Angry Bards

I'm tired of being angry at my ex-boyfriend. My best friend suggested I write an email to him, saying everything I want to say, but send it to her instead. It seemed like a bad idea, delving into those feelings even more, but I did it anyway. Miraculously, I felt much better afterward. A fluke?

--Puzzled

I get it: You were all, "Write a letter he'll never read? Um, I wasn't dating Santa."

However, psychologist James Pennebaker finds that writing about upsetting events in our lives can act as...