Laughter: The Prescription for Life

by David Von Hatten

Ever notice how a good, hearty laugh puts you in a pleasant mood? Its no coincidence. Many experts suggest that humor even goes a long way in helping us cope with lifes adversities. It also gives us a different view of our situations and keeps us in balance when our world seems to be falling apart at the seams.

Having SMA type 3, I can safely say humor is the drug thats played a vital role in my life. So what is humor anyway? That depends on whom you ask.

According to Merriam-Webster, humor is the mental faculty of discovering, expressing or appreciating the ludicrous or absurdly incongruous; something that is or is designed to be comical or amusing. If you ask comedy actor and director Mel Brooks, hell tell you "humor is just another defense against the universe."

"No, Billy, I'm not in this chair ALL the time."

Where does humor come from? Its widely thought to be something we humans develop in a series of lifelong learning processes, says William Fry in his study, "The Biology of Humor." Were born with the potential to develop our senses of humor, says Fry, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University in Stanford, Calif. Because each of us has varied experiences growing up, our senses of humor are different and developed to different degrees.

When we find humor in a stressful situation, were putting to good use one of our coping devices for overcoming lifes many struggles, says Gail Sheehy, author of Pathfinders. She says using humor draws our attention away from the things that cause us strife. For a wheelchair user like me, it might be something like the occasional frustration I feel when I come across narrow store aisles, tiny bathroom stalls or elevators that dont work. Or it might be something broader, like accepting the vagaries of my disability.

"You can turn painful situations around through laughter. If you can find humor in anything you can survive it." — Bill Cosby

When you think about it, a lot of the grief we experience in our daily struggles may not be a result of the struggle itself, but of how we look at it, Sheehy says. In other words, its not so much the actual event that causes pain but how we react and relate to it. Sheehy notes that if we focus our energy on a humorous way of looking at things, were sure to diffuse the stress of the event. Humor releases mounting tension, popping the cork off fear, hostility, rage and anger. Not coincidentally it helps us stop worrying so that we can get on with life.

Laughing, Coping, Living

"I just HATE cocktail parties!"

For years I have tapped into my sense of humor to cope with my day. When Ive wrestled for a few minutes in my attempts to open a jar of pasta sauce, I dont focus on my inability to complete the task; I merely label the jar as "Dave-Proof" and move on. Ive changed entire dinner plans on "Dave-Proof" incidences. Go with the flow, right?

When I exercise at St. Davids Wheelchair Fitness Center, I joke with other friends in chairs that my workout wont take long because Im only working out my one abdominal muscle.

A friend with a disability who was once canoeing pointed out that even the turtle swimming alongside her canoe was moving faster than she. She laughed at the turtles accomplishment.

At a camp for kids with disabilities, one of the kids, a double amputee, was struggling to put on the second of his two leg prostheses while the rest of the kids were waiting. Instead of expressing frustration with his disability, he simply yelled, "Ill be right there. Im on my last leg!"

"Humor is the great thing, the saving thing. The minute it crops up, all our irritation and resentments slip away, and a sunny spirit takes their place." — Mark Twain

My brother Michael Von Hatten, 44, who also has SMA type 3, takes a few moments to reach a standing position from his lounge chair. To do so he pushes up off the chair with every ounce of energy he has. Once hes in a standing position, he says, "See, no hands," as if to say he stood up without having to use his arms to do so.

Michael Von Hatten

Years ago Michael and I were on a bus bound for MDA summer camp. He sat in the aisle seat next to an older camper who sat near the window and looked out at the passing scenery. They began talking, but all the while the other camper stared outside. My brother was puzzled.

Then the bus banked sharply into a turn, causing the campers head to roll toward Michael. Seeing that his seatmate lacked the strength to turn his head back toward the window, my brother offered to help. The camper shrugged and said dryly, "No thanks. Ill just wait for the next banked turn."

"There is hope for the future because God has a sense of humor and we are funny to God." — Bill Cosby

Glenn Harwood, 59, of Crofton, Md., uses humor to act as an icebreaker in social situations. In business situations he says it works as a "relaxer." Harwood, who has ALS, isnt able to walk or talk, but says humor is especially important to him because it makes him feel energized, connected and happy.

