The Hindu Business Line : Laugh away those blues

Women are three times more prone to depression than men," declares Dr Avdesh Sharma, consultant psychiatrist at the Parivartan Centre for Mental Health, New Delhi. The centre is run by a group of leading Delhi psychiatrists.

Today, there are several psychiatrists and psychologists in Delhi, who use humour and the benefits of laughter, in addressing or treating depression, especially with women. There are many factors which make women vulnerable to depression: the stress women accumulate in fulfilling all the roles expected of them, domestic violence, gender discrimination, loneliness and the lack of a social support systems. "And with the increase of stress in our daily lives, depression is fast assuming epidemic proportions," adds Sharma.

According to Sharma, only 10 per cent of all depression cases require medication. In most cases, curbing stress can reduce depression. While better time management, breathing exercises and muscle relaxation techniques contribute to stress reduction, humour also comes in very handy.

"Humour is a self-sustaining antidote for depression and related problems," says Dr Sanjay Chugh, a Delhi-based psychologist. He cites the example of 21-year-old Anjali Rai, who was a complete wreck when she came to him. She stammered and appeared constantly anxious, and she felt she was a social embarrassment. She interacted only with her parents and the domestic help. After a few sessions, doctors figured her depression was related to her unhappy childhood experiences. They discontinued the drugs she was taking, and started adding plain and simple humour to her life. "The day she learnt to laugh at her bad experiences, she was on her way to recovery," says Chugh.

Rai would get on the internet looking for humorous one-liners to quip, when someone commented on her stammering or when she felt ridden with anxiety among people. The first time she used the one-liners she found people laughing with her, instead of at her. She gained confidence gradually and started communicating with people more easily.

"Laughter releases hormones and chemicals in the body and brain, which are anti-depressants. Also, when one laughs, all inhibitions are overcome for that moment. And it is a perfect vent for blocked negative emotions," explains Professor Manju Mehta, clinical psychiatrist at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi's premier medical institution. "Humour used in conjunction with lifestyle changes, eating better and improved social connectivity, works wonders. Faulty cognition and metabolic changes occurring as a result of depression should also be treated side by side," she adds.

Chugh says humour plays a vital role in distracting people from their misery. "A humorous activity breaks the chain of events that have contributed to depression. It lets you step away from distressing thoughts, to be detached and look at your problems objectively. When you find humour in trying times, you suddenly see perplexing problems in a new way or a new angle, which sometimes provides solutions," he adds.

But aren't depressed patients too preoccupied or miserable to enjoy a joke or have some fun?

Doctors say it is important to make a connection first. Instead of talking about treatment, they are made to talk about life in general. Sharma says family and friends are involved in this effort and first the person is made to smile. "I once asked a patient, Sunita Verma, to look in the mirror for five minutes everyday and laugh before going to work. She was a corporate executive who hated working, but had to because of family circumstances," he says.

Sunita felt rather awkward for seven days, especially during the mornings when she looked at herself in the mirror and laughed. But slowly, she started enjoying the exercise; and then occasionally, she would crack jokes at herself and laugh in a group. She even joined a dance class to help her unwind.

In working towards positive results with her patients, Mehta doesn't use humour alone; she also helps them to look at their problems in a new way.

However, humour has to become an integral part of an individual's life for depression to be kept at bay. "You can't use it just once in a while and say, `Well, I did laugh last year'," says Sharma.

(Names of patients have been changed to protect their identity)

Women's Feature Service

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