How often do you laugh?

[[Ho...]]

I read that Laughter helps stimulate the Vagus Nerve which is the Nerve that calms you.  So does the Breathing which we all know about. 

 

  I was on Twitter and something in there gave me a big belly laugh.  It felt good and removed some of the inner trembling for a moment.  Felt Good for that moment in time.  And it stimulates that Vagus Nerve and good for the Mind and Psyche.  Least that is what I've read. 

 

  Watch something that makes you laugh if you can.  It's good for you and YOU NEED a BREAK from all this that we are all going through. 

[[By...]]

I havent laughed well in awhile  :'(

[[Ho...]]

Look for things that make you laugh.  YOU need to.  WE ALL DO!

[[Aj...]]

Hardly ever but everytime I do it makes my head whoosh and slosh and fizz more and that makes my other symptoms worse.

[[So...]]

Thanks Hope - I am going to find funny things to watch and have a good laugh! Just the advice i needed to hear.

[[Ho...]]

Agreed wholeheartedly.  It does help!

[[...]]

I read that Laughter helps stimulate the Vagus Nerve which is the Nerve that calms you.  So does the Breathing which we all know about. 

 

  I was on Twitter and something in there gave me a big belly laugh.  It felt good and removed some of the inner trembling for a moment.  Felt Good for that moment in time.  And it stimulates that Vagus Nerve and good for the Mind and Psyche.  Least that is what I've read. 

 

  Watch something that makes you laugh if you can.  It's good for you and YOU NEED a BREAK from all this that we are all going through.

 

This is probably where the whole chanting 'ommmm' thing comes from.  Humming stimulates your vagus nerve. I've always associated the vagus nerve with it's less enjoyable function, vomiting. XD I didn't know any of the good things it did until looking it up, riiiight now. Thanks to you.  I wonder if that's the same nerve that gives you the middle of the chest feeling (emotional heart), the one that z-drugs completely kill/shut down.  I looove when that nerve gets shut down. (It's not really shut down, I think it's probably just calmed down or.. something.) 

 

You've given me inspiration to study this nerve.  If it's the one I think it is, feeling-wise, it may be pretty important for anxiety reduction.  Now if only we could control our Gaba production with some crazy technique. We'd all be living the dream. 

 

Could you imagine that? No withdrawal. You would just taper your own brain/body while it heals.

 

Update: Get this Benzobuddies.  Gaba might be responsible for our ability to control our thoughts. So I wonder if controlling your thoughts strengthens your gaba or receptors in some way? That's just a wild-wild, completely not backed up by anything, open thought.  But sometimes people have found ways to control or exercise things that were once thought not do-able.  Like breathing techniques to endure extreme temperatures or etc. I've done those as a teenager and they work.  And breathing apparently might affect your vagus too, I was reading just a while ago. Deep breathing etc.

 

That might explain why some people may benefit from some forms of long-term meditation. (While some other forms drive people insane. I've seen that too.) Though I don't want to promote that particular method as a Christian. Maybe they're just strengthening their gaba, or the receptors in some way by 'exercising' them - which would also explain the stretching part of yoga perhaps since I think GABA is responsible for relaxing muscles too, or plays some part in that (If I'm wrong I'm sorry I'm just thinking out loud). Maybe anything that uses GABA naturally promotes strengthening it or helping it in some way, like promotes more receptor growths, or, better SOMETHING to do with your GABA. 

 

It might be that exercising ANYTHING that promotes the anxiety-reducing, sleep-enhancing... stuff, in our brains and bodies, would help with being more physically peaceful, getting better sleep.  Like if there is an exercise to help you control your amygdala, or whatever. Whatever systems are used in these things.  I guess the job would be to find out what causes good things, then find the  parts of your body that are controlled by that, and figure out how to use them more often, or in the right amount, or blah. I dunno. I'm really just thinking out loud right now. I'm probably not the first person to have these thoughts.  Though I couldn't find any 'gaba' strengthening exercises online.  Now that I think about it though, it should be possible, shouldn't it? If you USE things physically that require GABA, might not your brain catch on and start building those structures up?

 

I stopped meditating after I became born again, but there are biblical things that also help with this sort of self-discipline I think. I've had a lot of success praying for an enemy.  Someone who hurt me immensely. I went from hating them, and not feeling it, but praying the good things anyway, to loving them.  I still couldn't be around them, because they would hurt me, but I no longer hated them. At all. I could, from safety, feel love for them.

 

God's advice is the best, always.  Anyway, may Jesus Bless you guys. 

 

 

[[De...]]

Since I’ve been tapering I try not to read or watch anything sad or violent. I have also, stopped watching the news and when possible avoid negative people or situations, it has helped.

[[ch...]]

