Is Writing the Best Method for Releasing Repressed Feelings and Maintaining Health?
What follows will serve as a comparison between writing versus speaking as measured by Epstein-Barr virus antibody titers.(1) Here is the skinny. Most people have been exposed to this critter, called EBV, and carry the virus in their bodies for life. The theory goes that, when an person's immune system is strong, this virus is kept in check. When the immune system becomes compromised in some way, these viruses are starting to multiply. When they start to multiply, the our body's natural defense mechanism sets in and produces antibodies to fight this virus.
These changes in antibodies are measured in titers, and when these antibodies titers increase, the proposition is put forth, that we have compromised our immune system and our bodies are attempting to ward off these viruses. The questions asked by the authors of the study were:
1. Will manipulating emotional expression change EBV antibody titers?
2. Will oral or written expression of traumatic events cause different EBV reaction levels?
3. Will the seriousness of the event disclosed, alter the health outcomes?
72 volunteer participants were tested for status of EBV. 57 were carriers of EBV. Only these 57 individual's data was used in the study. The volunteers completed the Millon(2) behavioral health inventory, which assess different coping styles. After scoring was completed, participants were put into three groups:
1. Emotional Repressors, said to have a need to deny negative feelings to self and others, they may appear content when facing problems, might please others, using self-sacrificing behaviors.
2. Emotional Sensitizers, may present themselves as overbearing, aggressive, rivalrous, and confident, they also might show low frustration levels and express negative feelings quickly.
3. Neither Personality Style
The 57 were then further divided randomly in the following three groups.
1. Writing about a stressful event
2. Talking about a stressful event
3. Writing about a trivial event (the control group)
The Outcome:
Emotional repressors had the highest levels of EBV antibody titers. The group with neither personality style had the second highest levels of titers. Sensitizers had the lowest levels. The, personality styles greatly predicted changes ion EBV antibody titer levels. Sensitizers showed a higher decrease in antibody titers than repressors. And finally, both written and oral emotional disclosures decreased titers over a four week period, with oral expression producing significantly lower antibody titer levels than written expression. Remember, lower antibody titers are a sign of a more efficient immune system. And the repressors had significantly higher EBV titers than those classified as emotional sensitizers, who expressed their feelings readily.
What does this mean for you? It does not matter in which category you fall, when experiencing traumatic events, it is better for long term health to either write about them or divulge them verbally to someone you trust. Even though writing is not as effective as oral expression, when it comes to maintaining health during difficult times, recognizing and dealing with the traumatic event wards off long term health complications.
Now, that we found another outlet for our emotions (oral expression) and the possibility for prevention of long term disease, let us look at group support and cancer outcomes. One word up front: If you suffer from cancer, find a support group near you. I will present some studies showing that cancer patients participating in group support outlive and outlast cancer patients who try to "go it alone."
Beste Gesundheit,
Werner
1. Esterling B., et al. Emotional Repression, Stress Disclosure Responses and Epstein-Barr Viral Capsid Antigen Titers. Psychosom Med 52. (1990):397
2. Millon T., Green C., Meagher R. Millon Behavioral Health Inventory. Minneapolis, Minnesota. (1982) Interpretive Scoring Systems