A Brazilian health centre is treating patients suffering from depression, stress and diabetes with ‘laughter therapy’. Patients who attend the weekly sessions, at Fortaleza, north-eastern Brazil, are encouraged to all laugh out loud together.  To help put patients in the mood, staff organise activities, such as paper fights and karaoke sessions, to make them laugh. Pensioner Aldira Rodrigues told Jornal Hoje: “I have been to many doctors and have never seen anything like that before. I found it weird at first.” Dr Jaqueline Sales said: “Laugh can help in the treatment of various conditions, especially those connected to depression, anxiety, hypertension and diabetes.”

Laughter serves as a release mechanism for negative emotions such as anger, sadness and fear.

Laughter serves as a release mechanism for negative emotions such as anger, sadness and fear.

Laughter serves as a release mechanism for negative emotions such as anger, sadness and fear. Research shows that laughter can serve to reduce stress long after a bout of laughter has ended. A bout of laughter also insights relaxation and inhibits the fight-or-flight response. Laughter is also believed to strengthen human connection and instigate interpersonal bonding. Laughter is useful for decreasing interpersonal tension. Laughter serves to teach mental health clients that they possess the ability to manage their emotional states. Choosing to laugh can increase the desire to choose activity over inactivity.

 

Where Is Fortaleza, Brazil?

 

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