For decades and decades (and even more decades), the magazine Reader’s Digest has featured a segment called “Laughter, the Best Medicine.” Arguably, whether or not the jokes on those pages of the magazine actually make you laugh says a lot about what kind of humor you enjoy.
In any case, the title of the section was, of course, a reference to the old cliché that “laughter is the best medicine.” There is some reason to believe the statement has its origins in the Biblical book of Proverbs, but no matter where it came from, it has certainly stayed in common usage for a long, long time.
Now, we would argue that the best medicine is actually whichever will effectively treat whatever illness you are facing. We certainly would not suggest that when you are feeling unwell, you should head to the comedy club instead of to the doctor’s office.
Still and all, there is something to the idea that laughter can serve as a kind of medicine when you are dealing with challenges in your life. For a person in recovery from a substance use disorder, opportunities to laugh can be of great value. And that is no joke.
The Benefits of Laughter
Would it surprise you to learn that laughter and its impacts on a person have been the subjects of scientific study? As it would turn out, laughter offers quite a number of benefits. An article titled “Laughing is good for you—here’s why” by Alaina Bartel for Case Western Reserve University’s news site identifies five key gains that people who laugh a lot can expect. They include:
- Neurological benefits: When you laugh, you send your body and mind a message that you are safe and can relax. A host of positive neurochemicals is also released by laughter.
- Physical health gains: Regular laughter can reduce your blood pressure, slow your heart rate, ease muscle tension, and boost your immune system. Laughter can also help a person manage pain.
- Increased emotional well-being: Laughter can boost your mood and lessen feelings of anxiety—a powerful one-two punch for your emotional health.
- Improved cognitive function: A little bit of laughter might fire up your creativity and help you think more clearly.
- Better social health: Laughter brings people together and can lead to strong and lasting connections. Shared joy can be a powerful thing.
So, given all those benefits, how can you go about adding more laughter into your life?
Find the Funny to Support Your Recovery
Even though our daily lives are filled with stress and responsibility, there are still plenty of opportunities to laugh. Maybe you have a friend who always makes you laugh when you are together (and maybe you are that friend for others). Maybe you have a comedian you follow online or whose shows you attend when you can. Maybe you like quick, humorous content on social media. Maybe you like funny movies or funny books or funny songs or what have you. Being intentional about finding chances to laugh in your life is a great practice that can firm up the foundations of your recovery.
There are likely to be days when it seems like there is nothing to laugh about—and in some ways, those are the days it is most important to seek out a little bit of joy. Finding those moments of joy on a tough day is good for your mental health, which is good for your recovery efforts, too.
All of that said, we do want to note that some of the things that pass for humor these days are actually quite cruel or disrespectful to others. This sort of negative humor might get a laugh in the moment, but pursuing laughter at someone else’s expense is not uplifting for you or for them. Make sure the laughter in your life brings people together rather than splitting them apart.
Getting the Help You Need is No Laughing Matter
You do not need us to tell you that struggling with drugs or alcohol is no laughing matter. But you might need us to tell you that help is available. At Wooded Glen Recovery Center, located in Henryville, Indiana, we are dedicated to helping individuals reclaim their lives from substance use. In fact, we are consistently recognized as one of the best substance use recovery centers in the nation.
We will see you through medically supervised detoxification so that you can get the drugs or alcohol out of your system in a safe environment that is free of temptations. Detox is followed by a rehabilitation program built on group and individual therapy sessions that can help prepare you for life after treatment. And we follow rehab with a commitment to providing ongoing support, resources, and encouragement so you can launch your recovery journey with confidence.
We take all of this very seriously because we want you to reach your goals and leave drugs or alcohol behind. When you are ready to get started, we are, too.