01734nas a2200241   4500000000100000008004100001260007600042653001200118653002500130653001900155653001600174653001100190100003300201700001700234700002400251700001800275245008500293300001200378490000600390520106800396022001401464020001401478       2001                            d  c07/2001bSociedad Española para el Estudio de la Ansiedad y el Estrés10aEmotion10aEmotional disclosure10aSocial sharing10aAlexithymia10aHealth1 aFrancisco Martínez-Sánchez1 aDarío Páez1 aJames W. Pennebaker1 aBernard Rimé00aDisclosing, sharing and expressing emotions: effect on the health and well-being  a151-1740 v73 aThis article examines the effects of the communication of emotional experiences on health. First, studies on the positive effects of emotional confrontation of traumatic events on health are discussed. Expressive writing and talking were related to benefits in mental and physical health. Second, we analyze studies about social sharing of emotions. Social sharing did not have a positive impact in the recovery of emotional memories and lack of recovery was associated with the perpetuation of social sharing. Alexithymia as a personal deficit in emotional communication or difficulty in identifying and describing emotions is also reviewed. We synthesise data and theory that support alexithymia as a deficit in the ability to process and regulate emotions cognitively and also as a deficit in self-disclosure of emotion. Particular attention and further discussion is given to the complex findings of social sharing, desinhibition and alexithymia. Finally, we discuss the explanatory mechanism of expression and nonexpression of emotions in health and disease.  a1134-7937  a2174-0437