“The poor bloke was saying for all to hear!
I had a malady and but no fear!
The doc cured me for a while!
But the meds were useless! What worked was his smile!”
One of the most common good compliments a patient can tell a doctor is. “when I speak to you and see your cheerful and smiling face or just your positive spirit makes half of my troubles to simply disappear!”
Of course this does not happen many times since the doctor is also human and affected by the things around him or her! It is rare to find a doctor who is always smiling or cheerful and if you do then do check if he or she is real or not!
Nevertheless it has been found that just a pleasant demeanour is what is required most of the time for the patient to be happy!
It has been said that the mere act of smiling can make a huge difference in your state of mind! Countless books on management and etiquette have even told sales people who make calls to smile when they make the call! Even if the person on the other end of the call cannot see you, the effect of the smile is seen!
That brings us to laughter therapy!
Apparently it was King Solomon who gave us one of the earliest recorded accounts regarding the healing power of humour and laughter!
It has also been seen that the ancient Greek physicians prescribed for their patients to visit the hall of comedians. They would send their patients to the theatre to be entertained as part of the healing process!
Early Native Americans had clowns who worked with Witch Doctors. They too realized the powerful effects of laughter and humor in healing, The 3rd most important person in the tribe was the clown! Now do not ask about who were the first two!
In the 1300’s, surgeon Henri de Mondeville reportedly told jokes to his patients in the recovery room! Of course he did that only when the surgery was successful!
We have also seen in many great civilisations like even in Bharat, court Jesters like Tenali Raman (Raman is what people call me many times but I am not that funny!) were hired to relieve the royalty’s stress from their governing duties! They used humour to give wisdom and many times their jokes were possible advice and real opinions!
In the 1600’s educator Richard Mulcater recommended laughter for those suffering from head colds!
However, the most significant recording of the benefits of humour and laughter came from Norman Cousins in his book ‘Anatomy of an illness.’
In 1964, Dr. Cousins was diagnosed with a crippling and extremely painful inflammation of his body, which doctors diagnosed as Anklyosing Spondilitis.
He checked himself out of the hospital, hired a nurse and moved into a hotel! Then he watched comedy movies such as Candid Camera, the Marx Brothers, Laurel and Hardy and many other comedy movies!
He later wrote. “I made the joyous discovery that 10 minute of genuine belly laughter had an anesthetic effect and would give me at least 2 hours of pain-free sleep.
He recovered from the condition and spent 20 years teaching about the merits of humour and laughter in healing!
Experts now agree, laughter is good for you. It boosts your immune system, it relieves pain, tension and stress, it stimulates the heart, lowers blood pressure and much more!
So practically Laughter therapy is a kind of cognitive-behavioral therapies that could make physical, psychological, and social relationships healthy, ultimately improving the quality of life.
Laughter therapy, as a non-pharmacological, alternative treatment, has a positive effect on the mental health and the immune system. In addition, laughter therapy does not require specialized preparations, such as suitable facilities and equipment, and it is easily accessible and acceptable.
Laughter decreases serum levels of cortisol, epinephrine, growth hormone, and 3,4-dihydrophenylacetic acid (a major dopamine catabolite), indicating a reversal of the stress response. Depression is a disease, where neurotransmitters in the brain, such as norepinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin, are reduced, and there is something wrong in the mood control circuit of the brain. Laughter can alter dopamine and serotonin activity. Furthermore, endorphins secreted by laughter can help when people are uncomfortable or in a depressed mood.
Mention laughter and you have to remember birthday celebrity Rajendra Nath Malhotra! In fact he was so famous that his character called Popatlal is now a trademark!
Now stop laughing without any reason lest someone mistakes you for being insane and sleep!
Shubh Ratri!
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