Whether you are a rebellious teenagers, a hopeless romantic or a distrustful cynic, you can find a book that is perfectly in sync with your temperament. Reading about the adventure and misfortunes of fictional characters can not only motivate you to overcome obstacles, it can also helps you survive trying times by distracting you.
The notion of using books to treat emotional disorders dates to the ancient Greeks, who referred to their libraries as ‘places that heal the soul’. A recent study published in the Journal of Applied Social Psychology has substantiated this belief. The article revealed that bibliotherapy – using books to treat psychological disorders – can reveal symptoms and improve the quality of life for people suffering from clinical depression or bi-polar disorder. You don’t have to limit yourself to self-help books or inspirational biographies to find inspiration – fiction (even of the fairytale variety) will do the trick as well.
An increasing number of psychotherapists and wellness coaches have consequently started prescribing specially tailored reading lists to their patients (in addition yo medication) to help them cope with anxiety, panic attacks, phobias and stress. The objective is to makes them read about protagonists struggling though challenges similar to theirs.
Research conducted at the New School for Social Research concluded that people who read are more likely to have fulfilling relationships, have better social skills, are less cranky (reading increases endorphin – the happy hormone – levels in our blood) and more empathetic. Furthermore, the onset of cognitive decline and memory related disorders – such as Alzheimer’s – is believed to be delayed by reading regularly.
Meanwhile, researchers at the University of Sussex have disvcoverd that Can use bibliotherapy to help their childern develop important communication and social skills, curb aggression and trigger their imagination and creativity.
Given that a new book is published every 30 seconds , the odds of finding one you will enjoy reading are heavily in your favour so get cracking now!
By Sadia Kamran