Clinical psychologist and author Mindy Greenstein once said, “Comedy is not the opposite of darkness, but its natural bedfellow. Pain makes laughter necessary; laughter makes pain tolerable.” Indeed, laughter may yet be the best medicine as is often said. Humor therapy can lower chronic pain levels temporarily, increases happiness, and improves quality of life. It is an inexpensive and risk-free way of managing chronic pain in addition to conventional treatment and therapies.
Laughter Is Good for You
The center of the brain processes your basic emotions such as hunger and fear. It also elicits a response when you see or hear something amusing activating the motor region of the brain and producing the physical reaction of laughing. The vocal expulsion of sound is good for you because it is linked to the healthy function of blood vessels, increases heart rate, and improves the immune system with the production of antibodies according to researchers at the University of Maryland.
In addition, researchers believe that a succession of long exhalations caused by laughter leads to physical exhaustion of the abdominal muscles that, in turn, triggers the release of endorphins. Produced by the pituitary gland, these opioid chemicals assist in fighting pain or enhancing your ability to pay no attention to pain. Endorphins work like analgesics reducing the perception of pain. They boost pleasure and make you feel good as well.
Ways to Incorporate Humor in Your Life
There are several ways to bring laughter in your life. One method is to make use of media platforms. Listen to comedy podcasts, watch funny videos and movies, or read comic books and joke compilations. If you want to brighten up a loved one’s day that loves Disney, for example, send them a subscription box of themed movies and shows. Some boxes can also include surprise gifts and activity items that are fun to do. Doing so can distract yourself from the pain that you are feeling.
Another approach is to start a funny board and portfolio filling it up with happy photos of family and friends. You can also collect funny jokes, comedy clips, and stories. In a study by The Journal of Aging Research, humor therapy was used to relieve chronic pain and improve life satisfaction among a cohort of older persons in a nursing home. After 8 weeks of therapy where participants designed and created funny portfolios and joined laughing exercises and games, it was found out that humor therapy reduced pain and loneliness among the elderly participants. Social laughter is also an important aspect of humor therapy. By surrounding yourself with people, you improve social relations offering plenty of opportunities to share stories, swap jokes, and laugh. When laughter is elicited, you relax and increase the thresholds for pain.
Living with chronic pain is never easy. The good news is in addition to conventional treatment, humor therapy is viewed as a viable non-pharmacological intervention for people with long-term pain. Humor and laughter can alleviate the symptoms of chronic pain thereby enhancing happiness and improving overall quality of life.
A:CP
