While we all must agree there is nothing humorous about trauma and abuse, laughter can however, serve as a very healing and helpful “medicine” to treat them. When we laugh, we release endorphins, our body’s own natural pain killers. Our stress and anxiety decreases, and difficult situations become easier to manage.
There is nothing more joyful than to hear a child giggle. When that giggle turns into a full belly laugh, we cannot help but laugh ourselves. As a traumatized child, I learned to seek out humor. In elementary school, my friends and I put together a Winnie the Pooh play in which I played Tigger. Being Tigger and making people laugh brought so much healing to my young heart and mind.
I think people are much to serious these days. Yes, there is tragedy all around us, especially when it comes to trauma. But if we use the tools we are given, laughter being one of those, and others that I have written about in some of my other blogs, we can bring help and healing to a world that seems broken.