Friday, May 23, 2008

Blogging isn't an obsession; it's therapy

Jason at the EvolutionBlog has a link up to an interesting piece in Scientific American describing research that's another example of telling us what we all already know:

Blogging--It's Good for You
The therapeutic value of blogging becomes a focus of study


Self-medication may be the reason the blogosphere has taken off. Scientists (and writers) have long known about the therapeutic benefits of writing about personal experiences, thoughts and feelings. But besides serving as a stress-coping mechanism, expressive writing produces many physiological benefits. Research shows that it improves memory and sleep, boosts immune cell activity and reduces viral load in AIDS patients, and even speeds healing after surgery. A study in the February issue of the Oncologist reports that cancer patients who engaged in expressive writing just before treatment felt markedly better, mentally and physically, as compared with patients who did not.


I always thought of self-medication as involving kegs or qualudes, not keyboards, but I'm not going to argue the point.

1 comment:

  1. Boy don't I know it. I blog therefore I am.

    ReplyDelete

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