You can write down difficult thoughts and feelings over several days, but do not expect writing to treat an illness

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Cost: The source proposes a free exercise. Early research commonly used three or four sessions of 15–20 minutes, focused on thoughts and feelings about a distressing experience. This is a research format, not an established treatment dose.
In plain terms: Results differ across reviews. Some report a small average benefit, while others find no statistically significant health effects. A small effect is not a promise of personal improvement; an insignificant result does not prove that every individual receives no benefit. The source suggests trying it because it costs little, while cautioning against replacing professional care.
Benefit: Frattaroli’s 2006 review reportedly pooled 146 randomized experimental-disclosure studies, involving writing or speaking about personally meaningful topics, with a small average effect r=.075. That author abstract was located in a search index; the full review and direct abstract page remain unverified.

Mogk and colleagues’ 2006 review analyzed 30 trials and found no significant pooled physical or psychological health effects. It assessed follow-up at least four weeks after the last session, not simply immediate relief after writing.

Zachariae and O’Toole’s 2015 cancer review included 16 independent randomized trials. Psychological outcomes had Hedges’s g=0.04 (95% CI −0.06–0.14); physical and quality-of-life outcomes also lacked significant pooled effects. These cancer-specific findings are not a test of every form of journaling or psychotherapy.
Evidence grade: B in the source; independent review remains pending.
Sources:
Notes: The source groups this under time rather than a measured “energy” outcome. It suggests private writing when talking feels difficult or no listener is available. Stop if the exercise worsens distress. Its reference to 12356 concerns a Chinese service and must not be presented as a worldwide hotline; current availability, regional routing and the linked crisis guidance require separate verification before publication. Serious emotional difficulties should not be managed by relying on this exercise alone.