(Warning: This blog post is laced with sarcasm. If you are sarcasm-phobic, then click to the next post which will be sarcasm-free.)
Hey! Get this…
Yes, YOU!
Wake up and listen to me for a sec.
Did you know…
(…and I bet you didn’t…)
… that humor therapy is recognized by the American Cancer Society as a genuine treatment?
No kidding.
Nope, I don’t believe you knew that. Why? Because I’m pretty darn smart and I didn’t know that until just a few minutes ago. (Seriously, I could wipe the floor with you on Jeopardy!…lol.)
So there I was sitting at my computer, occasionally glancing out the window at the lady across the street as she tweezes every blade of grass so that each is precisely 1 5/8 inches tall. (We can’t have one out of place now, can we?) I was looking for therapies to write about for today’s blog post.
And bam! There it was on my screen… from the American Cancer Society! Humor therapy is a REAL therapy. So I kept on reading and learned some interesting facts I’d like to share with you about this oft-overlooked (more like always overlooked, actually) therapy that helps reduce panic and anxiety:
1. Humor therapy is also called therapeutic humor.
Who cares? That was a useless factoid, wasn’t it? I like to start things off with a whimper.
2. Laughter stimulates the release of specific neurotransmitters that enhance pleasure.
Yeah, baby! Let’s get some more of that.
3. Opioid peptides make us laugh.
No, they do. Really. Just say “opiate peptides” really slowly. That’s freakin’ funny. You can’t help but laugh.
You and me together… ready…
“O-pi-oid pep-tides!”
Seriously, though, opioid peptides are a group of endogenous neural polypeptides, which are amino acid chains such as endorphins and enkephalins. (Write that down. There will be a quiz and pronunication test later.)
They bind themselves to receptors in the central nervous system. When they do, they generate some of the same pharmacological effects of drugs like morphine or heroin.
So, in other words, they make us high… without drugs!
These little opioid buggers come out when we’re deliriously happy. You know that feeling when you feel “on top of the world.”
Oh, come on. You’ve felt it. Yeah, that one. That’s your opioids at work… er… um… or at play… whatever.
They also release themselves when we have an orgasm (an opioid tsunami!) or do some intense exercise. Runners have “runner’s high.” Dancers have “dancer’s high.” Bowlers have “bowler’s high.” (OK, I made up the last one. Sue me.)
Plus, they make for a great question you can ask your friends and family:
“How are your opioids?”
4. The biggest grouping of opioid receptors is in our frontal lobes.
(Frontal lobes. That’s funny too. Say it with me… “fron-tal lobes”… hehe…)
This has a powerful effect on our thought processes, seeing as the frontal lobe is so important to brain function. You can feel those opioids dancing around in there when you’re having a fun conversation with friends.You also feel it when you fall in love (…or lust… whatever your thing.) And you also get it when you’ve created or accomplished something.
See, you always thought that was the satisfaction feeling of a job well done. Nope… it’s opioids! And your frontal lobe is their private after-hours rave!
5. Humor therapy is safe.
Well, I would certainly hope so. I’ve never seen a team of paramedics standing by at a comedy club. And I’ve never heard of a doctor telling a patient, “You know, you really should get more serious and worried. You’re way too happy and carefree.”
But seriously… if you suffer from panic and anxiety, it’s no laughing matter. You are in pain. You suffer. You want help.
One of the things I’ve noticed about people with anxiety like you and me is that we tend to be very serious. We worry and plan and fret and obsess. We really need to lighten up a bit.
In my own personal quest to overcome panic and anxiety, I discovered that…
6. An improv comedy class is a great way to begin your own course of humor therapy.
These are available at adult education centers, community colleges, and comedy theaters. I have done this twice in my life and plan on doing it several more times.
There is nothing more fun than getting together with a group of strangers with the express purpose of becoming silly. You learn how to think on your feet and react spontaneously in ways that strengthen your neural pathways.
Yes, you actually become smarter and funnier at the same time! (Man, these opioids got some good game!)
Like I did, you will find yourself handling your daily issues faster, better, and with a sharp wit. Not to mention you’ll make a ton of new silly friends who like to laugh.
And you’ll laugh a lot… guaranteed.
So, start to take your laughter seriously. Hmmm… let me rephrase that…
So, start to make laughter and humor a priority in your life. Suck up those opioids. Have a party in your brain.
Need a good laugh right now? I dare you not to laugh at this:
Laughter is just the beginning. To really overcome panic and anxiety, you need to address the ROOT CAUSE that triggers it.
Click here to watch a short video about the ROOT CAUSE of all anxiety.
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