Women who write about their fears after a diagnosis of breast cancer are far more able to cope with the disease. They are less tired and stressed and have a better quality of life, say researchers.
Expressive writing-where fears and emotions are written down in a journal three or four times a week-can even boost the immune system, say researchers from the University of Houston.
Cancer patients who write for 20 minutes a day, three or four days a week, about their fears and concerns improved their body’s capacity to withstand stress and fight off infection and disease.
The practice can be especially helpful in people who do not express their concerns openly, such as in Asian-American cultures, say the researchers.
(Source: Health Psychology, 2014; 31(5): 548-551)
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