December 2008
The monthly, members-only, e-zine keeps AATH members updated on the latest developments in the world of applied and therapeutic humor. Each link will open a new window for anything outside the AATH website. All web links below have been carefully checked and worked at the time of publication. If the link does not take you to the listed article, please contact the owners of that website about finding that article. Disclaimer: Published by Association for Applied and Therapeutic Humor. AATH accepts no responsibility for any claims, either expressed or implied, in this publication. The information and opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of AATH, its officers, directors, staff, or members. |
Dear AATH E-Zine Readers,
Please email me at ezine@aath.org if you have an article, quote, etc. for future issues.
Thanks!
Chip Lutz,
Ezine Editor
AATH in the NEWS:
Cancer patients lessen their pain with laughter
Baltimore Sun - United States
As the anecdotes got bawdier, the laughter intensified. Some recited from memory; others read from notebooks they brought along.
Patients treat serious illness as laughing matter
The Associated Press
They were taking part in the hospital's monthly "Strength Through Laughter" therapy. It is one of several types of laughter or humor therapy being offered…
Community Calendar
Moscow News - Russia
The inspirational Patch Adams MD, whose therapy of laughter and happiness was made famous by Robin Williams' film, is in Moscow tonight…
Laughter therapy helps them cope with illness
The off-color jokes flew around the room. As the anecdotes got bawdier, the laughter intensified. Some recited from memory, others read from notebooks they brought along.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2008/11/28/MNHK14DIIL.DTL
Caregivers urged to care for selves
Caregivers responsible for the looking after aged or invalid family members -- sometimes 24/7 -- got a chance to relax, learn some new techniques and, perhaps most importantly, laugh a little Wednesday at the Abilene Civic Center.
http://www.reporternews.com/news/2008/nov/12/caregivers-urged-to-care-for-selves/
Cancer Survivor Hugz Humor To Help People Heal
Most people might wonder why a grown woman, mother of two, and professional career woman, enter her mastectomy surgery wearing a feather boa, while asking her doctor to wear a clown nose. "It's simple, "says Tammy Miller, owner of Hugz and Company Consulting. "Laughter heals. It empowers us to survive situations that - without it - seem insurmountable. As National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, October is the perfect time to bring attention the healing power of humor."
http://eworldwire.com/pressreleases/19043
Humor Research:
Happiness is infectious - study
The Press Association
Happiness really is infectious and can "ripple" through social groups, a study has found. Research published in the British Medical Journal suggests that an…
Want to live longer? Carry on laughing
Independent - London,England,UK
The study is among the latest research to show that laughter, humour and happiness play a key role in good health and longevity, and can positively affect…
HUMOR in the NEWS:
Club brings laughter to Bellingham, one 'ho-ho-ha-ha-ha' at a time
Bellingham Herald - Bellingham,WA,USA
Laughing can reduce blood pressure, supporters say, and some in the medical field agree about the health-giving benefits of laughter…
Laugh to live, live to laugh
Wilmette Life - Glenview,IL,USA
She led the Oct. 22 "Humor and Health" program Hayes attended. The exercises are silly, if not slightly embarrassing. But, they work.
Teaching Nurses the Value of Big, Red Noses
Let’s say that you are training would-be nurses and you want them to understand — no, you want them to really feel — that the job is about a lot more than bedpans and blood samples. How do you teach them the delicate task of sensing patients’ moods and being alert to sudden changes? http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/05/nyregion/05nyc.html?_r=2&scp=1&sq=next%20up%20in%20nursing%20class&st=cse
Get A Fitness Boost With Exercise and Laughter
eMaxHealth.com - Hickory,NC,USA
Finding health through laughter is becoming mainstream. You really do not want to be left out of the fitness benefits of importing a bit of laughter into…
Kicking stress and improving health is a laughing matter
Business Gazette - Gaithersburg,MD,USA
But Berry touts the various health benefits of the practice, which was started by an Indian doctor in the mid-1990s. Ten minutes of sustained laughter…
Indian doctor promotes health, happiness with laughter yoga - Feature
Earthtimes (press release) - London,UK
That medicine is laughter. Since Madan Kataria, a doctor in Mumbai, India, decided to use laughter to improve health and launched the first laughter yoga…
Sometimes laughter really is the best medicine
Centretown News - Ottawa,ON,Canada
By Amy Dempsey Donald Schulz says the key to his recovery from depression was volunteering to help others with mental health issues.
Cope With Stress During Holiday Season
eMaxHealth.com - Hickory,NC,USA
The best way for dealing with these unplanned events is to try and find the humor in them. The holiday party where the dog ate the dinner will more likely…
The best medicine - laughter yoga
Scotsman - United Kingdom
It's lucky that Bryden's enthusiasm for the subject of laughter yoga, whose devotees include John Cleese, is infectious. "The health benefits of laughter…
Could laughter really be the best medicine?
Liverpool Daily Post - Liverpool,England,UK
IS LAUGHTER the best medicine? Can you get it on the National Health Service? Apparently, yes, if you’re an over-stressed nurse on the frontline of hospital…
Healthier to have sense of humor
Newnan Times-Herald - Newnan,GA,USA
It is comforting to know we can smile and laugh ourselves to better health. Humor has always been a vital part of the lives of many Southerners.
