Laughter as a Medicine to combat Anxiety attacks

Ever been in a situation where you are with a group of friends, in a marketplace, or somewhere else, and, all of a sudden, one of them takes off on a neural flight, quite literally. He’s sweating horribly, has got goose bumps all over his trembling body, and is shrieking like a madman on the top of his lungs. You’ve witnessed what is technically referred to as an Anxiety Attack.Panic attacks, as they’re also called, surprisingly enough are pretty common. Statistically, 10% of the adult population will undergo this intense assault, at least once in their lives.

The risk of facing one is usually inherited, seen twice as more often in women than in men. Apart from some illness-related causes, like hypoglycemia, hyperthyroidism, Obsessive compulsive disorders amongst others, it generally is a result of an unnatural trigger. People whose dealings are fraught with passiveness, who’ve been victims to a trauma, or are drug-addicts and chronic consumers of alcohol, have also been found as sufferers.

Agoraphobia, or fear of open crowded places, can also amount up to it. So how do we recognize a, technically speaking, genuine panic attack, and not confuse it with, lets say a nervous breakdown or maybe a heart attack, the latter being frequently misplaced.

A Panic attack has some unique symptoms. And they appear as if the body is breaking down, when actually, it’s shielding itself from possible harm. To say it in a word, it’s an adrenaline charge. A rushing heart-rate, chest pain, breathlessness ridden with anxiety, an endlessly perspiring body, nauseating dizziness, and a fear of dying, are quite visible. In such a loss of self-possession, where there’s an exact opposite of tranquility, anything that might return it is a valuable measure. And what could be better than a dose of laughter.

The best things in this world are free, they say, and though you won’t find it on a prescription, a chortle is an irreplaceable treatment. A behavioral therapy works on the same thing. Laughter combats cortisol (stress-hormone) levels, and thus, is a wonderful way of relaxing oneself. It brings back a much-needed peace of mind. The old in the Orient, are still found saying, that Laughter is the best medicine. Sounds clichéd doesn’t it? That’s because it’s absolutely true.