Humor and laughter Humor and laughter in mental health & in mental health & psychotherapy psychotherapy Dr. Xiao Dong YUE Dr. Xiao Dong YUE Dept. of Applied Dept. of Applied Social Studies Social Studies City Univ. City Univ. of Hong Kong of Hong Kong Hong Kong Hong Kong China China
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Humor and laughter in mental health & psychotherapy Dr. Xiao Dong YUE Dr. Xiao Dong YUE Dept. of Applied Social Studies Dept. of Applied Social Studies.
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Humor and laughter in mental Humor and laughter in mental health & psychotherapyhealth & psychotherapy
Dr. Xiao Dong YUEDr. Xiao Dong YUE
Dept. of Applied Social Dept. of Applied Social StudiesStudies
City Univ. of Hong KongCity Univ. of Hong Kong
Hong Kong ChinaHong Kong China
What We Will Cover TodayWhat We Will Cover Today
• What is humor?What is humor?• What are the benefits of humor?What are the benefits of humor?• What are good humor and bad humor?What are good humor and bad humor?• What is laughter?What is laughter?• What are benefits of laughter?What are benefits of laughter?• What are laughter yoga and exercisesWhat are laughter yoga and exercises• What are historical records of therapeutic What are historical records of therapeutic
humor in Chinese history? humor in Chinese history?
Welcomes you to attend theWelcomes you to attend the 22nd International Society for Humor 22nd International Society for Humor
StudiesStudies
June 24-27, 2010June 24-27, 2010
Local Host:Local Host:Dr. Xiaodong YueDr. Xiaodong Yue
Department of Applied Social StudiesDepartment of Applied Social Studies
"What is Humor?"
• Humor is the tendency of particular Humor is the tendency of particular cognitive experiences to provoke laughter cognitive experiences to provoke laughter and provide amusement .and provide amusement .
• HHumor refers to umor refers to a playful frame of mind a playful frame of mind that gives individual a feeling of wellbeing, that gives individual a feeling of wellbeing, better thinking skills, and relieve of pain better thinking skills, and relieve of pain feeling (Henmen, 2001).feeling (Henmen, 2001).
What is What is good for hgood for humour?umour?
James Thurber:James Thurber: Humor is a serious thing. I like Humor is a serious thing. I like to think of it as one of our greatest earliest to think of it as one of our greatest earliest natural resources, which must be preserved natural resources, which must be preserved at all cost.at all cost.
Joel Goodman:Joel Goodman: Humor is a universal languageHumor is a universal language..
Mark Twain:Mark Twain: The secret source of humor itself The secret source of humor itself is not joy, but sorrow. There is no humor in is not joy, but sorrow. There is no humor in heaven.heaven.
The Major Benefits of Humor & laughterThe Major Benefits of Humor & laughter
A good hearty laugh can help: A good hearty laugh can help: – reduce stress reduce stress – lower blood pressure lower blood pressure – elevate mood elevate mood – boost immune system boost immune system – improve brain functioning improve brain functioning – protect the heart protect the heart – connect you to others connect you to others – foster instant relaxation foster instant relaxation – Make you feel good. Make you feel good.
A good hearty laughA good hearty laugh
A good hearty A good hearty laughlaugh
• Magic poker
• Silly suicide
• Super piano play
Benefit of HumorBenefit of Humor
A “healthy” sense of humor would involve a generally cheerful temperament characterized by happiness, joy, optimism, and a playful approach to life.
---- W. Ruch
Ruch, W. (1993) . Exhilaration and humor. In Lewis, Michael, and Jeanette M. Haviland (eds). Handbook of Emotions. New York: Guilford Press, 41-51.
Humor StylesHumor Styles
• Affiliative humor : use of humor to amuse others and facilitate relationships;
• Self-enhancing humor: use of humor to cope with stress and maintain a humorous outlook during times of difficulty;
• Aggressive humor: use of sarcastic, manipulative, put-down, or disparaging humor;
• Self-defeating humor: use of humor for excessive self-disparagement, ingratiation, or defensive denial.
• At the opening of a new play, George Bernard Shaw sent two tickets to Winston Churchill. Shaw wrote on the letter, “Here is a ticket for you and your friend—if you have one.”
• Churchill sent back the tickets with a message for Shaw. “I can’t attend on the opening night, but I would love to go to the second performance—if you have one.”
• Be aware of your own feelings and your reactions to clients, patients and colleagues
• Note your own uneasiness about material
• Be cautious about the person feeling that she or he is not being taken seriously
• Humor must always be used to facilitate, not interrupt the purpose of the interaction
What Creates Humor• Ambiguity 含糊性• Exaggeration 夸张性• Understatement 缩小性• Incongruity or Irony 不协调性• Situation-Insight 情景化的领悟• Sudden Insight 突发的领悟• Superiority 优越性• Surprise or Shock 惊奇性• A Trick or Twist 曲折性• Word Play 文字游戏
• A good man dies and goes to heaven. When St. Peter asks him if there’s anything he can do for him, the man explains that he would love to talk to Mary, the mother of Jesus. St. Peter is happy to set up such a meeting. After a few polite formalities, the man tells Mary the purpose of his request. He has always wanted to ask her something.