Laughter, A Hilariously Popular New Wave in Cancer Care
MedHeadlines - Chicago,IL,USA
The ‘Strength Through Laughter’ group therapy sessions at Montefiore Hospital’s Einstein Cancer Center in New York, where cancer patients meet once a month…
Tickling causes pain, so why do we laugh?
Chicago Daily Herald - Chicago,IL,USA
Laughing is an emotional expression. Scientists aren't exactly sure what part of the brain creates the laughter response, but they do know that laughter…
Nurses take workshops in smiling and laughter
Telegraph.co.uk - United Kingdom
Thomas McCormick, a substance misuse nurse and manager at Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health Foundation NHS Trust told the newsletter that laughter can…
Health and medical news from abc12.com
ABC12.com - Flint,MI,USA
It's called "laughter yoga." You twist a little and you laugh a lot. This is how you probably picture a yoga class. But there is a new way to do yoga…
The Joke’s on You: Laugh Yourself Healthier
Diabetes Health (press release) - Fairfax,CA,USA
... laughter and blood sugar, there has been plenty of research showing that having a sense of humor can help people with diabetes live healthier lives.
Column: Playfulness enhances loving relationship
Wausau Daily Herald - Wausau,WI,USA
Partners can use anger and mean-spirited intentions in the form of humor. The result conveys a mixed message that usually is confusing at best and hurtful…
Humor in Times of Crisis
Christian Post - USA
And too much stress, as you know, is harmful to the health. One surefire way to reduce stress is laughing—which reduces stress hormones, stimulates the…
Humor, positive attitude help former athlete cope with MS
Lebanon Daily News - Lebanon,PA,USA
It is also where he met his wife, Sara, who is director of outpatient therapy at the behavioral health-care facility in West Cornwall Township…
Turn stress around this holiday season
Hudson Valley Press - Newburgh,NY,USA
You can give better back, and turn a difficult situation into one of humor, connection, intimacy, and compassion." Of course, Dr. Barbera says, …
Local comedian says laughter is key to success in life and work
Richmond Daily News - Richmond,MO,USA
He said humor can reduce stress and improve health but it can also build collaboration between employees and it fosters teamwork…
In Psychiatry, Can a Punch Line Be a Lifeline?
“Has anything changed since the treatments began?” I ask the patient, as he lies down on a stretcher in the ECT suite. The anesthesiologist places an IV line in his arm and checks his vital signs. My attending psychiatrist adjusts the machine that delivers the electric stimulus. I’m a psychiatry intern, and this is my electroconvulsive therapy rotation. I’m here to watch and learn. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/18/health/views/18mind.html?_r=2&ref=science
Did you hear the one about the humorous joke book?
Winston-Salem Journal - Winston-Salem,NC,USA
Those mavens of mirth who mine every source for new material will find this book a must; those less persistent in their pursuit of happiness would perhaps…
Laughter has Potential Medical Benefits
The Healthier Life - London,UK
... laughter and what happens to our bodies when we’re exposed to humour) Professor Gunther Sickl revealed that a one-minute guffaw has the same health…
Watch Comedy for Stress Relief
Melodika.net - Sofia,Bulgaria
One study of nurses who work in emergency rooms found that nurses who use humor in dealing with their patients and co-workers experience greater job…
Hip-Hop Humor
Brown Alumni Magazine - Providence,RI,USA
"Black people are at the top of all the health-risk lists—high blood pressure, strokes, diabetes—and this is directly related to the highly processed foods…
The World of HUMOR
Music, like laughter, benefits heart health
TheHeart.Org - New York,NY,USA
He added that his group was the first to show that laughter has a beneficial effect on the endothelium. They wondered whether positive emotions evoked by…
Traits of people who live strong and long
CalorieLab Calorie Counter News - Las Vegas,NV,USA
Humor: Laughing has been shown to be one of the best medicines. The ability to laugh at oneself, at situations and at life is a big part of being happy!
The pursuit of Happiness'
Orangeburg Times Democrat - Orangeburg,SC,USA
Visionary religion, philosophy or attitude or touching or conversation, or smiles, or laughter, or participation, or quietude. You can really see a lot when…
Keeping It Real for Dec. 13, 2008
2TheAdvocate - Baton Rouge,LA,USA
Barbara Bourgeois, program manager for Grandparents Raising Grandchildren and a humor therapy practitioner, used several tips intended to help anyone manage…
Christian clown ministry spreads gospel, laughter around the globe
The Wichita Eagle - Wichita,KS,USA
"I did a lot of personnel research to project the cost of various salaries and benefits, and potential employee reactions to changes in management.
Is Happiness Contagious?
New York Times Blogs - New York,NY,USA
Here’s the crux of the research: the authors show that your happiness is positively related to the happiness of your friends, and that this holds even after…
Psychology Expert Encourages Stressed Americans to 'Choose Gratitude'
Christian Post - USA
“I conclude that gratitude can indeed be cultivated in a positive way,” Emmon writes, “and that it can become a critical component of human happiness…
