It's not good to talk: Bottling up emotions can ease trauma

Our stiff upper lip has often led to us been regarded as cold and unfeeling.

A study of thousands of Americans carried out in the wake of the 9/11 bombings found that those who kept their feelings in fared better than those who spoke openly about their fears.

In other words, far from it being good to talk, it is better to keep things bottled up.

Researcher Dr Mark Seery said the finding contradicted the modern-day mantra that shows of emotion are critical in getting over crises.

He said: 'We should be telling people there is likely nothing wrong if they do not want to express their thoughts and feelings after experiencing a collective trauma.

'In fact, they can cope quite successfully, and according to our results, are likely to be better off than someone who does want to express his or her feelings.'

Dr Seery, an expert in the psychology of stress, sent an email to more 2,000 men and women just hours after the World Trade Centre attacks of September 11, 2001, asking them to share their thoughts 'on the shocking events of today'.

All were already taking part in research being carried out by the university.

Although everyone got the email, only three-quarters chose to reply, the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology reports.

Dr Seery, from the University at Buffalo in New York State, then regularly recontacted them all over the next two years, requesting details of their health.

To his surprise, he found those who had bottled up their feelings were better off, suffering fewer mental and physical problems than those who had let it all out.

Worst off - with the poorest health - were those who had shared the most about their feelings.

The researcher said the finding called into question the pleas made to people caught up in shocking events to come forward and 'open up'.

For instance, after last year's Virginia Tech shootings in the US, numerous 'talking head' psychiatrists stressed how important it was for all the students to share their feelings.

However, Dr Seery cautioned against preventing people from unburdening themselves, if that is their preferred way of coping.

'Expression can be good,' he said.  'The message of our paper is not that if you're expressing that's a bad thing.

'But our data do suggest if someone doesn't want to express, that's OK.

'It's important to remember that not everyone copes with events in the same way.'

Previous research has shown that maintaining a stiff upper lip helps keep bad memories at bay, with those to try to hide their emotions recalling less about traumatic events than people who are more emotional.

It is thought that concentrating hard on keeping  feelings in check, overloads the brain, hampering memory formation.

But some psychologists argue that while keeping emotions under wraps may have short-term benefits, it can lead to flashbacks and nightmares in the long-term.