laughter [oddly] revisited

laughter (noun) : the experience or manifestation of mirth, amusement, scorn, or joy
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In doing a bit of follow-up research on laughter therapy, I discovered that a couple of years ago, a group of health professionals at the Edinburgh Centre of Health and Wellbeing "prescribed" comedy DVDs to patients with depression. The health workers even put on a stand-up comedy show in the Edinburgh Queens Hall which was filmed and the film later handed out to GP surgeries across the country.

The aim was to give people with depression an alternative to antidepressants.

http://www.scotsman.com/news/health_staff_prescribe_comedy_for_patients_with_depression_1_1222777

Funny thing (pun intended) - there is no follow up research reported on how this all worked out for the Centre's patients.

downward spiral revisited

debilitating depression (noun) : a mood disorder characterized by one's feelings of sadness, unhappiness and misery that interfere with one's ability to engage in normal daily activities
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Just in case anyone's forgotten about this dark cloud that lurks out there for so many! Go cheer someone up today!

Depression - part 2

reality (noun) : the thing for people who can't handle drugs
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So says Lily Tomlin, anyway.

Depression

anti-depressant (noun) : the pill that keeps one optimistic about one's life
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Of course, after common unhappiness comes depression. Some embrace it alone, simply as a fact of life; others drag everyone around down with them as a part of life.

Freud believed that depression involved loss and the guilt and self-criticism related to that loss, but that doesn't explain all types and forms of depression. (And since his goal was simply "common unhappiness" - a concept depressing in itself - I'm not sure how much weight I give to this.)

Speaking of depressing, I read a great quote about the unexamined life - although it might not be worth living, the examination itself might take the place of living.

Now if that's not enough to stop therapy, I don't know what is.