[ultramar]

I don't know if you guys have seen it yet, but PC has a good article on the therapeutic value of

A Time-Tested Organic Medicine for Stress, Anxiety and Depression | Mindfulness and Psychotherapy

I especially thought of you, Coco, as you've been so wonderfully open to varied treatment options.

Maybe yet another tool for the tool belt against all of this cr ** p!

[Cocosurviving]

Thanks for the article find.
I agree w/ the article. In fact last weekend I watched a movie w/ Jim Carrey. I laughed so much and it felt good. I vowed I'd start watching more comedy films. I'll definitely try laughing while alone.

[Cocosurviving]

I'm watching School of Rock w/ Jack Black. Very funny

[Sometimes psychotic]

When I was going through CBT that was one of the recommendations for mild depression just sitting and laughing by yourself for ten minutes.

Want to know the reason behind laughter as a medicine? It provides for the release
of unconscious aggressions or anxiety. Those two things are excellent therapeutic benefits, in my view.

There is a case of a man who was going to die of cancer and he determined to recover by using humor--anything that made him laugh. It worked, and he recovered.

[Darth Bane]

There is a case of a man who was going to die of cancer and he determined to recover by using humor--anything that made him laugh. It worked, and he recovered.

it's true, but it also depend on luck. lets say there are 10 cancer patients trying to recover by being positive, only one of them might succeed...

[ultramar]

Originally Posted by genetic

Want to know the reason behind laughter as a medicine? It provides for the release
of unconscious aggressions or anxiety. Those two things are excellent therapeutic benefits, in my view.

There is a case of a man who was going to die of cancer and he determined to recover by using humor--anything that made him laugh. It worked, and he recovered.

One of the patients I work with died of bone cancer last week. Nope. Don't think the laughing would have done it. Bit extreme, this. I think it can potentially help with low mood.

[Confusedinomicon]

There are correlations to positive attitudes and stronger immune systems.

It doesn't mean you will outlive cancer/disease but it can prolong the battle. Laughing contributes to a positive attitude.

[ultramar]

There is a case of a man who was going to die of cancer and he determined to recover by using humor--anything that made him laugh. It worked, and he recovered.

This, however obliquely, implies that those who end up dying of cancer were not 'determined enough to recover.' If only they employed the laughing cure.

There are correlations to positive attitudes and stronger immune systems.

Cancer is not an immune disorder.

It doesn't mean you will outlive cancer/disease but it can prolong the battle. Laughing contributes to a positive attitude.

This implies that if a cancer patient does not have a positive enough attitude then they are contributing to a having shorter life. If only he could see the glass as half full instead of half empty, darn him, he could have seen his grandchildren.

I'm sorry, but I've had many of my patients die horrible deaths from cancer this past year, and I find such statements, especially the first I quoted, offensive.

Look, I am not 'against' alternatives modalities to recovering from illness -physical or mental- but what bothers me is the over-simplifying of extraordinarily complex issues, and then taking their potential efficacy to such extremes, citing isolated examples.

No one here dares say that, for example, lithium is a cure-all for bipolar disorder and anyone who does not try it is not making enough of an effort to treat their disorder. But I've seen that when alternative modalities are offered as the be all and end all, this is not questioned so much -perhaps a politically correct thing, I really don't know, but I don't get it.

[Confusedinomicon]

I didn't imply that its the only factor in longer living.

I need to reply to this on a computer. Not exactly what I wanted to say.

Also sorry for the misinformation. It was right you corrected my first statement.

You catching this was good though, because you made me realize I need to be more careful about posting on a whim.

---

The way you interpreted positive attitude was not the way I wanted to convey it. Positive attitude ITSELF will not do anything. I don't agree that thinking yourself better will make yourself better. Yet, positive attitude can attribute to a person being proactive in their healthcare, which can possibly catch some types of cancer early-on or participating in treatments that often make the individual ill. It can help an individual who is pre-diabetic to change their diet and include vigorous exercise to their regimen. Or even get very painful biopsies.

