Laughter -- not pills -- really is the best medicine!

A daily dose of laughter can bring serious health benefits, says Judith Kupersmith, M.D., of Texas Tech Medical Center's neuropsychiatry department.

"Humor is a high-level defense mechanism against anxiety," she said. "Laughter often yields social acceptance, which diminishes anxiety and bolsters our emotional health. When someone says funny things, the listener feels relaxed and calm, but the person using the humor also relaxes and feels less anxiety."

Humor is also a form of relaxation or stress reduction, said Dr. Kupersmith. She noted that "gallows humor" is one way to reduce stress. "With gallows humor we relieve anxiety by saying very base, crude but humorous things that we normally would not say in public."

In addition to anxiety, humor helps some people deal with aggression.

"When a person is feeling aggression, they can control those feelings by saying something humorous, which is the opposite of what they are feeling," Kupersmith explained.

Kupersmith emphasized that stress can be a substantial threat to psychological health, depending on the individual's ability to deal with stress.

"The most minor of situations can cause some people great stress and anxiety," she noted, "while others are very stoic and don't get 'stressed out.' I think in today's high-stress environment, we are all looking for stress reduction and ways of coping."

Drawing attention to one current area of research that addresses the interaction of the psychological, neurological and immunological systems, Kupersmith said:

"These studies show that the more stress you have, the less ability you have to fight infections. But by using humor and monitoring laughter for a certain period of time, researchers can compare blood counts in cancer patients, for instance, and they are finding that the immune system is healthier in those who laugh."

She mentioned the following ways in which laughter can boost physiological health:

*** enhances the cardiovascular system

*** improves circulation and oxygen exchange

*** stimulates the nervous system

*** increases endorphins, which help block pain

Kupersmith believes that in today's high-stress environment, it is sometimes easy to forget to laugh.

"I think that's the reason certain people in leadership positions do better than others," she said. "They know how to lighten up and not be so serious all the time."

SOURCE: "Better emotional, physical health may be just a laugh away," Texas Tech University, Mar. 23, 2000.