According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, writing about stressful life events helped reduce symptoms of asthma and rheumatoid arthritis in patients with these chronic illnesses. The effects of the writing exercise were still evident four months later and resulted in clinically meaningful improvements in patient symptoms.
Interestingly, studies showed that asthma patients who wrote about their most stressful life events showed a 19-percent improvement in lung function; similarly, rheumatoid arthritis patients had a 28-percent reduction in symptoms.
These findings add to a growing body of evidence that links mental and emotional health to physical well-being. Although researchers aren't sure exactly how expressive writing can lead to health improvements, they theorize that writing help people cope with stress, and stress-as well all know-clearly impacts health.
University of Texas at Austin psychologist and researcher James Pennebaker believes that regular journaling strengthens immune cells, called T-lymphocytes. He theorizes that writing about stressful events helps you come to terms with them, thus reducing the impact of these stressors on your physical health.
Louise Moran, a nurse coordinator, has written about a patient who, during a serious illness, sent daily e-mails to friends and family about her illness, a practice the woman believes played a pivotal role in her healing process. Moran said another patient felt that journaling helped her create a new life after breast cancer. There have even been studies suggesting that journaling in healthy people actually improves the immune system.
Patti Testerman is content manager at journalgenie.com, the only online site that analyzes your writing and then gives you instant feedback. Want to discover self-defeating patterns, or find better ways to communicate in a relationship? Check out our site.
Surprisingly, hair loss is one of the reasons female pre-operative... Read More
Summer is about to be in full swing, and it's... Read More
The Order of Energy UtilizationBack to our table of stored... Read More
It's common to respond to stress by distracting yourself with... Read More
To really understand the impact of a protein diet, it's... Read More
Visualizing and Declarations are today's topics.Visualize what you want as... Read More
You may be considering weight loss surgery if you are... Read More
As hoards of low-carb proponents invade the nutritional landscape, the... Read More
Atkins Nutritionals filed for bankruptcy at the beginning of August... Read More
Zero Calorie Diet Sodas: Good Or Bad For Weight Loss?Calorie-free... Read More
Your health is affected not only by how much body... Read More
Following recent reports of a South Dakota man weighing half... Read More
If You are sick of losing the same weight over... Read More
To say that dieting rarely leads to sustainable weight loss... Read More
From personal experience I have myself like all of you... Read More
An eating disorder is a life threatening condition that often... Read More
Understanding the theory of adaptation (see previous article, Adaptation I)... Read More
Did you know that how and when you eat is... Read More
Self-acceptance and body love can be tough concepts to grasp... Read More
Getting Kids Moving - Help for Overweight TeensA residential school... Read More
As a part of a children's diet and health study,... Read More
Cellulite happens to us for many reasons. Some reasons-- like... Read More
So your neighbor, office mate, best friend, whoever just lost... Read More
If you're thinking of going on a diet to lose... Read More
Gastric bypass surgery has many forms and can involve stapling... Read More
eco-friendly cleaning service Glencoe ..Changing habits is one of the most difficult challanges we... Read More
Saboteurs are people and thoughts that are going to sabotage... Read More
Wow! You must be on fire by now burning and... Read More
First of all we need to find out a reason... Read More
According to a new study appearing in the American Journal... Read More
It is common for new WLS patients to ask, "How... Read More
No doubt about it, when we feel stressed we want... Read More
As the dieting phenomenon grows, with a new "diet guru"... Read More
So many people are talking about how slow their metabolism... Read More
What is the relationship between intake of nutrition and metabolism... Read More
Dr. Hagglund's Healthy Eating Tips(All wheat products, bananas*, breads, rice,... Read More
I personal lost 60 pounds in 2003. Here are some... Read More
In the medical community, "obesity" is generally said to be... Read More
Obesity, once seen as akin to laziness and overeating, is... Read More
The debate about whether supplements for weight loss are healthy... Read More
* Not walking on a treadmill everyday for 45 minutes... Read More
If you are overweight and searching for the diet program... Read More
1. Increase your water intake to at least 1 gallon... Read More
Well we're at it again, trying to honor our promise... Read More
I am embarrassed to admit how many different commercial weight... Read More
Phentermine, like many other prescription drugs, works with chemicals called... Read More
Rejuvenation and the Protein Revolution in Your Kitchen?2003 Marilyn DiamondIf... Read More
Your brain has this really interesting system that is kind... Read More
Natural Weight Loss Is PermanentOnly natural weight loss can be... Read More
Food cravings are crafty -- they appear from nowhere and... Read More
Weight Loss |