Laughter in Recovery
Is recovery really no laughing matter?
If you are thinking about alcohol recovery, laughter might not be even close to the first thing that comes to mind.
Victor Borge once said, ‘Laughter is the shortest distance between two people’. Could it be the same with alcohol recovery, and that the shortest distance between recovering from alcohol addiction is a good old laugh? In other words, are we taking ourselves too seriously?
The question could be framed another way: does taking ourselves seriously help with addiction? Taking ourselves seriously when recovering from addiction can’t be a bad thing; what could be more serious than an alcohol-related illness? Not much. But with seriousness having a part to play, what can laughter bring to our cause?
Laughter has been considered by many to be a medicine fit for the encouragement of persevering through hardship, and what could be more complex than recovering from alcohol addiction? Again, not much. So what harm can there be to bring in a little, or maybe even a lot, of laughter?
We will examine what laughter can do to the body and how it can help us in our quest for recovery.
Is laughter good for our health?
In short, yes. We exclude, of course, those of us who have laughed at the wrong person at the wrong time and ended up with a sore face, but we are not talking specifics; we are talking in a broad sense.
Below is a list of effects that laughter can have on the body and how it may help us recover from alcohol addiction:
It’s relaxing: When you laugh heartily, it helps relax your entire body and reduces physical tension and stress, keeping your muscles relaxed for about 45 minutes afterwards.
Laughing boosts your immune system: laughter can lower stress hormones, increase immune cells, and boost infection-fighting antibodies, thereby enhancing your body’s ability to fight off diseases.
The act releases endorphins: The release of endorphins triggered by laughter promotes a general feeling of well-being and can temporarily relieve pain, as endorphins are the body’s natural feel-good chemicals.
It helps with heart health: Laughing is beneficial for the heart as it enhances the function of blood vessels and improves blood flow, reducing the risk of heart attack and other cardiovascular issues.
Laughing takes work: Laughing can burn calories, although it’s not a substitute for exercising. According to a study, laughing for 10 to 15 minutes daily can burn around 40 calories, which could result in a three to four-pound weight loss over a year.
Laughter helps reduce anger: Sharing a laugh can quickly defuse anger and conflict. Viewing the humorous side of situations can minimise problems and allow you to move past disagreements without holding onto negative feelings.
Overall, frequent laughing could lead to a longer life: Having a good sense of humour may contribute to a longer life. Research conducted in Norway revealed that individuals with a strong sense of humour tended to live longer than those who did not laugh as much, which is particularly significant for individuals with cancer.
Can laughing regularly help our mental health?
Integrating regular laughter into our daily lives can positively impact our mental well-being. The act of laughing stimulates the release of endorphins, the body’s natural feel-good substances. These substances can foster an overall feeling of wellness and temporarily alleviate discomfort.
Moreover, laughter diminishes the presence of stress hormones, which in turn can reduce stress levels and anxiety. It also encourages a state of relaxation and has the potential to enhance our emotional state.
Furthermore, laughter enhances blood circulation and boosts the functionality of blood vessels, leading to potential long-term advantages for heart health.
What about our overall health?
As mentioned above, regular laughter can improve mental and physical well-being. But laughter can also help us develop resilience, enabling us to deal more effectively with life’s many ups and downs.
But in all seriousness, laughing is more than just a respite from sadness and for getting us through rough spells; laughing can also provide us with the courage and strength to find hope when it seems there is none and give us those moments of enjoyment that we thought we may have lost during our alcohol addiction.
Laughter can bring us together when we need it the most.
A laugh or a smile can significantly improve your mood during tough times. It’s worth noting that laughter is contagious; simply hearing someone else laugh can prompt you to smile and join in on the fun.
It is essential to surround yourself with those with a sense of humour, as it could help you look at those problematic spells from another angle. It isn’t all doom and gloom, and having a good laugh now and again is no better way to remind yourself of that.
Laughter can bring us closer to those we love
When you’re in the company of others, you’re much more inclined to laugh compared to when you’re by yourself. Bringing more laughter into your life will increase happiness for you and those in your vicinity.
The enjoyment of sharing humour is a significant part of the experience. Laughter often arises from spending time with loved ones rather than hearing specific jokes. The social element of laughter is crucial for its health benefits. To fully enjoy a laugh with others, genuine engagement is necessary.
Disconnecting from distractions and engaging in face-to-face connections with people you care about helps balance the nervous system and alleviate defensive stress responses such as “fight or flight.” Sharing a laugh in such moments promotes feelings of happiness, positivity, and relaxation, even when facing stressful circumstances.
How important is it to laugh with others?
Laughter shared between people is a highly effective method for maintaining lively and interesting relationships. Any emotional sharing contributes to the formation of robust, enduring relationship connections, but sharing laughter also brings about happiness, liveliness, and toughness. Humour is also a potent and efficient approach for resolving feelings of bitterness, conflicts, and emotional wounds. During challenging times, laughter brings people together.
Playful communication and humour help build stronger connections by evoking positive emotions and nurturing emotional intimacy. Sharing laughter forges a positive bond, which serves as a resilient defence against stress, conflicts, and letdowns. In relationships, humour and laughter enable you to:
Embrace spontaneity: Humor can pull you out of your thoughts and troubles.
Drop your guard: Laughter can help you overcome grudges, judgments, criticisms, and uncertainties.
Unleash your inhibitions: Don’t let fear hold you back.
Share your genuine emotions: Allow deeply felt emotions to surface.
How to encourage more laughter in your life
Laughter is something you deserve, a natural aspect of life that is automatic and inherent. Babies start to smile in the early weeks of life and chuckle loudly within a few months of being born. Even if you weren’t raised in a home where laughter was a familiar sound, you could develop the ability to laugh at any point in life.
Start by dedicating specific times to discover humour and laughter, just as you would with exercising, and progress from there. Over time, you’ll want to integrate humour and laughter into the essence of your life, naturally finding it in everything.
Here are various methods to get started:
Try smiling: Smiling marks the start of laughter; just like laughter, it can be infectious. When you encounter someone or something even remotely enjoyable, try to smile. Instead of gazing down at your phone, lift your head and smile at the individuals you walk by, the person who serves your morning coffee, or the colleagues you ride the elevator with. Take note of the impact it has on others.
Practising gratefulness: Just by thinking about the good things in your life, you can distance yourself from negative thoughts that prevent you from experiencing humour and laughter. When you’re feeling sad, getting to a place of humour and laughter takes longer.
Hang out with fun and playful individuals: These people quickly burst into laughter, finding humour in everyday occurrences and life’s absurdities. Their infectious laughter and carefree perspective uplift those around them. Even if you don’t see yourself as particularly humorous, you can still connect with people who enjoy making others laugh. After all, every comedian needs an audience.
Inject humour into your conversations: Initiate discussions by asking others, “What’s the funniest thing that has happened to you today? This week? In your lifetime?”
Finding the help you need
Laughter may be a helpful way to make recovery easier, but what if finding the right treatment to get you on the road to recovery is your priority?
At Detox Plus, we want to help you get the ball rolling with your addiction recovery. Our team has years of experience and is committed to supporting you in selecting the most appropriate program to aid you on your journey to recovery. We are prepared to work with you to create a treatment plan tailored to your specific challenges and goals, whether individual counselling, group sessions, or a combination of both.
Contact Detox Plus today to discover more about our outpatient therapy choices and begin your journey toward a happier and healthier life.
