Laughter Is the Best Medicine - Psychiatric Times

Laughter lowers blood pressure, epinephrine, and glucose levels, and increases glucose tolerance. Laughter also assists in the recovery and ... CONTINUETOSITEORWAITnullSECSSpotlightSeeAll>PsychedelicsADHDAPAConferenceInsiderCaseDiscussionwithDr.Simmons-Becil:BipolarDisorderCorrectionalHealthCareinCaliforniaMajorDepressiveDisorderNavigatingNarcolepsy:ExcessiveDaytimeSleepinessCommentarySeeAll>CouchInCrisisEarlyCareerPsychiatryHistoryofPsychiatryResidentsCornerCulturalCornerSeeAll>FilmandBookReviewsPoetryWritersContestPsychiatricPracticeSeeAll>BurnoutCareersCodingGuidelinesRiskManagementTelepsychiatrySeriesSeeAll>ClimateChangeCriticalConversationsinPsychiatryPortraitsPsychiatricViewsontheDailyNewsTalesFromtheClinic:TheArtofPsychiatryTalesfromtheNewAsylumContactUsEditorialTermsandConditionsPrivacyPolicyDoNotSellMyPersonalInformation©2022MJHLifeSciences™andPsychiatricTimes.Allrightsreserved.LaughterIstheBestMedicineAugust17,2018KavitaKhajuria,MDPsychiatricTimes,PsychiatricTimesVol35,Issue8,Volume35,Issue8Giventhebrain'sneuroplasticity,it’stoourbenefittomakeourlifetimeexperiencesaspositiveandhilariousaspossibleModernlifehasbecomeincreasinglycomplicatedandit’sbelievedthatstressistheprimaryobstacletolaughter.Laughterisaphysicalexpressionofhumorandjoythathasnumerousprotectivequalities.It’soneofthebestwaystomanageperceptionsofstressandtodevelopresilienceandimprovepsychologicalsturdinessasitstronglycorrelateswithhappiness.2Happinessandhumorcanimprovebrainfunction-thereisevidenceofincreasedconnectivityinvariouspartsofthebraininresponsetolaughter.3Humorreleasesbrainderivedneurotrophicfactor,whichsupportsexistingneuronsandencouragesthegrowthofnewneuronsandsynapses.4Giventhebrain'sneuroplasticity,it’stoourbenefittomakeourlifetimeexperiencesaspositiveandhilariousaspossible.Thefieldofmedicinehaslongrecognizedtheimportanceofhumor.Inthe1300s,HenrideMondeville,aprofessorofsurgery,propagatedpost-operativetherapywithhumor.5NormanCousins,ajournalistandaprofessor,alsoinitiatedthistrendwhenhedevelopedhisown“treatment,”basedonmoodelevationthroughlaughter.6AccordingtoCousins,tenminutesoflaughterresultedintwohoursofpainfreesleep.Manystudieshavedemonstratedthebeneficialeffectsoflaughter.Laughingduringahumorousfilmelevatesthepainthresholdandcanhelpbreakthecyclebetweenpain,sleeploss,depression,andimmunosuppression.4Laughterlowersbloodpressure,epinephrine,andglucoselevels,andincreasesglucosetolerance.Laughteralsoassistsintherecoveryandpreventionofcancerbyincreasingnaturalkillercellactivity,theresponseofgammainterferonandTcells,andimprovesthedefenseagainstrespiratoryinfections.Humorandlaughterproduceadischargeofendorphinswithbotheuphoricandcalmingeffects.7LaughteryogaisacontemporarytechniquedevelopedinIndiathatencouragesparticipantstomimictheactoflaughingwiththegoalofachievingpositivepsychologicaloutcomes.TheresultshaveshownsignificantimprovementsinpositiveemotionsandreductionsintheseverityofsymptomsofstressandanxietyaswellasreducedanxietyandimprovedqualityofsleepinpatientssufferingfromParkinsondisease.8,9Humorousinterventionsmaybeespeciallyhelpfulwithaging.Findingsindicatethathappierpeoplearelesslikelytodeveloptautanglesandamyloidplaques.4Moreover,increaseduseofhumorintheperiodfollowingthedeathofaspousewasfoundtopromotegreateremotionalresilience.2Inparticular,thoseusingmorehumorwerebetterabletokeeppositiveemotionsdistinctandseparatefromtheirnegativeemotions,resultinginfewerdepressivesymptoms.Humorrelatedbenefitshavealsobeenreportedbyelderlyresidentsinassistedlivingfacilities.AssuggestedbyFreud,humormaybethehighestofthedefenseprocessesofthepsyche,whichwecaninvoketoguardagainstanxiety.10,11Throughouthistory,humorhasbeenlinkedtotragedyinliteratureandtheater,butitcanalsobeaformofescape.3,7Blackhumoror“Gallows”humorcanqualifyassupportmechanismsinthepresenceofimpossiblesituationsortraumaticcircumstancesinordertorelievetensionandcopewiththestress.2,7Thesearchforafunnyaspectinadifficultmomentcanhelpusendureit,andwhenusedtohelpotherstocopy,canbealtruistic.11Freudpostulatedthathumorworksbycondensationanddisplacementandbelievedthatcultivatingasenseofhumorcouldliftrepression.12Whenusedappropriately,humorcanhaveaplaceintherapyforgeneralizedanxietydisorder,depression,andsocialanxiety.ItcanbeapartofinterpersonaltherapyandCBT.4HumorinCBTcanhelppatientsreframetheirmaladaptivethoughts,elevatemood,andovercomeperceivedobstacles.It’srecommendedthathumorbeutilizedonlyafterestablishmentofthetherapeuticallianceandknowledgeoftheculturalcustomsofthepatient.7Ingroupsettings,laughterstrengthensinterpersonalrelationships,promotesgroupbonding,facilitatesteamworkandcooperation,anddefusesconflict.4Ifusedappropriately,humorcanconveyasenseofhumanity,overcomebarriers,buildtrustandencourageempathy.12Laughingatoneselfalsoencourageshealing.AsPolandwrites“thereisaneedtolearntolaughatoneselfasanindividualandalsoasaprofessional.”13AnneDeangoessofarastocitehumorasacharacteristicnecessaryforasuccessfulcareerinpsychiatry.14PatchAdams,aphysicianandaclown,believedthathumorandlovewereatthecoreofagoodbedsidemanner.15Humoralsofacilitatesacceptanceoftraitsinothersthatareunlikelytochange.Laughterhelpstametheinnercriticthatcandemandunattainablestandards,andcanbeusedtoboostself-esteemandbuffertheself.2,4Ithasbeensuggestedthathumordiffersfromothercognitivebasedemotionalregulationstrategiesinthatitdoesn’tdenythenegativeexperience,buthelpstoconstrueitaslessthreatening.2Beingabletolaughattraumaticeventsinourlivesdoesn’tcauseustoignorethem,butpreparesustoendurethemthroughplayfulnessandachangedprismofperceptionoflife’schallenges.Humorcanenhancethewillingnesstochangeandimproveemotionalexpectationsandcanrevisehabitualnarrativesthatperpetuateshame,hurt,isolation,inferiority,sadness,worry,andperfectionism.4Ofallthecommonlyendorsedcharacterstrengths,humorcontributesmoststronglytolifesatisfaction.Anotablebodyofliteratureontheroleofhumorandwell-beinghasdevelopedoverrecentyearsandmuchofitaddresseshowhumorcanfacilitatecopingwithstressorenhancepersonalandsocialrelationships.Researchhasalsoprovidedevidencethathumorcanserveasanimportantfacetofresilienceandcancontributetotheenhancementofpositivelifeexperiences.Disclosures:DrKhajuriaisStaffPsychiatrist,Men’sForensicOutpatientUnit,TwinTowersCorrectionalFacility,LosAngeles,CA.References:1.BrainyQuote.https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/reba_mcentire_457608.AccessedJuly6,2018.2.KuiperNA.Humorandresiliency:towardsaprocessmodelofcopingandgrowth.EurJPsychol.20;8:475-491.3.WildgruberD,SzameitatDp,EthoferT,etal.Differenttypesoflaughtermodulateconnectivitywithindistinctpartsofthelaughterperceptionnetwork.PLoSOne.2013;8:e63441.4.KingB.Health-RelatedBenefitsofHumorandLaughter.SeminarDVDs.LosBanos,California:InstituteforBrainPotential.5.BrehonyKA.AftertheDarkestHour:HowSufferingBeginstheJourneytoWisdom.NewYork:HenryHolt;2000:228.6.CousinsN.Anatomyofanillness.NEJM.1976:293:1458-1463.7.CraciunB.Humorasadefensemechanismandworkinginstrumentofthecognitive-behavioraltherapy.RomanJCBTherapyHypnosis.2014;1:1-9.8.WeinbergMK,HammondTG,CumminsRA.Theimpactoflaughteryogaonsubjectivewell-being:apilotstudy.EurJHumRes.2013;125-34.9.MemarianA,SanatkaranA,BahariSM.TheeffectoflaughteryogaexercizesonanxietyandsleepqualityinpatientssufferingfromParkinson’sdisease.BiomedResTher.2017;4:1463-1479.10.VaillantGE.Resilienceandposttraumaticgrowth.PositivePsychiatry.Arlington,VA:AmericanPsychiatricPublishing;2015:45-71.11.LickermanA.Whywelaugh:howlaughtercanhelpbuildresilience.PsychologyToday.2011.https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/happiness-in-world/2001/why-we-laugh.AccessedJuly12,2018.12.SwaminathG.Joke’sAPart:indefenseofhumor.IndianJPsychiatry.2006;48:177-180.13.PolandWS.Thegiftoflaughteronthedevelopmentofasenseofhumourinclinicalanalysis.PsychoanalQuart.1990;197:225.14.DeanA.Careerfocus-psychiatry.BMJ.1996:313;7071.15.PatchAdams.Wikipedia.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patch_Adams.AccessedJuly12,2018.DownloadIssue:PsychiatricTimesVol35,Issue8