Essence Magazine, March, 2002 by Sherrill Clarke

Dorothea Keeling, a sister in Boston, knows about comic relief. As a coordinator for an HIV/AIDS program at Massachusetts Correctional Institute in Framingham, she discovered that the women she counseled would be more open to talking about their disease when she told jokes. Since then she has been helping people see the lighter side of life through her Laughing At & Understanding Good Humor Seminars (LAUGHS) held throughout New England.

But folks also get some benefit from laughter that they may not be hip to--it can be used to treat their illness. That's right, humor can be therapeutic. A good howl diminishes stress and pain, and can increase antibodies that help fight disease and combat anxiety. But most of all, humor releases endorphins, the body's natural painkillers, says Lee Berk, D.P.H. in psychoneuroimmunology. "Mirthful laughter has a spiritual connotation, and we know that it can change and lower heart rate, lower blood pressure and decrease stress hormones," he says. In a study that Berk and his fellow researchers conducted at Loma University in California, they found that after men watched hilarious movies, their white blood cells-which help protect the body against disease--increased activity. White blood cells can also attack tumor cells and boost immune-system activity. A recent study at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore reports that a belly laugh may help reduce and protect against heart disease and heart attacks.

Keeling, who also works with breast cancer survivors, recommends that people develop their own humor library--watch funny videos, identify favorite comedians, bond with zany coworkers--surround themselves with witty pleasant people and things. "Many of us are stressed out and go to the doctor, who gives us pills to mask our symptoms," she explains. "Laughter doesn't cost anything." Keeling adds, "You'll always experience stress, but how you view life has an impact on how you respond to stressors."