I have been trying EFT or tapping therapy as this is supposed to feed positive messages to the brain. I am no expert but it seems that the brain will accept positive messages and learn.  So whilst tapping certain areas, you say positive things. Never anything with a maybe or an if.. Worth a go at least and costs nothing as there are plenty of You tube videos on how to do it. I have still not mastered negative thoughts yet, but who knows if I keep at it, I may influence the my brain to respond positively instead of being frightened all the time.

 

What a thought. laughing out loud whilst tapping  away.

[[Lo...]]

I totally find laughing help. I watch old tv series that I find funny every day for at least an hour. It not only distracts the mind but it gets me laughing.

[[De...]]

I never abused Xanax, I didn’t know anything about interdoses withdrawl, for years I took.25 half in the morning and half at bedtime. After stopping gabapentin prescribed for nerve pain, provoked by an inexperienced physical therapist, yes, most don’t know a thing about their process  either, my anxiety and depression were so tremendous, that the Xanax had to be increased to .75 daily for months, until I was able to eat and step out of bed. At that point I got rid of all depressing books and stopped watching the news or violent series. Also, at this time I started tapering my Xanax, which I’ve been doing for almost two years. If I knew a “friend” or family member was going to cause me aggravation I wouldn’t even answer their calls. I did let those, whom I couldn’t avoid, that I wasn’t putting up with their negativity. This plus reading positive literature and watching funny series and also tidying up my house and getting read of stuff that brought back negative memories has helped me a lot. Stay strong.

[[ch...]]

Hope -- thank you for this.

 

well, i don't know how or why -- but this thread made me laugh out loud for the 1st time in 7 months...!

 

last laugh 7 months ago -- after series of failed tapers last summer -- it was an old post on exercise -- about massage... the description just hit my funny bone somehow. it was an amazing release.

 

...just like this thread, which is in no way a joke, but somehow resonated.... so thankful.

 

 

i was Dx'd w/ a 'Vagus Nerve' disorder a decade ago; so have done lots of reading.

 

 

Tman -- YES -- Gaba / benzos relax muscles -- this is my worst problem -- too much tension -- from tolerance + many failed w/ds + still trying to w/d...  so much that i can barely move/ walk.

 

So YES -- to "yoga stretching.... +.... 'ommmm' thing comes from.  Humming stimulates your vagus nerve ".

 

This IS correct -- from my GP, personal experience + research.

 

there are U-tube vids showing other [Christian, Greek I think + others, etc] -- cultures who've turned similar chanting into various types of song. 

 

it is an age-old practice.

 

Tman -- your  "or blah. I dunno. I'm really just thinking out loud"  reply was very helpful + insightful --- BUT you really made me laugh here :

 

" I've always associated the vagus nerve with it's less enjoyable function, vomiting." 

 

.... only b/c that was my experience, as per my GP -- seasickness, fainting, etc.

 

i've no idea why it made me laugh, but it did.... thank you for that.

 

also -- for your last para --  healing your feelings about s/one who hurt you -- so glad it helped you.  i need to try to 'control thoughts' -- overcome low / chemical Gaba -- have repressed too much hate + believe it made me ill + led to benzos.

 

 

Ajusta --  sorry to hear it -- just like you -- too much stimulation [incl. laughing] -- worsens my sxs.... stretching, massage, trying to walk, stand -- just builds up tension, etc.... hope we find relief soon.

 

 

Byrjun -- i've not laughed either -- until just now -- sorry to hear it -- like you -- i try....  but just cannot watch funny videos -- just feel numb, depressed -- yet used to laugh at 1 every day when the 'K' was working.... hope we see some light soon.

 

Chinchuk -- good advice -- hope it helps, you're doing great.

 

 

well -- very behind in replies to many kind buddies -- esp. on my DVT thread -- had to go to ER a few days ago.... 1st time left house since July [ER then too]... now in much DVT pain + scared, depressed, etc.

 

BUT this thread helped... for a moment... so thank you all... trying hard to re-frame negative into positive, somehow.

 

peace + healing to us all.

 

PS: Hope -- didn't realize your last post on Flexeril thread, but have replied, thanks again x

 

[[...]]

Since I’ve been tapering I try not to read or watch anything sad or violent. I have also, stopped watching the news and when possible avoid negative people or situations, it has helped.

 

I did this for, I think depression, I forget I started it so long ago. But I totally support this.  Whatever you look at and listen to has a huge effect on your feelings. Who you hang out with. Whatever you take in with your senses.  It can greatly diminish negative thoughts that are unwanted and unsupported by reality. 

