Laughing In Recovery

Published studies have shown that laughing lowers blood pressure, reduces stress, boosts your immune system, and also triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers, thereby producing a general sense of well-being. In short, laughing is good for you. When laughter is shared in a group, it can bind people together and strengthen relationships.

At Melrose Recovery Center, our groups begin by being led by comedians. You may not think you have much to laugh about while you are in substance abuse recovery programs, but just come and find out! Our groups turn out to be very creative places where you not only listen but will safe and comfortable enough to participate in writing and skits. Our goal is to have you at ease enough to be able to laugh at yourself before too long. Our workshops will help you develop a perspective that we are all human and we all make mistakes- some of them very funny.

Laughter can be a powerful antidote for stress, pain, and conflict. Laughing and humor can bring your mind and body back into balance. It can lighten your burdens, inspire hope, connect you to others, and keep you grounded.

Laughter has the ability to relax your entire body. By relieving tension and stress, your muscles can stay relaxed after you are done laughing. Through laughter your body’s endorphins are released which promotes an overall sense of well-being and temporarily you get a relief from pain. Laughter increases blood flow and decreases blood vessel restriction, protecting your heart and vascular system.

Laughter promotes good feelings. Humor can help you to have a positive, optimistic outlook through difficult situations, disappointments, and loss. Laughter can give you the courage and strength to find new sources of courage and hope. Once you have seen that it is possible for others to laugh in their difficult situations, you will feel that it is possible for you also.  Laughter can dissolve feelings of anxiety or fear. By reducing stress and increasing energy, you will be able to stay focused and accomplish more. A humorous perspective allows you to see your life situations in a more realistic way. It can also create distance, which can help you avoid feelings of being overwhelmed.

Through your workshop experience at Melrose Recovery Center, we will encourage you to attend group sessions that will strengthen the bonds you make with other people. By laughing together it will foster an emotional connection and generate positive feelings with and for others. This bond can act as a buffer against stress, disagreements, and disappointment. Laughter unites people and helps get them through difficult times.

Outside of your workshops we would encourage you to include more humor in your daily life. Take time to enjoy funny movies or TV shows. Be more spontaneous and incorporate more humor into your daily interactions with others. Let go of any defensiveness, forget judgments, criticisms, and doubts. By using laughter and humor, often deeply felt emotions are allowed to rise to the surface where you can more effectively deal with them. As Steve Martin observed,” First the doctor told me the good news: I was going to have a disease named after me.

With so much power to heal and renew us, the ability to laugh easily and frequently is a great resource to help us surmount our problems, enhance our personal relationships and maintain our health both physically and mentally. As Groucho Marx said,” I find television very educational. Every time someone turns it on, I go in the other room and read a book.”

As one humorist said,”Through humor, you can soften some of the worst blows that life delivers. And once you find laughter, no matter how painful your situation might be, you can survive it.” Call today, (855) 512-5033.