is laughter the greatest cure for anything?
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Laughter, along with an active sense of humor, may help protect you against a heart attack, according to a recent study by cardiologists at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore. The study, which is the first to indicate that laughter may help prevent heart disease, found that people with heart disease were 40 percent less likely to laugh in a variety of situations compared to people of the same age without heart disease. \n"The old saying that 'laughter is the best medicine,' definitely appears to be true when it comes to protecting your heart," says Michael Miller, M.D., director of the Center for Preventive Cardiology at the University of Maryland Medical Center and associate professor of medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. "We don't know yet why laughing protects the heart, but we know that mental stress is associated with impairment of the endothelium, the protective barrier lining our blood vessels. This can cause a series of inflammatory reactions that lead to fat and cholesterol build-up in the coronary arteries and ultimately to a heart attack."\n\nIn the study, researchers compared the humor responses of 300 people. Half of the participants had either suffered a heart attack or undergone coronary artery bypass surgery. The other 150 did not have heart disease. One questionnaire had a series of multiple-choice answers to find out how much or how little people laughed in certain situations, and the second one used true or false answers to measure anger and hostility. \n\nMiller said that the most significant study finding was that "people with heart disease responded less humorously to everyday life situations." They generally laughed less, even in positive situations, and they displayed more anger and hostility.\n\n"The ability to laugh -- either naturally or as learned behavior -- may have important implications in societies such as the U.S. where heart disease remains the number one killer," says Miller. "We know that exercising, not smoking and eating foods low in saturated fat will reduce the risk of heart disease. Perhaps regular, hearty laughter should be added to the list." \n\nMiller says it may be possible to incorporate laughter into our daily activities, just as we do with other heart-healthy activities, such as taking the stairs instead of the elevator. "We could perhaps read something humorous or watch a funny video and try to find ways to take ourselves less seriously," Miller says. "The recommendation for a healthy heart may one day be exercise, eat right and laugh a few times a day."\n\nIn addition to helping your heart, laughter offers other important health benefits. "People become healthier from laughter," observes Judy Goldblum-Carlton, a humor therapist at the University of Maryland Hospital for Children's Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology. "It improves circulation. When you laugh heartily, every organ is being massaged including your heart, lungs and digestive system. Headaches can just go away. When you laugh the endorphins released make you feel this elation. It makes those big decisions seem so much less important."\n\nHumor Yourself\n\nSo how can you make yourself laugh, even when you're angry or tense? And how can you find ways to improve your sense of humor and add more laughter into your life? Goldblum-Carlton offers the following creative ways to incorporate humor into your everyday routine:\n\nFigure out what tickles your funny bone. "You have to figure out what makes you laugh," says Goldblum-Carlton. Some people like slapstick while others prefer a more intellectual type of humor. "Once you isolate what makes you laugh and what turns your knobs, then you can go out and look for these things."\n\n\nRent a funny movie. Goldblum-Carlton suggests videos, like "America's Funniest Home Videos" and other
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You could try to emulate Worf :)\n\nReally, though, true laughter is healthy and socially acceptable/attractive generally!  If you laugh nervously, you could try working on your confidence.  If you laugh inappropriately, you might try thinking about something else... or overanalyzing the situation, the intents of the speakers, or something distracting like that!\n\nJust a thought -  Good luck!
540365
The ability to make me laugh.
833929
''laugh and the world laughs with you, cry and you cry alone''\n\nit's the only one that currently springs to mind.
276048
Laughter can make you feel really good even when things are going bad.  That's why I make it a point to keep the people around me laughing.  I think it's a great antedote.
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ha ha ha ha ha ha he he ha ha ha....oh my gosh i cant stop laughing!\n\nthank you for the great question, i needed a good laugh
143266
Laughter. Why are you getting so upset anyways? It's just someone's opinion. Get to the root of why you allow things to upset you. Some people know when they can excite you. When you feel yourself getting overly excited, laugh a little to yourself. Is it really worth your health?
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Absolutely.....you get everything here!  WSIDRs, Mavs, Bad Liberals, Sleestacks....they all crack me up sometimes!!!\n\nIf you take everything to seriously, you will never survive!  Laughing is a cure all!!!
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George Bush needs a laugh once in a while, too. Before you get mad  at me, Rev Trask, remember they have always said that laughter is the best medicine.
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just laugh and move on... life is too short to be concerned w/ people who can't find a reason to smile.
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your general health declines. laughing is one of the best excercises there is.
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My sentiments exactly. I am in my sixties and I have laughed all my life. I find humor in a lot of things. I have had a ruff life but if I wasn't able to laugh at anything I would probably be dead by now because I would be worrying about what made my live so ruff. I learned to move on and leave the past in the past and be as happy as I can.
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Laugh my (posterior) off
197705
After the giggling stops?
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Talk to someone you trust, either family or friends. If they cannot help, see a doctor, try psychotherapy support, ask the specialist if anti-depressants may help you. \nAlso try to enjoy yourself, go out, look for a hobby, there must be something of interest to you, go to the movies, mix with happy people that make you laugh. Try to laugh a lot even if you feel you can`t. Good luck!
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*Laughing* \n\nYou need to get your Meds checked because your not well...
932557
Maybe try writing it down then throwing it away, exercise, clean out a closet or refrigerator, go shopping or read the jokes under entertainment most are stupid but they will make you smile.  GOOD LUCK.  I'm sorry you feel down.