Research Paper by Chris Dunmire, 1999  Posted
Feb-11-2005
“More than 19 million
Americans over the age of 18 experience a depressive illness
each year,” declares
the headline on a Web page at www.depression.com — an
informational site devoted to depression and supported in
part by the Bristol-Myers
Squibb Company. Other organizations like the National Mental
Health Association (NMHA) and the National Alliance for the
Mentally Ill (NAMI) have been gaining popularity in the mental
health field by addressing the growing problem of mental
illness in our society today. Some may not think of depression
as an
illness, especially when the term is used loosely to describe
almost anything from experiencing a temporary setback in
life to feeling unhappy and suicidal. But according to NAMI,
mental
illnesses are “disorders of the brain that disrupt
a person's thinking, feeling, moods, and ability to relate
to
others” and “often result in a diminished capacity
for coping with the ordinary demands of life.” That
describes the common effects of depression.
What is depression? It's a mood disorder with varying symptoms,
but often makes a person feel sad, hopeless, worthless, anxious,
irritable, or tired. Stress, anxiety, change, illness, death,
or a combination of several things causes depression. It also
occurs because of chemical imbalances within the brain. Depression
comes in varying degrees from the temporary blues and Seasonal
Affective Disorder (SAD) to more serious illnesses such as
major depression and bipolar disorder that may affect a person
for years, and sometimes their whole lifetime. For some people
though, depression is a temporary condition that diminishes
in time. More severe cases can be treated by a combination
of medication and therapy to keep it under control.
If you or a person you care for suffers from depression, should
you feel helpless about the situation, or rely solely on the
medication to make you well? Not necessarily. Under the heading “Anti-Depressant
Therapies” at the depression.com site, the article notes
that you can combat and even prevent some of the negative feelings
that result from depression. It states:
“While drug
therapies have been very effective in many people for treating
depression,
there's more to beating depression than just antidepressant
medications. How you think, eat, live, work, and play can
either send you farther down the abyss — or help you
overcome depression and rediscover the happiness of life.”
You
still have control over the other facets of your life such
as your physical health, your relationships, and your work.
You can take care of your body by getting enough rest,
maintaining a healthy diet, and exercising regularly. You can
develop
healthy relationships with others and surround yourself with
people
who love and care about you. And if you are employed, you
can choose work that is challenging and fulfilling to you,
giving
you a sense of accomplishment. In addition to the above,
you can enjoy life more by including humor into your daily
routine.
Why? Because humor is an excellent tool for combating depression. What is Humor?
Have you ever thought about what humor
really is? How would you describe it? If you looked up “humor” in
a dictionary, you would see a similar definition to what
Patty Wooten notes in her article, Humor: an Antidote
for Stress. She says, “[Humor is] the quality
of being laughable or comical” or “a state
of mind, mood, spirit.” She adds, “Humor then
is flowing; involving basic characteristics of the individual
expressed in the
body, emotions, and spirit” (49).
What is laughable
and comical to one person will depend on their current
perspective and disposition. A mother might find watching
her 5-year-old
son feeding the animals at a petting zoo humorous. A
child might giggle at the sight of a clown. Slapstick comedy
like the Three Stooges amuses some people. The gag-gift
market
caters to those who like to place plastic Doggie Doo
and
fake vomit on the living room carpet to scare unsuspecting
victims. Cartoonists draw humor. Some people enjoy being
quick-witted and playful. And most people laugh together
when they talk about funny experiences and share memorable
tales. Humor is different to everyone and interpreted
according to what someone finds amusing at a particular moment. Humor resources are abundant, and the ability to create humor
in our lives has no limit. In the book The Laughter Prescription by Dr. Laurence J. Peter and Bill Dana, Peter outlines a prescription
for developing a healthy sense of humor. If you notice in figure
1, Peter suggests eight different points that you can adopt
into your life to be more playful, less serious, and more humorous.
Peter's Prescription for Development of Your Sense of Humor
- Adopt an attitude of playfulness. This does not mean that
you will do outrageous things, but that your mind is open to
uncensored, iconoclastic, silly or outrageous thoughts.
- Think funny. See the funny side or flip side of every situation.
Select and refine your outrageous thoughts that best expose
our conceits, pomposities and incongruities.
- Laugh at the incongruities in situations involving yourself
and others.
- Only laugh with others for what they do rather than for
what they are, unless you are assured that they can laugh
at themselves
for what they are. In laughing with others about their
incongruities, see them as mirrors in which your own weaknesses,
idiosyncrasies
and conceits are reflected.
- Laugh at yourself, not in derision, but with objectivity
and acceptance of self.
- Take yourself lightly. Take your job and your responsibility
to yourself and others seriously. You will discover that
this will make life's anxieties and burdens lighter.
- Make others laugh. By creating happiness for others, you
will experience a special joy of accomplishment that only
a lively,
generous sense of humor can bring.
- Realize that a sense of humor is deeper than laughter and
more satisfactory than comedy, and delivers greater rewards
than merely being entertaining. A sense of humor sees the
fun in everyday experiences. It is more important to have
fun than
it is to be funny.
Fig. 1. The Laughter Prescription, by Dr. Laurence J. Peter
and Bill Dana (193).
