Knitting could alleviate major trauma effects

Apr 19 2004

Speaking at the British Psychological Society's annual conference in London, British psychologist Dr. Emily Holmes detailed an experiment in which volunteers were asked to tap a pattern onto a keypad while being shown gruesome footage of road accidents.

Dr. Emily Holmes explained that the tapping sequences appeared to disrupt the brain's ability to absorb disturbing images and return to them later in flashbacks. She went on to suggest that knitting, with its complexity of patterns, colors and needles would likely achieve a similar result.

"Other activities that might have a beneficial effect could include playing a musical instrument, or even handling worry beads," Dr Holmes said.