Glenn Harwood with friend

In fact, Harwood finds that humor helps him so much he thought it might help others as well. Harwood publishes "MY Sunday Bulletin," a weekly compendium of jokes sent via e-mail to more than 100 subscribers. Only a handful of jokes make it to press from the hundreds of jokes and anecdotes that come from a variety of sources. To tickle your funny bone and perhaps even your ribs, sign up by contacting Harwood at the.harwoods@verizon.net.

Harwood says hes usually in a good mood. With all the jokes swimming around his head, its no wonder. Also key to his happiness is his ability to make others laugh; it brings him great joy that he was able to communicate.

"A smile is the shortest distance between two people." —Victor Borge

Sue Wilcox, 56, of New Berlin, Wis., who has SMA, says humor is a "respite from problems we confront in life." It helps her reach a comfortable and enjoyable level of coping. She looks at events in a humorous manner because it helps her to take a step back to see how situations, however difficult, fit into the grand picture of life. Once Wilcox sees how minor her frustrations are, she can laugh at them.

	Cartoonist Sue Wilcox with husband, Dean, and dog, Kori

She realizes that she may not have control over the events in her daily life, but she points out, "I have control over how I react to it." A retiree, Wilcox occasionally draws cartoons about living with a disability. Some examples can be found at www.execpc.com/LivingSMArt.

Samantha Loewi, 13, of Denver, who has congenital muscular dystrophy, attacks life with unbridled enthusiasm. Her spirit reflects her positive attitude: Loewi excels in her schoolwork, at the swimming pool and in music. She plays the piano and saxophone and sings, too.

Samantha Loewi with a member of the Blue Man Group

She also copes with her disability in a rather public way. She proudly wears a T-shirt that reads: "The world takes my disability far too seriously and frankly, Im not going to stand for it! (Wheelchair Joke No. 43)."

Her parents, Pat and Andy, say theyre sure humor plays a role in helping Samantha keep her positive attitude. "Its hard to be down when youre around her. Her sense of humor has helped us deal with her disability," Andy says. Pat notes, "Humor has made us all so much more whole, especially important when dealing with a life-threatening disease."

Dean Dubois, 76, of Columbia, S.C., a humorist and motivational speaker, has inclusion-body myositis. While it has weakened his body, its never dampened his mood. Of humor he says, "You sure need it. It keeps you moving forward in the right frame of mind."

Dean DuBois and Evelyn Kaye Hurd

Among the topics Dubois addresses in speeches are humor in healing, and how to avoid "psychosclerosis," which he describes as hardening of the attitude. He also lives his life according to a formula he developed: 4L = A+. He applies the 4 Ls — living, love, learning and laughter —in his life, and the result is A+ — "attitude positive."

Clayton Wojciechowski, 60, of Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., who has Friedreichs ataxia, is ever the optimist. Despite losing the strength to walk, hes always joking, his wife, Nancy, says. Not only does his sense of humor lift the couples mood, it puts his home health care aides at ease, too.

Nancy says, "Clayton uses humor to break the ice with new people. It lets them see him as a regular person. Once they see hes comfortable with his disability, new friends soon follow suit and join in on the teasing, too."

Kristina Kent, 17, of Willmar, Minn., uses humor to help her cope with muscular dystrophy. Though still able to walk, she uses her trusty wheelchair to get around when she fatigues. Kent says many of her friends who have MD joke regularly about their conditions with phrases such as, "Wait up for the cripples."

Kristina Kent

Kent quips, "All you can do is laugh about it. Theres no cure or anything, so I just have fun with it, and have a fun life. I dont let it get to me. If you live your life being depressed about your disability youre not going to have a happy life. At camp we joke about it a lot. It makes me feel more comfortable with my disability."

"I am thankful for laughter, except when milk comes out of my nose." — Woody Allen

Brett Leake, 43, of Maidens, Va., makes his living as a comedian. He has FSH muscular dystrophy, as do his father and brother, and his mother has been there through it all.

Leake says humor has been a therapeutic part of his family life. Each family member used humor in a different, yet effective way. His brother used it to create order in his life. His father used it to adjust to his changing abilities and needs. His mother used it as a stress reliever; she was afraid of the future and what FSH might bring to the family, but she learned to laugh at the present along the way, Leake says.

Brett Leake

Leake says humor helps him look at the present and accept it. "We need to believe that things will work out in the end. Its a gradual approach to truth."

