A Mind Divided

By now, we all know laughter carries strong, powerful juju.  It stimulates the pleasure center of the brain, reduces mental tension, and increases energy.  Since laughter stimulates both sides of the brain, it stirs creativity, problem-solving, and helps us focus.

A good guffaw can be especially helpful for those who suffer from mental illness and some brain-related illnesses.  Physiologically, laughter impacts the limbic system, which are parts of the brain effected by depression, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and schizophrenia.  Proponents of laughter as therapy claim that choosing to laugh helps to break the cycle of psychological negativity.  It doesn’t change our outer circumstances, but helps us become more flexible in viewing them differently.

For me, a good laugh, one that gets me braying like a donkey, is like brain Draino.  I can feel the crust and emotional hairballs blasted out by a rip-roaring belly laugh.  And cackling with someone else only adds to the mental benefit.  It’s a way to connect.  I feel closer, safer, more attracted to the people who enjoy the same kind of humor I do. (I get you, and we’re hilarious!).

One of the highlights of my week is watching TV at my friends’ house where we egg each other on until I either snort my Mountain Dew or lose urine (Hey, every medicine has side effects).  When I go home, I almost always feel better than when I got there.

Some days it’s hard to summon a chuckle.  That’s when I rely on the Pinterest board I created for such an emergency.  I fill it with little videos and memes that guarantee me a laugh.  A good dose of Braying Like A Donkey can turn a bad day around.  And isn’t that what drugs are for?

Here’s a little sample from my medicine chest.