• When she encourages him to go ahead, he says, “I’ve wondered why in all your pictures you look so sad. Please tell me what it is.” Mary sighs and then with a
little wistful smile confesses, “I always wanted a I always wanted a daughterdaughter.”
Incongruity and Surprise
• During the 1960s, some people wanted to nominate Senator Margaret Chase Smith for President of the United States. One reporter stuck a microphone in her face and asked, “Mrs. Smith, what would you do if you should wake up some morning and find yourself in the White House?”
• she responded, “I would go to the I would go to the president’s wife, apologize, and leave president’s wife, apologize, and leave immediatelyimmediately.”
Situation & Surprise
• A four-year-old was brought to the A four-year-old was brought to the emergency room of a hospital with a bad emergency room of a hospital with a bad cough. The child kept up a non-stop cough. The child kept up a non-stop conversation while the nurse was trying to conversation while the nurse was trying to assess her lung sounds. assess her lung sounds.
• Finally, the nurse said, “Shhh, I have to see Finally, the nurse said, “Shhh, I have to see if Barney is in there.” The child looked at if Barney is in there.” The child looked at her and calmly stated, “her and calmly stated, “I have Jesus in my I have Jesus in my heart. Barney is on my underwearheart. Barney is on my underwear. ”. ”
Word Play & Surprise
Cats look serious.
Dogs look depressed.
Foxes look stupid.
Pigs look smart.
And many more
What Is What Is Therapeutic HumorTherapeutic Humor
What Is Therapeutic Humor?
• Therapeutic humor includes the intentional and spontaneous use of humor techniques by therapists and other health care professionals, which can lead to improvements in the self-understanding and behavior of clients or patients.
---- Franzini
岳晓东制作岳晓东制作
Humor for Healing
• Humor and laughter are currently being employed Humor and laughter are currently being employed by by psychotherapistspsychotherapists and other care givers as tools and other care givers as tools to promote and maintain health.to promote and maintain health.
• Laughter has many clinical benefits, promoting Laughter has many clinical benefits, promoting beneficial physiological changesbeneficial physiological changes and even has long- and even has long-term effects that strengthen the effectiveness of the term effects that strengthen the effectiveness of the immune system.immune system.
• In healthcare, humor therapy can help In healthcare, humor therapy can help relieve relieve stress associated with disease and illnessstress associated with disease and illness. It serves . It serves as a tool for disorders such as depression, and a as a tool for disorders such as depression, and a coping mechanism. coping mechanism.
• Humor and laughter are currently being employed Humor and laughter are currently being employed as tools to promote and maintain health as tools to promote and maintain health everywhere, from the classroom to the boardroom.everywhere, from the classroom to the boardroom.
HUMOR AS A COPING MECHANISM
• HHumor can help them express negative umor can help them express negative emotions in a positive light.emotions in a positive light.
• Humor therapy in this context is generated Humor therapy in this context is generated by the patient, not the therapist. It is by the patient, not the therapist. It is important to distinguish between laughing important to distinguish between laughing with a patient and laughing at a patient. with a patient and laughing at a patient.
• HHumor can provide ammunition to deal with umor can provide ammunition to deal with stress and the emotions surrounding it: anger stress and the emotions surrounding it: anger and fear.and fear.
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• Almost every major hospital in the United States now uses clowns, pets, clergy, and humor intervention as a regular part of their care systems.
• Sometimes the tone gets too heavy in meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous, so humor is often used to transcend the moment and attain a broader perspective.
Norman Cousins Norman Cousins Making Making Miracle!Miracle!
• Over 25 years ago, Dr. Norman Cousins in his book “Anatomy of an Illness” described how watching Marx Brother movies helped him recover from a life-threatening tissue disease.
• "Is it possible," he wondered, "that love, hope, faith, laughter, confidence, and the will to live have therapeutic value?" Cousins made it a point to enjoy
a hearty belly laugh several times a day. A few A few minutes of laughter gave him an hour or minutes of laughter gave him an hour or more of pain-free sleep.more of pain-free sleep.
What Humor and Laughter can do What Humor and Laughter can do for onefor one’’s health and longevity!s health and longevity!
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NORMAN COUSINS• Cousins had developed a serious collagen disease that
affected the connective tissue of his spine and joints.• The disease was life-threatening, his pain was intense,
and the doctors gave him little hope for a full recovery.• Cousins was frustrated by the hospital routines and his
slow progress, so he checked himself out of the hospital and into a nearby hotel.
• Here he used “humor-intervention therapy.” He read humorous books, watched funny movies, and watched tapes of “Candid Camera.”
• He found that the more he laughed, the longer his body was without pain.
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PATTY WOOTEN
• Patty Wooten has been president of the American Association for Therapeutic Humor.
• Dressed as a clown named Nancy Nurse, Wooten makes fun of doctors, nurses, hospital administrators and even patients.