Leake says he has a human need to find a gift in his disability. "Theres something good about the disease. We all break down over time. We have to learn mental and emotional coping skills far faster than others." Notes Leake, "Humor acts as a soft landing."

"I dont deserve this award, but I have arthritis and I dont deserve that either." Jack Benny

Humor Isnt Always the Answer

"Lucky you! My feet are just killing me!"

As you can see, humor can help in a variety of ways. It helps us form positive relationships and communicate better. It helps us change moods, express emotions and detach from ourselves. It also gives us an acceptable outlet for feelings of anger, creating coping skills that will help us throughout our lives.

But it isnt always good for you. Humor can be hurtful or ineffective as well. Some humor, especially sarcasm, can be used in a hostile way to attack another. Humor can also be used as a cover-up for denial, repression and regression in holding on to uncomfortable feelings.

Ever hear a comedians joke fall flat? Sometimes our humor falls flat with those around us and can be taken in the wrong light. We must also be careful not to try to please others with humor simply to gain acceptance or conceal hostility.

And, if you use humor all the time, those around you may learn not to take you seriously.

Take Two Chuckles and Call Me in the Morning

You probably feel good after a bout of laughter. In his book Anatomy of an Illness, Norman Cousins, a former editor of the Saturday Review, was one of the first to identify humors positive benefits.

Cousins had a debilitating condition known as ankylosing spondylitis, which caused constant pain. By watching humorous videos of the Three Stooges and Abbott and Costello, Cousins noted that he received about three hours of pain relief from his laughter. Compare that to the half hour of pain relief he received after only taking analgesic medication.

Kathy and David Von Hatten

A published study by Stanley Tan and Lee Berk of Loma Linda University Medical Center in Loma Linda, Calif., and William Fry showed that laughing increases production of antiviral glycoproteins by the immune system and accelerates production of new immune cells. Their study, "Neuroendocrine and Stress Hormone Changes During Mirthful Laughter," notes that laughter even reduces levels of cortisol, the stress hormone, which is known to weaken ones immune system.

Studies also support the notion that those who laugh respond better to treatment for disease. A giggle, chortle or guffaw here and there also prompts physiological changes that may be beneficial to the immune, endocrine and other systems of the body.

So go for it. Doubling up in laughter gets that heart rate up and increases blood circulation and pulmonary ventilation. Next time youre having a chuckle or two, know that other amazing things are happening as well.

"I live to laugh and laugh to live." — Milton Berle

According to Fry, laughing exercises your skeletal muscles. It also produces electrochemical activity in the brain, which creates greater alertness, decreased pain perception, a rise in skin temperature and hormone production.

Did you know that when you laugh residual air, which remains in your lungs over a period of time, is blown out? Air with greater oxygen concentration and less moisture content is exchanged for the "stale air"; more oxygen is available for red blood cell uptake; theres less excess moisture in your lungs that may otherwise encourage a bronchial infection or pneumonia.

Wow.

Doctors should prescribe more laughs instead of medicine. Even better, theres no health insurance co-pay.

David Von Hatten is a freelance writer in Austin, Texas. When he isnt writing hes busy laughing, coping and living, but not necessarily in that order. Visit his Web site at www.WriteBrainWorks.com.

Kids Get Silly With the Lean, Mean, Water-Spewing Machine   Sure, your wheelchair is cool. Its got stickers, flashy wheels —but does it have a water cannon?? Is it the Ultimate Wheelchair of Destruction?? John Simurdak, a longtime volunteer at MDAs Camp Potawotami in northeastern Indiana, has come up with a way to turn wheelchairs into giant squirt guns using a common garden sprayer. To make a water cannon, youll need a 2-gallon pump tank sprayer with a plastic wand and 2 feet of 5/16-inch plastic tubing hose (both are available at hardware stores). Using a small saw, cut the sprayer wand into two pieces about 4 inches from the trigger. Reconnect the two pieces by pushing on the plastic hose. Gotcha! Cody Repine of Greenville, Ind., makes the most of his "firepower." Attach the tank to the back of the chair with straps or by slipping it into a backpack. Position the hose so the trigger lies in your lap and the nozzle is strapped on the armrest just below the joystick controller. Fill the tank, pump it up and "adjust to individual battle conditions," Simurdak says. To ask questions or get complete plans, e-mail Simurdak at jsimurdak@yahoo.com, or write him at 226 Hill Road, Borden, IN 47106.

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