Laughter Really is the Best Medicine

When you’re on the road to recovery, things can get pretty serious. After all, you’re fighting to overcome a disease that has the power to kill. Despite the gravity of the situation, learning to laugh during the addiction treatment process should be at the top of your “to-do” list.

Why is Laughter Important?

Looking back on your past and some of the poor decisions you’ve made in the name of addiction, it can be hard to forgive yourself. Eventually, beating yourself up becomes a programmed reaction to dealing with the shame and embarrassment. Believe it or not, laughter is a great antidote for depression and self-loathing.

During the addiction treatment process, you’re required to do some deep soul-searching and honest reflection. In order to truly accept yourself – for who you’ve been, who you are, and who you hope to become – it’s important to laugh. Everyone has unique flaws and faults; it’s how you choose to accept those characteristics that makes the difference.
In order to truly accept yourself – for who you’ve been, who you are, and who you hope to become – it’s important to laugh.

Lift Your Mood

Laughter is one of life’s natural medications. When you laugh, your brain sends out signals that initiate the production of endorphins. These neurochemicals serve as natural mood boosters, producing the same euphoric feelings that are brought on by drugs.

When drugs are no longer supplied, it takes time for the brain to recover and get back to organically producing adequate amounts of endorphins. With laughter serving as a natural endorphin booster, you’ll feel increasingly positive. You’ll also notice a heightened sense of motivation to stay clean and see the recovery process through.

Finding Humor in the Past

As you progress in recovery, you’ll likely start to see humor in some of your past behaviors. While you were abusing drugs or alcohol, you probably found yourself in quite a few awkward situations.

Being able to laugh at yourself and some of the things you did can help by serving as a reminder that you never want to repeat those mistakes.

Choose the Bright Side

Each and every day, try to make a conscious decision to look on the bright side. Learning to do that can take time – and that’s perfectly normal. You might need to work on other emotional issues before you can truly laugh, but, if you’ll commit to starting with a simple smile, the door to heart-felt laughter opens a little wider day by day.

Adding a dash of humor to the recovery recipe allows you to experience things from a brand new perspective. Laughter and positivity will allow you to see just how much you’ve grown and help you recognize that the challenges of addiction have made you a stronger, wiser person.

Learn more about addiction treatment