PRAIRIE DOC®
  • Home
  • About
  • People
  • Television
  • Podcasts
  • Perspective
  • Donate
  • Contact
  • Foundation
  • Book

Writing as Therapy

9/29/2018

 
By Richard P. Holm, MD
 
During the South Dakota Festival of Books, I listened to a group of five successful novelists discussing the art of writing and what they gained from creating their works. They all seemed to agree with journalist Malcolm Gladwell who said that it takes some talent, but more importantly, about 10,000 hours of practice to become good at anything. They each also said that writing has given them joy, humor, an understanding about life, and a sense of meaning.       
 
Hearing all this, I reflected on how much room I have for improvement in my own writing. On the other hand, I realized my compositions are not for a novel but for self-help, and the goal of my latest book, Life’s Final Season, is to help people during their aging and dying process. As opposed to a novel, my writing has a different purpose. I also thought of how therapeutic my own writing practice has been for me since my cancer diagnosis.
 
There is a lot out there about writing as therapy. Orthopedic surgeon Dr. David Hanscom, in his book Back in Control, provides for us a writing method to help people in chronic pain. He advises those in pain to write down any random thoughts for ten to thirty minutes once or twice a day for at least several months. Hanscom reports the theory that when pain becomes chronic, the signals change from damage pain activity in one part of the brain to an emotional (fear and anxiety) response in a different part of the brain. Hanscom asserts that the daily writing exercise truly helps people break the pain cycle when nothing else helps.
 
Professor Dr. Gillie Bolton also recommends a daily writing program for chronic pain. She says not to worry about grammar, style, or spelling. Dr. Bolton advises starting by unloading and dumping negative thoughts, followed with expressive and explorative writing about any topic. She suggests that we focus on the writing without distraction, finding time to do it once or twice daily, and doing it for yourself (not others). Her contention: writing helps us illuminate our own suppressed feelings, thereby helping us deal with chronic pain, depression, and other miseries of life.
 
I truly hope my book helps caregivers and people who are aging and dying, but my writing has had the added benefit of helping me cope with a deadly diagnosis.  A daily writing exercise may just help you too.
 
Watch On Call with the Prairie Doc® most Thursdays at 7 p.m. central on SDPTV and follow the Prairie Doc® on Facebook and YouTube for free and easy access to the entire Prairie Doc® library.
​

Comments are closed.

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

PRAIRIE DOC® MEDIA IS A PART OF HEALING WORDS FOUNDATION.

FIND SCIENCE-BASED PEDIATRIC MEDICAL INFORMATION ON OUR SISTER SITE. 
Healing Words Foundation logo
Play Eat Sleep logo
  • Home
  • About
  • People
  • Television
  • Podcasts
  • Perspective
  • Donate
  • Contact
  • Foundation
  • Book