Is laughter the best medicine?

[Julia]

Does any one know if a serious study exsist regarding what effect our attitude has on our health?

A while back during an incorrigable depression that I couldn't seem to break, I tried an experiment. I quit reading newspapers and only read things of a light and humourous content. I rented every comedy video I could find that looked good to me, and only watched comedy on TV. I spent a lot of time at joke and cartoon sites. Of course I have no way of knowing for sure, but it did seem to make a signifigant difference.

But what about physical illness? Can it change the nature of disease in some way? Has anyone had a situation related to this?

[LuxFerum]

:D
:D
:D
hey this is good!
:D
:D
:D

[Jon_in_london]

Well, I dont know about best, but NO2 is one of my favourite medicines :D

[Brown]

There is little question that attitude plays a role in one's health. People with a good attitude recover from injuries more quickly.

I have known some folks who, following an injury, wallowed in self-pity. They seemed unable to recover. They filed lawsuits against those responsible for the injuries, claiming that their medical problems were permanent. After receiving a favorable settlement or jury verdict (which included a substantial sum for future doctor visits and future pain and suffering), they were miraculously cured and did not need to visit a doctor anymore. (They kept the award for future doctor visits and future pain and suffering anyway.)

Some doctors see this sort of thing quite a bit. The patients are not faking, they (usually) say. When the lawsuit is pending, the patients have a "woe is me" attitude, and they have health problems as a result. Once the lawsuit is over and they have a chunk of money in their hands, their attitude changes... and so does their health.

On the other side of the coin: Someone I know had an operation for a serious condition. The doctors asked him to join a "support group" to aid his recovery, and he did. But he left the support group after one meeting. The group was just a bunch of people sitting around feeling sorry for themselves, he said, and he wanted nothing to do with it. He was bound and determined not to adopt the "woe is me" atttitude but to recover as quickly as he could and get on with his life. And he did.

[arcticpenguin]

I worry about the opposite as well, the "blame the victim" approach. You have a serious health problem. You are in pain. Now they are trying to blame you for not enjoying it as well.