Comments on: Expressing Negative Experience is Both Symptom and Cure

By: Jeremy (PsyBlog author)

Jeremy (PsyBlog author) — Sat, 15 Dec 2007 11:13:00 +0000

Trish, thanks for your comment. I think online forums are a really undervalued and under-researched resource. I'm glad you're finding them useful.

By: Trish

Trish — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 06:20:00 +0000

Hi there,

Interesting topic, I am a member of a forum for survivors of sexual abuse, I have to say that I find it very helpful in that it has brought me and others alike a long way on the road to recovery. To date, I have sent almost 850 posts and I find that the more I post, the more I learn about myself and others around me. The forum members have been so supportive of me, I have shared my burdens and it has helped me a great deal, also, because of the anonimity I don't have to worry about being judged.

By: Jeremy (PsyBlog author)

Jeremy (PsyBlog author) — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 08:46:00 +0000

Dave, you'll find all the references in this article by Pennebaker (pdf).

By: Dave_MSW

Dave_MSW — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 03:19:00 +0000

Where did you find the article by Bernard Rime? That topic is one I have great interest in. I can't find it on the web.

By: Julie Plenty

Julie Plenty — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 12:29:00 +0000

The findings don't surprise me at all. There's a big difference between expressing and sharing experiences of a negative event and releasing the energy that is associated with it.

Writing (and other forms of therapeutic activity) offers a release from the negative emotion associated with the event, so that it isn't a continual emotional driver.

I'm always amazed that simple techniques like EFT are just not widely known about. It offers a way of sharing and releasing negative emotions around experiences.

You can find out more at http:\\www.emofree.com

By: Jeremy (PsyBlog author)

Jeremy (PsyBlog author) — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 08:23:00 +0000

Sunchaser, interesting, yes this probably will make a difference.

Miro, yes, I reported something close to what you're talking about recently.

By: Miró Kiss Ida

Miró Kiss Ida — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 07:36:00 +0000

Written and spoken language are two very different ways of communication. When writing, the nonverbal clues are missing, therefore we are obliged to put things explicit. This very process is the thinking.
When talking, we don't need to think things over thoroughly, as a good rapport, and the partner's empathy doesn't make it necessary. Hence the relative uselessness of ventillating the emotions verbally.
Writing - especially if it is on paper, with pen - is the objectivation of the emotion and its corollaries, which helps us to see things from an outsider's point of view.
Writing is also more genuine, as far as the partner's implicit or explicit expectations, hints etc. don't influence our thinking process.

I wonder if there are studies which take these points in consideration.

By: sunchaser

sunchaser — Sun, 23 Sep 2007 22:08:00 +0000

Interesting. With respect to the impact of social sharing, wouldn't it depend a great deal on what feedback the person received from the people the emotional experience was shared with?

And in real life (as opposed to the lab), reactions of people receiving this information would be evident to the person doing the sharing, right?

It would be interesting to look at studies like this of the blogging world, where effects of positive vs. negative comments, could also be examined.