Resources
Articles:
- Writing 'eases stress of cancer'
Getting cancer patients to write about their fears may improve their quality of life, according to a US study.
- Let Us Give Thanks. In Writing by Henry Fountain, The New York Times
Television programs, books, radio shows and Web sites point to research that shows that keeping a list of things youre thankful for can make you happier.
- http://www.manelockcommunications.com/griefjournal.htm
- Journal writing as release, keepsake, communication tool by Kimberly L. Jackson, The Star-Ledger of Newark, N.J.
- Writing for the Artist as Therapy
Andrew Lande was educated at Trinity College in Dublin , Ireland and the University of California at Santa Cruz . He has authored The Cigar Connoisseur along with numerous magazine articles on cigars, food & wine and travel. Aside from these areas of interest, Andrew has written for both film and television having sold an original screenplay as well as a two-hour A&E Biography. You can view more of his articles on http://www.nohoartsdistrict.com/literary_arts/how_to.htm
- Writing for therapy helps erase effects of trauma
- "Write for your Life..." by Anna Quindlen
- Dr. Andrew Weil's article, " Journaling: Self Healing through Writing " on page 6 of his monthly newsletter (September, 2005)
- Spirituality & Health magazine, www.spiritualityhealth.com ran this article in their Fall 1999 issue:
Is the Pen Mightier Than the Pill?
Please take out a pad of paper and a pen. Make that two pens, in case one runs dry. Find a place where you can have 20 minutes of privacy. Ready? Here's your assignment. Write about the most stressful event of your life. Continue writing until the 20 minutes are up. Tomorrow, do the same thing. You may write about the same topic or change topics. The important thing is to keep writing. If you need to fill time, repeat a previous topic, but don't stop early. Do the same thing the next day, three days in all.
Why are we suddenly giving our readers homework? What we just described is the exact exercise doctors used in a landmark mind-body health study that was published last spring in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The people doing the writing were asthma patients and rheumatoid arthritis sufferers, all outpatients whose clinical conditions were confirmed by medical examinations. A control group with the same diseases wrote about neutral topics. When the researchers evaluated their subjects' health four months later, 47% of those who had written about stressful experiences showed clinically significant improvement, while only 24% of the control group showed any improvement.
The researchers caution it's too early to begin prescribing this procedure, but journal writing has a long history as a spiritual practice, and so-called "expressive writing" is becoming a popular mind-body health intervention. We can only see one potentially unpleasant side effect - writer's cramp.
Books:
For information on our "Writing for the Health of It" individual
consulting sessions visit the Writing Services page.
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