There is nothing funny about trauma, nothing. As we have experienced it and lived with it for our entire lives, we can watch ourselves as we live out the effects of it. Are there rare moments that you can actually find an ounce of humor in the situation? Not to belittle the experiences. Not to sweep them under the rug. Just a moment of relief from it all can help with healing from it. Have you found any way of finding humor to move you through some of the pain?
This is a tough one because trauma is not funny. I have lived with myself my whole life and watched how trauma has made me more serious than I need to be. It has sucked the life out of living sometimes.
There can be joy and even happiness in life but it can be hard to see when are chronically ill and past or present trauma is setting us off. It gets even more complicated with isolation because when we do not have others to help us lighten our perspective, we can tend to lose sight of the joy and happiness that are out there.
We all have things that we think are funny and make us laugh. Mine will not be the same as yours. We all need laughter. Let me say that again, loudly, WE ALL NEED LAUGHTER.
What makes you laugh?
One of mine laughter triggers is the 1990’s sitcom “Fraiser.” Does anyone remember “Cheers?” Well, Fraiser Crane was one of the characters towards the end of that series. He went on to have his own show/sitcom named “Fraiser.”
I find this show absolutely hilarious. Being chronically ill, I have had so much downtime that I have watched the entire series twice on Amazon (Netflix has the series too). I don’t have many funny people in my life, so Frasier works for me, for this moment in time.
Frasier and his brother Niles remind me of me sometimes, probably why I laugh at them so much. I can be a bit of a snob – – working on that, improving all the time. I have times when I think my book knowledge gives me the right to think I have all the answers – – not anywhere close to the truth. And there are many moments that I get so caught up in myself that when I get a glimpse in the mirror I cannot help but burst out laughing at my own ridiculousness.
The more I laugh at myself the more I grow, heal and like myself.
I need as many breaks from my own intensity as I can find. I need laughter!! My body needs laughter. My soul needs laughter.
Laughter does not erase the pain of trauma but contributes to slowly healing it.
What makes you laugh that soothes your trauma?
Maribeth Baxter, MBEC
Donations are accepted to serve others on their chronic illness journey. Maribeth Baxter, MBEC provides voluntary certified health coaching services to the financially limited during their time of crisis.
