make their lives easier.
I agree wih you. Also, I remember that writing by hand is much better than what I type.
These tips are very useful because if we follow these tips, we can enjoy a good health. So, we should make our health strong and enjoy our lives.
Thanks for the article but I think that for someone writing can be hell but for someone it can be the best time of their life. From the bottom of my heart I want to say that maybe 60 percent of people hate writing, when I was a student I just was so angry with all that long writing that didn’t make sense but then I met one good teacher and he really helped me with that problem. First of all, what you need to do before writing is to be interested in the theme that you choose for your work, it is very important because with every letter of essay you will get more into writing and you will search for the information you need. And I agree that if you are writing about some sort of secret of yours it will be a more pleasant process for you.
Couldn’t agree more. Writing is a therapy that uses the act of writing and processing the written word as therapy. For years, I have used logs, questionnaires, journals, and other writing forms to help people heal from stresses and traumas.
Great article, thank you very much for sharing it. I want to say that I completely agree that writing this is real therapy because I faced it myself. I found an expert review of the essay writing service, made sure the service was reliable and started looking for essays on how to get rid of depression of a constantly bad mood. And one of the options was to write, and so I started writing essays to order, my hobby turned into work. This is my story.
I totally agree with you. We usually recommend writing as a way of helping people to bring out their inner thoughts. It is very therapeutic.
Without intention, I’ve done this for years. I’m curious to learn his thoughts about revisiting such writing at points down the road. Coincidentally, I was cleaning up some digital files on an old IPad last night, and happened on to some writing I’d done a few years back while going through some tough times. It didn’t seem to “re-traumatize” me in any way, rather, in some sense, it helped to reaffirm my decisions, provide clarity, and even re-ignite my motivation to achieve certain goals and drop others.
Really I love it !
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