Laughter is Good for the Mind and Body
Don't you feel good after a hearty laugh? Most people do.
This is why humor works well against depression. Good feelings
replace the bad ones. Humor distracts us and gives us “a
different perspective on our problems and, with an attitude
of detachment, we feel a sense of self-protection and control
in our environment” (Wooten 49). That detachment not
only gets our minds off of our misery, but also helps move
our train of thought onto another track. Laughing is a perfect
example of this. When your thoughts are interrupted by laughter,
don't you often forget about what you were previously thinking?
Wooten also points out how laughter combats stress. She writes, “Finding
humor in a situation and laughing freely with others can
be a powerful antidote to stress. Our sense of humor gives
us the ability to find delight, experience joy, and to release
tension” (49). The next time you feel overwhelmed by
stress, step away and find something to humor you. Later,
take note of what the distraction did to the stress you were
feeling.
Laughter has positive effects on the body too, according to
the research of William F. Fr Jr., M.D. Joseph Dunn of the
Humor and Health Journal interviewed Fry, and
when asked to share some of his significant findings
on the subject, he had
much to say. Fry reported:
“Just as there are psychological
dynamics associated with humor, mirth, and laughter, there
are physiological changes as well . . . most of the major physiologic
systems of the body are stimulated or activated during mirthful
laughter” (4).
He also pointed out:
“The systems
on which we have evidence that mirthful laughter has an impact
are: the skeletal muscular system, the central nervous system,
the respiratory system, the cardiovascular system, the immune
system, and the endocrine system” (5).
It's no wonder
why Dr. Patch Adams (Patch Adams) believed
in the power of humor therapy and used it on patients to
boost
their natural defenses while they were ill, or to help
them to heal after surgery! Start Enjoying More Humor Now!
 So, is humor a natural antidote for depression?
Yes! It's clear that a healthy sense of humor helps combat
depression
and
boosts mental and physical health. Do you have to
suffer from depression or be stressed out to benefit from
humor?
Not at all. You can enjoy the benefits of humor anytime.
A good reminder about the value of humor comes from the
book Do It! Let's get Off Our Buts by Peter McWilliams.
He says, “As
we're playing this game of life, something occasionally
reminds us not
to take it all too seriously. 'Enjoy yourself,' it says,
'you'll never get out of this alive.' It's called humor” (McWilliams
484). What an excellent reminder for everyone!
Remember that your sense of humor is a gift that you can give
to others and yourself as often as you want to. The American
Association for Therapeutic Humor (AATH) provides a list of
The Twelve Affirmations of Positive Humor (fig. 2) as a tool
that you can use daily to enjoy more positive humor in your
life. Their vision statement regarding humor is worthy of adopting.
It declares, “We are committed to advancing our knowledge
and understanding of humor and laughter as they relate to healing
and well-being.” Remember those words as you enjoy your
next hearty laugh.
Good health and humor to you! The Twelve Affirmations of Positive Humor
- I am determined to use my humor for positive, playful, uplifting,
healing and loving purposes.
- I will take myself lightly while I take my work in life
seriously.
- I will not seek to be offended by other's attempts at humor.
When in doubt, I will see others as meaning well.
- I will express my humor physically, using my whole face
and (when so moved) with my entire body.
- I refuse to use my humor to camouflage hostility or prejudice.
- I understand that the gift of laughter is a treasured gift,
so I will laugh generously at other's attempts to be humorous.
- All teasing and ethnic humor will be by mutual consent
and will go both ways or I will not engage in such humor.
- I will respect the forbidden subject topics of my listeners.
I will avoid giving offense with my humor.
- If I offend another by my use of humor, I will make amends.
- I will be eternally vigilant for the jokes and absurdities
of the universe, and I will share my observations with
my companions in life.
- In the midst of adversity, I will continue to use my humor
to cope, to survive, to heal, to grow, and to pass on loving-kindness.
Works Cited
Epicenter Communications, Inc. Anti-Depressant Therapies.
10 Apr. 1995. Bristol-Myers Squibb Company. 26 Nov. 1999 http://www.depression.com/health_library/anti_depressant
_therapies
/index.html>.
Fry, William F. Jr. "Medical Perspectives on Humor: An
Interview with William F. Fry, Jr., M.D." Humor & Health
Journal 2.1 (1993): 4-8.
Idea Nurse. AATH. 20 Aug. 1999. The American Association for
Therapeutic Humor. 5 Dec. 1999 <http://aath.org/affirm.html>.
McWilliams, Peter. Do It! Let's Get Off Our Buts. 2nd ed.
Los Angeles: Prelude, 1994.
NAMI: The Nation's Voice on Mental Illness. 10 Jan.1996. National
Alliance for The Mentally Ill. 28 Nov. 1999 <http://www.nami.org/disorder/whatis.html>.
Peter, Laurence J., and Bill Dana. The Laughter Prescription.
New York: Ballantine, 1982.
Wooten, Patty. "Humor: An Antidote for Stress." Holistic
Nursing Practice 10.2 (1996): 49-56. •
© 2005 Chris Dunmire www.chrisdunmire.com.
All rights reserved.
Back to Articles... |
