LAUGHTER ON THE NHS
A PSYCHOLOGIST who has studied the effect of laughter supports a growing belief that, in this modern world, we would all thrive on a special tonic, but not one from a bottle. It is literally childish fun and games. You see, childish silliness and fun, in which most of us indulged, remains in our subconscious mind and ready to be released when the occasion arises. When you feel under pressure and wound up, a splash of humour is also a safety valve. You become less edgy and more reasonable. In this book, I have continually emphasised how the experiences of childhood are reflected in adult behaviour. The 'childhood effect' on the adult, has it's lighter sides. A child's train set motivates a grown up to fill his attic with a lattice work of railway lines. Indeed, the happy experiences from childhood are part of our education, vital for a friendly disposition and an outgoing personality in later life. On the negative side, many of us work under pressures and the problems of the day are inclined to be ‘mountains’, when in reality they are ‘molehills’. It is when we become mildly neurotic and irritable that we have a duty to ourselves and others to 'let rip' with childish irrational laughter to bring us back to rational thinking once more. Laughter, too, is a tonic for those depressed, morose, and distressed, and has a clear therapeutic value. The motto, should therefore be, to laugh regularly and encourage a sense of humour amongst all those you encounter, especially those who look unhappy. Worries can be reduced to mild problems with laughter when they are then found to be manageable. Laughter is like adding ‘icing to the cake’ in the general effect of feeling good, but it also has a genuine healing value in the physical sense, because a substance called endorphin in the brain is stimulated and this gives to the body’s immune system, a 'repair and mend' effect. One doctor has already suggested that laughter classes would be a natural tonic for health promotion, and could reduce the country's huge medical bill. Laughter on the N.H.S. might not sound so absurd as first perceived!
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