Expressive Writing for Cancer Survivors and Their Caregivers: A Missed Opportunity

Expressive writing, also known as emotional writing, has been shown to have significant benefits for both physical and psychological health. Here are some key findings:

1. Improved Physical Health: Writing about traumatic or stressful events can lead to better immune function, lower blood pressure, and fewer visits to the doctor.
2. Enhanced Psychological Well-being: It can reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression, improve mood, and help individuals better cope with stress.
3. Specific Health Conditions: Studies have shown that expressive writing can benefit cancer patients by improving their overall health and well-being.

The mechanism behind these benefits is thought to be related to the way writing helps individuals process and make sense of their emotions, leading to reduced stress and better health outcomes.? These types of supportive programs are fairly inexpensive to start, staff and run and are greatly appreciated by those that attend.?

The Cancer Survivorship Provider Network was privileged to have Brad Buchanan speak for us. Brad, a former literature and creative writing professor at Sacramento State University until his retirement in 2016, has had his poetry, short fiction, and scholarly articles published in over 200 journals.

In 2015, Brad was diagnosed with T-cell lymphoma and underwent extensive and challenging treatment. Writing poetry became a vital coping mechanism for him during his diagnosis, treatment, and recovery. Today, Brad facilitates online “Writing as Healing” workshops through the UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center , the The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society , and other organizations

Brad has demonstrated the profound impact of these programs and how easily they can be initiated. He is also able to train facilitators and has generously donated his time to run these groups. Despite his efforts, Brad has faced challenges in connecting with patients and caregivers and finding programs to utilize his expertise beyond his work with LLS and UC Davis.

What we need is an ongoing National Oncology Healing Writing Community. To build such a community, it would be beneficial to move away from presenting these supportive interventions as a series of a few sessions and instead create a space where this resource is always available, allowing attendance to grow over time.

If you are connected with a community-based organization or cancer center, you should consider connecting with Brad. I can attest to his effectiveness as a facilitator, given his personal experience as a cancer survivor and writer.

If you are interested in finding out more about the Cancer Survivorship Provider Network, joining and even viewing Brad’s session in our Meeting Library go to www.thecspn.org