expressive writing exercise

1
expressive writing exercise

• a chance to experiment with expressive writing
• see the handout description for a typical James
  Pennebaker set of instructions
• feel free to water these down for today
  for example you could just write about
  a minor/moderate stress (current or past)
• write really digging down into your feelings
  and thoughts about what happened
• what you write will remain entirely private to
  you

2
mechanisms and effects

• stops the cumulative stress vulnerability
  produced by constant work of inhibition
• recovering/working through deeply upsetting
  memories encourages reassessment
• increases personal sense of resilience ones
  ability to tolerate intense emotions
• reduces isolation and makes sharing with others
  easier

3
mechanisms and effects

• stops cumulative stress produced by constant work
  of inhibition

• Cole, S. W., M. E. Kemeny, et al. (1996).
  "Elevated physical health risk among gay men who
  conceal their homosexual identity." Health
  Psychology 15 243 - 251.
• Larson, D. G. and R. L. Chastain (1990). "Self
  concealment conceptualization, measurement,
  and health implications." Journal of Social and
  Clinical Psychology 9(4) 439 - 455.
• Finkenauer, C. and Rimé, B. (1998). "Keeping
  emotional memories secret health and subjective
  wellbeing when emotions are not shared." J Health
  Psychology 3(1) 47 - 58.
• Hunt, M. G. (1998). "The only way out is through
  emotional processing and recovery after a
  depressing life event." Behaviour Research and
  Therapy 36(4) 361 - 384.

4
mechanisms and effects

• working through upsetting memories promotes
  reassessment

making emotional memories more
autobiographical promot-ing reassessment are
considered key cognitive therapy interventions

• Reynolds, M. C. Brewin (1999). "Intrusive
  memories in depression and posttraumatic stress
  disorder." Behav Res Ther 37(3) 201-15.
• Smyth, J., N. True, et al. (2001). "Effects of
  writing about traumatic experiences the
  necessity for narrative structuring." Journal of
  Social and Clinical Psychology 20(2) 161-172..
• Brewin, C. R. (2001). "A cognitive neuroscience
  account of posttraumatic stress disorder and its
  treatment." Behav Res Ther 39(4) 373-93.

5
mechanisms and effects

• increases personal sense of resilience ones
  ability to tolerate intense emotions

• Hunt, M. G. (1998). "The only way out is through
  emotional processing and recovery after a
  depressing life event." Behaviour Research and
  Therapy 36(4) 361-84.

reduces isolation and makes sharing with others
easier

• Pennebaker, J., J. M. Smyth, et al. (1999).
  "Disclosure and health an interview with James W
  Pennebaker plus comments by various other
  authors." Advances in Mind-Body Medicine 15(3)
  161-195.

6
information from the web
go to the good knowledge page of
www.goodmedicine.org.uk , then open lectures
leaflets and then handouts, questionnaires
other leaflets section look in the life
review, traumatic memories therapeutic writing
section see too jamie pennebakers work at
http//homepage. psy.utexas.edu/HomePage/Faculty/
Pennebaker/Home2000/JWPhome.htm