Most often, grief is the result of a loss: for example, the death of a loved one, the end of a relationship or the loss of a job.
Grief is a personal experience and everyone has the right to mourn in their own way. Sometimes people are expected to express their sadness in certain ways, such as crying at a funeral or talking about what happened. However, the forms of grief are unique, for example, not all people are able or willing to express feelings in the presence of others. Others may break their sorrow into action. At worst, the person who lost the experience forgets that he also has the right to enjoy the good times of life. Laughter can be actually, they say, sometimes the best medicine.
There is lots of evidence that laughter does lots of good things for us. It reduces pain and allows us to tolerate discomfort. It reduces blood sugar levels.
Laughter establishes — or restores — a positive emotional climate and a sense of connection between two people. In fact, some researchers believe that the major function of laughter is to bring people together. And all the health benefits of laughter may simply result from the social support that laughter stimulates.
There is even new evidence that laughter helps your blood vessels function better. It acts on the inner lining of blood vessels, called the endothelium, causing vessels to relax and expand, increasing blood flow. In other words, it’s good for your heart and brain, two organs that require the steady flow of oxygen carried in the blood. At the very least, laughter offsets the impact of mental stress, which is harmful to the endothelium.
The researcher can’t say for sure exactly how laughter delivers its heart benefit. It could come from the vigorous movement of the diaphragm muscles as you chuckle or guffaw. Alternatively, or additionally, laughter might trigger the release in the brain of such hormones as endorphins that have an effect on arteries.
So, when having a broken heart, laughter can be exactly the medicine you are looking for but remember that everyone is allowed to mourn in their own way.
Vilhelmiina Välimäki is a Clinical Psychologist at Willingness Clinic. She works both with children and adults. You can contact her on vilhelmiina@willingness.com.mt or on 79291817