I understand and know that there is a whole spectrum of reasons why a person may react and perceive the world around them. I know that a positive attitude is only ONE factor in many that determine the health of an individual.

---
The bit about lithium. It's easier for someone to disagree with something they experience rather then modalities that they don't fully understand. People often assume what is said isn't a lie. If you don't agree, challenge it because it will most likely help someone come to a truth they would otherwise miss.

Well, I'm rather pleased that at least one man was saved from cancer and that he
resolved to work at his mental condition by including humor in his life and wrote a book about it. That's positive and that's important.

That isn't to say that many, many people don't die with cancer; anyone with common sense is alert to the dangers and seriousness of malignancy.

It doesn't imply anything other than that one man was able to return to health because he managed to do the right things to help himself. It is possible to read
any and everything into something that is being written. Some Bipolar patients are often known to see "black and white" reasoning in everything.

Some of us try so hard to qualify things by saying "it works for some of us" or "you
might want to try it". I simply do not deal well with the all-or-nothing thought process; it's offensive to me;forget it, for me, anyway.

Originally Posted by Confusedinomicon

There are correlations to positive attitudes and stronger immune systems.

It doesn't mean you will outlive cancer/disease but it can prolong the battle. Laughing contributes to a positive attitude.

____________________________________

Yes, there are correlations between positive attitudes and stronger immune systems. Not only that, but negativity and stress feed acidity and far more people become ill from too much acidity than they do from a slightly more alkaline condition of fluids, tissues, and organs.

People have been writing about that for what seems like ages. I know that one
person wrote about it strongly as early as 1940's (a psychic from Virginia Beach).
He wasn't a medical practitioner, but other professional test results indicate the
ability to sustain life with proper acid-base conditions.

[ultramar]

Originally Posted by genetic

Well, I'm rather pleased that at least one man was saved from cancer and that he
resolved to work at his mental condition by including humor in his life and wrote a book about it. That's positive and that's important.

That isn't to say that many, many people don't die with cancer; anyone with common sense is alert to the dangers and seriousness of malignancy.

It doesn't imply anything other than that one man was able to return to health because he managed to do the right things to help himself. It is possible to read
any and everything into something that is being written. Some Bipolar patients are often known to see "black and white" reasoning in everything.

Some of us try so hard to qualify things by saying "it works for some of us" or "you
might want to try it". I simply do not deal well with the all-or-nothing thought process; it's offensive to me;forget it, for me, anyway.

Part of my issue with some of these posts is precisely the over-simplification of very complex issues, quite the contrary of black and white thinking (which is not a characteristic of bipolar disorder).

I would be very happy to read the literature on the treatments you have suggested now and in the past and I believe I've asked if you could provide links, but so far I haven't see any. I am very interested in reading about these things.

For example, can you please share the title of the book of the man who was cured of cancer by laughing? I am interested in knowing, for example, what kind of cancer he had, in what stage he was, what other treatments he received, and what he did exactly as far as laughing, as this could involve all kinds of things, amongst other things. This is the kind of information that gives one the opportunity to see the whole picture and decide for themselves what they choose to believe, instead of being expected to not be the least skeptical -without more information- that there is a laughing cure for cancer, even if only for one person.

I work with very sick people. I take this very seriously. I think if you told one of my patients that someone else with cancer was cured by laughing and they should try it too, and that 'it was the right thing to do' [see below] you would likely get a lot of skepticism, if not far worse.

one man was able to return to health because he managed to do the right things to help himself.

?

[ultramar]

[Apologies, that this is not allowing me to un-bold].

The below is from the American Cancer Society. It's very informative. It shows the great benefits that humor therapy can provide, something I have no problem believing and is why I posted the link to the PC article on this thread in the first place.

A couple of things you will find below from the American Cancer Society to keep in mind:

• "Available scientific evidence does not support humor as an effective treatment for cancer or any other disease."
• "Humor therapy is considered safe when used with conventional medical therapy."
• "Relying on this type of treatment alone and avoiding or delaying conventional medical care for cancer may have serious health consequences."

