Here is one of my favorite passages in “Write For Life” by David Tabatsky:
“The most wasted of all days is one without laughter.”
– E. E. Cummings
For people living with cancer, it may seem strange or even distasteful to consider humor when facing such serious issues. Yet, laughter can be helpful in ways you might not have realized or imagined. Laughter can help you feel better about yourself and the world around you.
Have you looked at the world lately? It’s pretty funny. Then again, it’s pretty sad, and we need comic relief. Laughter is a natural diversion.
When you laugh, no other thought comes to mind. Laughing can also induce physical changes in the body. After laughing for just a few minutes, you may feel better for hours. When used to supplement conventional cancer treatments, laughter therapy may help in the overall healing process. According to some studies, laughter therapy may provide physical benefits, such as boosting the immune system and circulatory system; enhancing oxygen intake; stimulating the heart and lungs; relaxing muscles throughout the body; triggering the release of endorphins (the body’s natural painkillers); easing digestion/soothes stomachaches, relieving pain; balancing blood pressure; and improving mental functions (i.e., alertness, memory, creativity).
Man, this makes me want to stop writing about laughter and look in the mirror — always good for a laugh. Try it. It can’t just be my mirror, can it? Laughter therapy may also improve overall attitude, reduce stress and tension, promote relaxation, aid sleep, enhance quality of life, strengthen social bonds and relationships, and produce a general sense of well being.
The Mind-Body Medicine department at Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA) offers supportive alternatives, including laughter therapy, to help patients cope while receiving conventional cancer treatments. Dr. Katherine Puckett, national director of Mind-Body Medicine at CTCA, first introduced laughter therapy to Midwestern Regional Medical Center upon a patient’s request. CTCA now offers humor therapy sessions, also known as Laughter Clubs or humor groups, to help cancer patients and their families use and enjoy laughter as a tool for healing.
Laughter Club is not based on humor or jokes, but on laughter as physical exercise. One exercise involves patients standing in a circle and putting their fingertips on their cheekbones, chest, or lower abdomen. They make “ha ha” or “hee hee” sounds until they felt vibrations through their bodies.
Dr. Puckett says that during these exercises, it’s hard for people not to join in because laughter is so contagious. According to Dr. Puckett, at the end of a session, patients have said things like “I didn’t even think about cancer during Laughter Club” and “That felt great! Things have been so hard that we haven’t laughed in months.” An eight-year-old daughter of a CTCA patient who had been struggling with her parent’s cancer had a revelation while attending Laughter Club.
“I never thought about laughing every day, but now I realize I can. Like even when I don’t feel happy, I can still laugh and feel better.” Sounds like just what the doctor ordered — or should be. On the next page, you’ll find a prescription for fun and laughter. Enjoy it because you must!...
