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Thread: Fun, humor, play

  1. #1
    Founder Barbara's Avatar
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    Fun, humor, play



    Withdrawal from psych meds hijacks your emotions, memories, attitude, and worldview.

    Whenever possible, try to surround yourself with people, books, videos, etc. that are encouraging, uplifting, cheering, funny, hopeful. This will help mitigate the extreme negative bias caused by w/d. It's also neuro-rehabilitative -- trains your brain to follow wholesome tracks. And, it's good for your immune system, and for lowering the overall stress on your mind and body.

    Please share your ideas and experiences with finding ways to cheer yourself in w/d.

    "You must have chaos within you to give birth to a dancing star." -- Nietzsche

  2. #2
    Founder Barbara's Avatar
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    The Health Benefits of Laughter

    everydayhealth.com
    by Madeline Vann
    20 Nov 12

    Funny movies, sitcoms, cute toddlers, and a good friend’s jokes can all offer one of the most powerful, natural stress relievers out there: laughter.

    “I think one of the best things is that laughter increases your sense of humor,” says Lynda Tourloukis, a certified laughter teacher based in Park Ridge, Ill. A motivational speaker and life coach, Tourloukis says she became interested in the healing benefits of laughter after she and her husband spent a weekend chuckling and guffawing at a seminar offered by the Humor Project, an organization that focuses on "the positive power of humor." Now she trains other laughter teachers and has become a personal laughter advocate.

    Health Boosts From a Good Laugh

    The benefits of a good laugh are wide-ranging and can include protection from emotional issues like depression and improving the health of your heart. Here's what experts know about the health benefits of laughter:

    Mental health benefits. Mental health benefits. Although you probably can’t laugh off depression, one of the many benefits of laughter and a sense of humor is that they buffer you against the negatives of life that could lead to depression. As an added bonus, research shows that people who use humor to fight stress also feel less lonely and more positive about themselves. And one recent study found that humor therapy was as effective as widely used antipsychotic drugs — minus the side effects — in managing agitation in patients with dementia.

    Physical benefits. Although we can’t yet say that a certain number of laughs every day will keep the doctor away, studies show that people who say they laugh a lot also tend to be in good health and generally feel well. Laughter is also one of the most commonly used complementary therapies among cancer patients, who find that one of the benefits of laughter is an improved quality of life.
    Heart health benefits. Laughter could be healthy for your heart, too. Some research shows that when you laugh, there is an increase in oxygen-rich blood flow in your body, possibly due to the release of endorphins, which create a chemical rush that counters negative feelings and stress. Activities that increase endorphins include a good workout and listening to music you love, and laughter deserves its place on the list with these other stress busters.

    Building Laughter Into Your Life

    Loving the benefits of laughter but don’t feel like laughing? Sometimes you have to make a conscious effort to laugh. If you’re facing tough times such as a tight budget, work stress, or an illness like cancer, it may help to learn techniques to bring the benefits of laughter into your life. You can try the old stand-by recommendations:

    Rent a funny movie, read a funny book, or watch a funny sitcom.
    Spend time with an amusing buddy.
    Look on the light side: Go places that help you remember good times that have made you laugh in the past.
    Or you can join the "laughter movement" to learn about the benefits of laughter while fighting stress:

    Practice laughter yoga. This specialized combination of yoga breathing techniques and exhalation creates a self-induced “laugh” that provides all the benefits of laughter rooted in humor. You can include this practice in your day by adding a little “ha ha ha” when you shake hands or introduce yourself — to fellow laughter fans, of course! Check out Laughter Yoga International for more information.
    Find a laughter group. “It’s always my recommendation to get together with other people to laugh. It’s a little hard to laugh alone, unless you have practiced it,” Tourloukis says. At Laughter Yoga International you can search over 6,000 social laughter clubs around the world to find one closest to you.

    Have a “woohoo!” Tourloukis hosts a free daily laughter call that is only 20 minutes long and ends with a laugh-inducing “woohoo!” But she says anytime you look at the clock, if it’s 20 minutes past the hour, your own “Woohoo!” will help bring a smile to your face.


    http://www.everydayhealth.com/womens...6pLid%3D238321
    "You must have chaos within you to give birth to a dancing star." -- Nietzsche

  3. #3
    Founder Luc's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Barbara View Post
    LOL. This emoticon is one of the best.
    Keep walking. Just keep walking.

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    Founder Luc's Avatar
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    Provided you are not in the worst WD at the current moment, try this experiment - tell yourself "I'm going to keep straight face for at least 20 secs. No smiling allowed". Knowing how wired we can be for falling into a trap of reverse psychology, it's going to be a bit difficult.

    Bump to the humour thread!
    Keep walking. Just keep walking.

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    Senior Member Chris's Avatar
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    I'm very big on humor, the only thing is it's very individual and very much a matter of taste. But for me the Aziz Ansari character on Parks and Recreation is so funny--there's my confession and I'm sticking with it, I'm letting my true love of sarcasm fly. That is a really sarcastic show. I will be posting a quote shortly after I look it up.

  6. #6
    Founder Barbara's Avatar
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    Great Annie, I'm looking forward to reading your quote. And Luc, you picked a terrific emoticon-
    "You must have chaos within you to give birth to a dancing star." -- Nietzsche

  7. #7
    Senior Member Chris's Avatar
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    I really love this thread. Now when I laugh out loud I notice it more.
    I posted the Ansari quote in my Journal because it relates to one of my ongoing AD themes. Also, I realized how much of the humor --the timing and delivery--is lost by the bare quote.
    I noticed in w/d I need to stay away from heavy material.
    On a somewhat related note, I am a big fan of audio books and this is a really good way to go when feeling exhausted enough to want to lay down but not able to fall asleep--maybe a heightened mental state, but physical aches. In this state, audio books are distracting and a good entertainment. But, again, a bland diet is best for me, and I have found some great 'cozy' mysteries by Sayers, Christie, etc. Also the fact that these are read by soothing British accents is very helpful. While these are the most bland,There are others like early Grisham that have more narrative punch but still not too gruesome.

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    Founder Sheila's Avatar
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    annie -- It seems you have a passion for humor! Have you ever thought of writing or stand-up?

    I, too, have had to read very gentle, not-too-stimulating books throughout recovery. But, boy, do they help. On the bad days, I read a few minutes, do necessary chores, read a few more minutes, etc. It really "holds" me throughout the day.
    Meds free since June 2005.

    "An initiation into shamanic healing means a devaluation of all values, an overturning of the profane world, a peeling away of inveterate handed-down notions of the world, liberation from everything preconceived. For that reason, shamanism is closely connected with suffering. One must suffer the disintegration of one's own system of thought in order to perceive a new world in the higher space."
    -- Holger Kalweit

  9. #9
    Founder Luc's Avatar
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    Starting with very small things, then expanding on them takes a lot of patience, but it is definitely the way to do it.
    Keep walking. Just keep walking.

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    Watching funny movies is good to do, especially when you are down and out and they provide a distraction from everything.

    One other thing I had to do was to cut off those friendships that were negative and dragging me down further. I have one very good friend who is always very positive and encouraging and so I suggest you seek out friendships like her.
    1995-2001 20mg; 2008-2010 alt doses/skipping doses/switching med/CT
    2011-10mg: 10% taper to 7mg - crashed after 4mos
    June 2011 - 8mg July 2011 - 9mg July-Oct 8mg/9mg
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