 

Like when you're a teenager and you feel mad, you end up listening to angry music, and you tell yourself 'it helps you vent' but the actual truth is you're just feeding your feeling and keeping it going. Same thing goes with sadness, when you were young and sad, you could keep it going by telling yourself sad things, or abusing yourself with your words, call yourself a loser since no one else is around to do it for you, etc. as if you were two people, the one saying the mean thing, and the one feeling hurt by the saying that you yourself said!  So yah, totally support this.  I don't watch horror, and love to watch light-hearted stuff, or if I need a lot of peace, nothing at all.

 

Another thing I do is I try not to listen to very much music anymore, good or bad. And I made music for years, so I'm not anti-music or anything, I just found I was overly emotionally charged and music always tired out my emotions one way or another.  I had two other reasons too, I have tinnitus so headphones haven't helped that (from mixing/mastering), I think they cut off the circulation a bit around my ears. They stimulate wax, I believe, too.

 

And the last reason is I HATE earworms. Which if you have insomnia, for me at least, it seems these are exactly the kind of things that get stuck on a loop in your head. And I really dislike that. 

 

 

Tman -- YES -- Gaba / benzos relax muscles -- this is my worst problem -- too much tension -- from tolerance + many failed w/ds + still trying to w/d...  so much that i can barely move/ walk.

 

So YES -- to "yoga stretching.... +.... 'ommmm' thing comes from.  Humming stimulates your vagus nerve ".

 

This IS correct -- from my GP, personal experience + research.

 

there are U-tube vids showing other [Christian, Greek I think + others, etc] -- cultures who've turned similar chanting into various types of song. 

 

it is an age-old practice.

 

Tman -- your  "or blah. I dunno. I'm really just thinking out loud"  reply was very helpful + insightful --- BUT you really made me laugh here :

 

" I've always associated the vagus nerve with it's less enjoyable function, vomiting." 

 

.... only b/c that was my experience, as per my GP -- seasickness, fainting, etc.

 

i've no idea why it made me laugh, but it did.... thank you for that.

 

also -- for your last para --  healing your feelings about s/one who hurt you -- so glad it helped you.  i need to try to 'control thoughts' -- overcome low / chemical Gaba -- have repressed too much hate + believe it made me ill + led to benzos.

 

 

 

Thanks Chipmunk! I'm glad I made you laugh and that you enjoyed my post.  I also enjoyed your feedback and replies. Thanks

[[De...]]

Tman,

I feel the same way about music, I thought it was just me, mostly it makes me sad and I used to love to listen to music. When I do, i listen to a lot of Italian music, since I have no history with it and it tends to be upbeat.

Best

[[...]]

Tman,

I feel the same way about music, I thought it was just me, mostly it makes me sad and I used to love to listen to music. When I do, i listen to a lot of Italian music, since I have no history with it and it tends to be upbeat.

Best

 

Cool Demelza, I'm glad my post gave you that you are not alone assurance. And interesting, what kind of Italian music do you like, anybody or songs/albums in particular?

[[ch...]]

Oh my I love Andrea Bocelli, though I too struggle listening to music at the moment, and as for tinnitus, well I thought I was used to it after 30 years, but the Valium taper has kindly doubled it or and sometimes tripled, Multi toned now.

I am hoping it will ease when off the drug. It does seem to get worse after each tiny cut or if I have had little sleep.

 

Hope I am sure I saw a programme on tv some time ago where they have laughing classes for depression. I remember it had me in fits of laughter watching it, as they had a therapist running the class whose job it was to start the laughing off. It wasn't laughing at anything, just she started a forced laugh and the class followed, and in the end they were all really laughing and so was I.

I wonder has anyone in the past had one of those moments when something has really tickled you. It might just be a thought, when on public transport , or in a shop, and you know you are going to laugh, and try as you will you cannot control it. You are on your own, and it's  totally inappropriate, but try as you will the laughter bubble cannot be stopped. Those were the days. 

[[Ho...]]

One of the shows I watched with our grown grandson was the AVENGERS Movie where the HULK smashed LUKI over and over again into the ground, walked away and said, "PUNY god" ..I laughed so hard at that.  IT was funny.  There have been other shows that have made me laugh too.  I enjoy laughing and it not only stimulates the Vagus Nerve but it also raises your serotonin and dopamine levels in the brain.  The pleasure center.  I have heard it said that 15 minutes of hard laughter is as good as an hour's sleep and we could all use that if this is true!

 

 

[[De...]]

Hi Tman,

I mostly listen to Eros Ramazzotte, Laura Pausini, and Elisa.

I also memorized the lyrics for Volare by Domenico Modugno, a classic and I find Il Martello by Rita Pavone very funny, it’s on YouTube. Before the Benzo/ Gabapentin withdrawal ordeal I was learning Italian. I would like to pick it up again.

Best