Lastly, this mentions a "famous" case of a man who believed he was cured with humor therapy and vitamins. Genetic, you may be referring to this man in your post, however the American Cancer Society states that he cured himself of an "unknown" illness. Perhaps you confused his unknown illness with cancer, but this is one of the reasons why having all of the information is so important.

It's wonderful that humor therapy is something else we can have in our arsenal in combating this illness (as I stated initially), general stress, and other things. I'm glad to see that some centers are incorporating it as an adjunctive therapy in their treatment of cancer.


Humor Therapy

Other common name(s): laugh therapy
Scientific name(s): none
Description

Humor therapy is the use of humor for the relief of physical or emotional pain and stress. It is used as a complementary method to promote health and cope with illness.

Overview

Although available scientific evidence does not support claims that laughter can cure cancer or any other disease, it can reduce stress and enhance a person’s quality of life. Humor has physical effects because it can stimulate the circulatory system, immune system, and other systems in the body.

How is it promoted for use?

Humor therapy is generally used to improve quality of life, provide pain relief, encourage relaxation, and reduce stress. Researchers have described different types of humor. Passive humor results from seeing prepared material, such as watching a funny movie or stand-up comedy or reading an amusing book. Spontaneous or unplanned humor involves finding humor in everyday situations. Being able to find humor in life can be helpful when dealing with cancer.

What does it involve?

The physical effects of laughter on the body include increased breathing, increased oxygen use, short-term changes in hormones and certain neurotransmitters, and increased heart rate. Many hospitals and treatment centers have set up special rooms with humorous materials for the purpose of making people laugh, such as movies, audio recordings, books, games, and puzzles. Many hospitals use volunteers who visit patients for the purpose of making them laugh. Some cancer treatment centers offer humor therapy in addition to standard treatments.

What is the history behind it?

Humor has been used in medicine throughout recorded history. One of the earliest mentions of the health benefits of humor is in the book of Proverbs in the Bible. As early as the thirteenth century, some surgeons used humor to distract patients from the pain of surgery. Humor was also widely used and studied by the medical community in the early twentieth century. In more modern times, the most famous story of humor therapy involved Norman Cousins, then editor of the Saturday Review. According to the story, Mr. Cousins cured himself of an unknown illness with a self-invented regimen of laughter and vitamins.

What is the evidence?

Available scientific evidence does not support humor as an effective treatment for cancer or any other disease; however, laughter has many benefits, including positive physical changes and an overall sense of well-being. One study found the use of humor led to an increase in pain tolerance. It is thought laughter causes the release of special neurotransmitter substances in the brain called endorphins that help control pain. Another study found that neuroendocrine and stress-related hormones decreased during episodes of laughter. These findings provide support for the claim that humor can relieve stress. More studies are needed to clarify the impact of laughter on health.

Are there any possible problems or complications?

Humor therapy is considered safe when used with conventional medical therapy. It can be harmful if used to avoid difficult or delicate issues that are important to you or your family. Laughter can also cause temporary pain after some types of surgery. This improves as the body heals and causes no lasting harm.
Relying on this type of treatment alone and avoiding or delaying conventional medical care for cancer may have serious health consequences.

"All-or-nothing-thinking" or "Black and White Thinking" is part of bipolar illness, according to one website describing the symptoms of bipolar illness. It occurs most
frequently during the depressive state, according to the website I just checked.

I was fairly sure of it, but am even more convinced that it is part of the depressed
state of the illness for some.

[ultramar]

Originally Posted by genetic

"All-or-nothing-thinking" or "Black and White Thinking" is part of bipolar illness, according to one website describing the symptoms of bipolar illness. It occurs most
frequently during the depressive state, according to the website I just checked.

I was fairly sure of it, but am even more convinced that it is part of the depressed
state of the illness for some.

I'm glad you looked it up. Could you please post the link? I'm interested in reading about it. Thanks.