Health As Humor: Humor As Health (Laughing Through Uncertainty)

De: Micheline Birger

Narrado por: Virtual Voice

(Buddha Artwork by Ryan Higgins. Many thanks Ryan)Micheline wrote this book in the 80's. At that time she was giving workshops and lectures about Laughter & Health to nurses and the lay public. She remembers a young man in the audience who blurted out - "You know, I used to think that all of this laughter stuff was for the birds...and one day I started laughing and I haven't stopped since."Micheline had the rare opportunity to meet Norman Cousins. He is the best-selling author who popularized the whole movement of connecting the positive emotions with good health in his best-selling book - "Anatomy of an Illness." When she had an excerpt of this book; "Is Laughter the Best Medicine?" published in a professional nurse's journal she sent a copy to Norman Cousins. He wrote back saying;"You have correctly identified, it seems to me, all the prime elements of the value of laughter - as well as the positive emotions in general...congrats on your publication...I trust it will have a wide audience."Micheline laughs because she kept his letter. She received permission from his wife, Eleanor, to: "Use Norman's words anyway you see fit". So, here it is, 25 years later, and she has a forward from a ghost. The benevolent ghost of Norman Cousins. Thanks Norman! If that's not funny I don't know what is!Many of the people she interviewed have passed on. They had devastating illnesses such as cancer, leukemia, AID's, depression, substance abuse addictions...to name but a few of the illnesses. But they came to her...and offered their loving support by telling their story for the purpose of this book. Their stories are eternal...and they are just as noteworthy today as they were then. People need a healthier way to cope with what is happening to them. They want tools for self-healing. The health care providers; the therapists; the comics; all were so gracious in helping me put this book together. Many thanks to Terry-Cole Whittaker- New Age Spiritual Leader for her wonderful interview. Below are some of the interviews.About Part I: Interviews and discussions about laughter still being the best medicine. Inspirational patient accounts of humor and laughter as a health tool.CHAPTER 1 Is Laughter the Best Medicine? CHAPTER 2 Ted's Story: "Whatever Your Mind Can Conceive and Believe; Your Body Can Achieve." CHAPTER 3 Mark's Story: "I Believe Heaven Is an Inner State and Hell Is an Inner State." CHAPTER 4 Susan's Story: "Laughter Is a Wonderful Healing Device In Addition To Everything Else." CHAPTER 5 Jennie's Story: "When I Am In My Humor, I Am In My Truth." CHAPTER 6 Fred's Story: "I ‘Bouted with Seven Years of Alcoholism, Injecting Heroin, and Being a Needle Freak!" CHAPTER 7 Karen's Story: "If I Can Make It To the Corner Market and Back, I Think I Am Doing Fine." CHAPTER 8 Mary's Story: "My Cat Jumped On Me and Tickled My Funny Bone." CHAPTER 9 Jane's Story: "I know! I'll Joke About It!" CHAPTER 10 Zack's Story: "I'm Not Ready To Roll Over & Die." CHAPTER 11 Dr. Don Rose: "Inside Each of Us, There Is A Laugh Just Waiting To Escape!" CHAPTER 12 Ed Ivey's Story: "The Laughter Disempowered The Disease; It Gave It No Power." PART IITHE THEATRICS OF MEDICINEAbout Part II: An MD cries out!CHAPTER 13 Ben Budai, MD, "That's a Big Criticism Patients Have About Us: We're So Damn Smart!" PART III"SOCIETY IS GROSSLY DISTURBED" OR WHAT THE THERAPISTS SAYAbout Part III: Therapists speak out!CHAPTER 14 Dr. Tom Pinkson, Ph.D: "Humor Is a Way of Opening up Yourself To Celebrating Life for the Moment." CHAPTER 15 Ona Schissel, Psychotherapist and Entrepreneur: "There Is Way Too Much Tunnel Vision in the Medical Scope." CHAPTER 16 Joni Wertz, Therapist: "I Need To Have the Comic Relief." CHAPTER 17 Marvin Lehrman, LCSW: "What Is All the Laughter About? No One Laughs Around Here!” CHAPTER 18 Anal-Lytically Speaking!Micheline is an author/lecturer/nurse.