Psychoneuroimmunology

Autumn 2007

Did you know that there is an area of medicine that looks at the connection between the mind, nervous system and immunology? It’s called psychoneuroimmunology.

Chronic stress is associated with elevated stress hormone (cortisol) levels and this can cause many mind–body symptoms including irritability, headaches, migraines, muscle pain, chest pains, palpitations, elevated blood pressure, gastrointestinal symptoms, fatigue, insomnia and hair loss. Medical researchers* showed that cortisol levels were significantly reduced after a bout of mirthful laughter. This matches the feeling we get after a good laugh. Interestingly, these levels continued to decline even after the laughter had ceased.

Laughter is a powerful, drug-free stress relief tool. It is stress that stops us tickling our funny bone. The creative process lies in finding a way of introducing laughter in a stressful situation.

So, be prepared and develop your own unique mirth-aid laughter tools...then look out for life events that will give you the opportunity to hone your laughter skills. That way you can, paradoxically, thank stress for coming your way.

* L S Berk and W F Fry

Dr Peter Spitzer (aka Dr Fruit-Loop), Medical Director