When we try and heal people in hospitals we do not just heal the physical problem but rather we heal the person as a whole. This includes allowing family members to visit, decorating rooms with flowers and balloons, making sure the patient is not depressed, and by making sure to talk to the patient everyday. I propose that we add yet another: Give every patient a notebook and ask them to write in it everyday.
I have yet again found another article where writing has been proven beneficial. Earlier on my site I talked about how writing helped the women that were in prison deal with their issues. Today, I will talk about how it has also helped patients in the hospitals—specifically those dealing with cancer. Susan Bauer-Wu, director of the Cantor Center for Nursing and Patient Care Research at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, claims that
“research suggests that by spending 30 minutes each day for four days to write out their innermost thoughts and feelings, patients can significantly boost mental and physical health.”
This blog has been very beneficial to me so far. Sometimes, I feel very connected to my topic about writing as therapy for depression. I enjoy telling stories about my life and connecting it to what I am studying. I sometimes feel that this within this blog and my blog for 310 that it is therapy for me. Now, I don’t share my innermost thoughts and feelings but I do share a lot about how I have felt in the past about things and when I give my opinion about something my feelings are being shared. I am glad that there are people out there doing research about writing as therapy and that it apparently does work because it is something that I have been thinking about for years.
Bauer-Wu defines writing therapy as,
““Expressive writing therapy is just that: Patients are encouraged to express whatever is on their mind, letting their hopes and fears flow out in a natural, unrestrained way. It’s akin to keeping a journal, but more focused on the things that might be bothering you or triggering stress.
“We tell them, ‘Don’t worry about the punctuation, the words, just go with the process,’ ” Bauer-Wu said. “We also encourage them to build on whatever they have written before.”
The result, for many patients, is a kind of catharsis — a release and articulation of issues bottled up inside — and also a healthy coming to terms with some of those issues.””
I absolutely love how she talks about the writing process and building on what they have written before. It connects perfectly to process pedagogy which we looked at in English 310. Her therapy is to let people write and write a lot for 30 minutes four times a week. The results are amazing.
““One of the things that’s been found in cancer patients across different studies is what we call ‘improvements in health-care utilization,’ ” she said. “Patients end up going to their doctor or calling nurses less frequently. They need fewer sessions with a mental health counselor. Basically, they are having fewer physical symptoms and coping better.”
Indeed, there’s data that suggest that writing out your emotions eases stress and, in turn, boosts the immune system. “We’re not sure how that might work.””
I have become so excited about Writing or Expressive Therapy. To me, there are no real downfalls to it. In fact, so far all I have seen or read about are benefits that writing therapy brings to people. I am a little disappointed that there have not been articles specifically relating writing therapy as a way to help teenage depression, but I feel that if it is used to help cancer patients and women in prison then writing can definitely be used within a school setting as therapy as well. Hopefully soon I will find an article that specifically links the two together.
E.J. Mundell.”Words Can Help Healing.” Canadian Press. Feb. 22, 2007
