close

The healing power of humor

By Nick Jacobs 4 min read

“I told my doctor I broke my leg in two places. He told me to stop going to those two places.” George Burns

As a former, non-traditional hospital administrator, I have found people like Norman Cousins and Dr. Hunter “Patch”Adams to be inspirational medical heroes. Neither was famous for their incredible capabilities as surgeons or inventors of curative vaccines. They did have a similar connection – humor.

Cousins said, “Laughter is a form of internal jogging.” He was a notable American political journalist, author, and professor who focused primarily on politics and international affairs. He became most famous, however, from his personal experiences and work in mind-body medicine where he focused on the healing power of humor.

He was diagnosed with a form of arthritis that impacts the spine and causes intense pain and significant inflammation. Most dramatically, because it can lead to complex complications such as cardiovascular issues, his ankylosing spondylitis gave him little chance of survival.

This is the part that attracted my attention. Cousins proactively approached his health and well-being in a significantly different way. He checked himself into a hotel room to minimize the stress that is part of any hospital stay. He began taking Vitamin C and integrated humor into his healing process.

He soon discovered that as little as 10 minutes of laughter from watching comedies provided him with up to two hours of pain-free sleep. This alone resulted in significant improvement in his pain, mobility, and recovery. He later wrote a book, “Anatomy of an Illness,” which became a study of how stress and emotions can impact the immune system and overall health.

“When I turned 50, my doctor said, ‘Well, . . . you’re in great shape for a man of 93!’ I’m like, ‘What?’ He said, ‘You have the cholesterol of a French fry!'” — Robin Williams.

My other humor advocate, Patch Adams, is a physician, author, and social activist made famous by the Robin Williams movie of the same name. He was nationally recognized for his compassionate, empathetic, and humorous treatment of patients at his Gesundheit Institute in Pocahontas County, W. Va. He famously said, “You know, if you focus too hard on what’s serious in life, you miss out on all the fun parts.”

Why was humor such a critical commitment of mine? Study after study has demonstrated that humor can help alleviate pain by providing a distraction and activating the body’s natural pain-relief mechanisms.

Humor is also effective in helping to minimize worry by providing an escape from negative thoughts by simply redirecting our focus. It can help us break the cycle of anxiety by providing a different perspective on our deeply held concerns.

More importantly, when we’re sick, our minds and bodies become depleted, and that makes recovery an even more challenging process. With humor, we can help to improve both our mood and our energy levels while increasing blood flow and circulation. All of these changes can aid significantly in the healing process and enhance the effectiveness of treatments by both reducing stress and promoting a positive mental outlook.

Laughter has also been found to improve cardiovascular health by increasing blood flow and circulation and by helping to lower blood pressure. It can also provide mental health benefits by providing a positive mechanism for coping with stress, depression, and anxiety through fostering connection and social bonding. Add into this additional health benefits such as increased respiratory health, cognitive function, and social connection.

As Patch and Norman suggest, the prescription for all of us is to watch a funny movie, read lighthearted books, spend significant time with funny people who have great stories, look for humor in everyday life, and learn to laugh at ourselves. None of us – and I mean not a single one of us – gets out of this alive. So, let’s have as much fun as we can along the way.

Nick Jacobs is a Windber resident.

CUSTOMER LOGIN

If you have an account and are registered for online access, sign in with your email address and password below.

NEW CUSTOMERS/UNREGISTERED ACCOUNTS

Never been a subscriber and want to subscribe, click the Subscribe button below.

Starting at $3.75/week.

Subscribe Today