"Laughter is Good Medicine"

Submitted by Jud Miller

"A rule of thumb in the matter of medical advice is to take everything a doctor says with a grain of aspirin," says Goodman Ace. And Malcolm Muggeridge follows with, "I will lift up mine eyes unto the pills. Almost everyone takes them, from the humble aspirin to the multicolored, king-size three deckers, which put you to sleep, wake you up, stimulate and soothe you all in one. It is an age of pills."

Do we really need all those pills? Here are some thoughts which may help us depend a little less on those pills. The ancient Greeks believed humor was essential to the healing process. Since that time many medical studies have confirmed the healing effects of a good laugh. Here is a list of reasons why laughter helps us feel better: 1) Muscles tighten, then relax, which tones them gently and eases tension. 2) You breathe faster, taking in more oxygen and ridding yourself of more carbon dioxide, just like when you exercise. 3) Your heart rate, blood pressure and pulse increase, improving circulation. 4) The brain's chemical transmitters increase, pumping up your ability to stay alert. Laughing also induces your brain to make pleasure-producing chemicals called endorphins, which act as natural pain killers. 5) Your immune system may get a boost too, experts now believe, making your body better able to fight disease.

Norman Cousins once proved to himself and his physicians the value of laughter when he watched humorous movies non-stop during a particular illness and was healed in a fraction of the time normally required for that illness. On another occasion, he watched his white blood cells (infection fighting cells) double within five minutes when he did nothing more than think of a very positive event. When confronted by the foe, our animal friends have just two choices: to flee or to fight. We have another alternative: to laugh. So have a laugh, and remember: Those who laugh...last!

Faculty/Staff Bulletin-- February 19, 1998