Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Support Group

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PTSDon't

lllovelyrecovery
lllovelyrecovery
I find that making jokes helps me deal with my mental health issues. I don't mean the offensive kind, and I don't mean the rude kind.
PTSDon't is kind of my favorite pun. I sort of want a tee shirt with that on it! I know I probably sound silly and I wouldn't be surprised if I offend anyone... which I don't mean to. I apologize in advance if you find mental health jokes insensitive. I would never make light of the struggle that so many people face.

I guess I just cope by laughing at myself when I can.

For instance, I have a very good friend who also has PTSD and she and I are able to laugh at a lot of things, such as weird hospital stories, the socks with the grippy things on them and how I always wanted the green but they wouldn't let me have them in green?!?! and there's one story of a boy she knew from an APsy unit who literally needed grilled cheese at exactly 6pm or he would get very upset and angry. We don't know why. Never will! But we giggle about things like that not because we're laughing at him, but at the oddity of some of the situations we've been in. We all have our ways of coping, and this one is mine.

Do you all find it helpful to laugh at yourself once in a while?
CrazyCanuk
CrazyCanuk
Laughing is medicine for PTSD. When you laugh it releases endorphins the feel good chemicals. It also releases serotonin which helps reduce stress and muscle tension. It keeps getting better because it releases dopamine which is a neurotransmitter associated with the feeling of happiness.

That being said I think it is ok to laugh between each other and at funny stories as long as you are not putting yourselves down in the process. You should avoid comments such as we are nuts, crazy, stupid or losers.

I find myself putting myself down frequently when I am joking around and I am trying to stop that. A laugh at my own expense likely does not do me any good.

Laugh away, laugh frequently, laugh at nothing at all.
lllovelyrecovery
lllovelyrecovery
Oh, no, we're definitely not putting ourselves or others down. It's more of a reflection on where we were and how far we've come.
Don't put yourself down! You don't deserve that.
LeoX3
LeoX3
I nervous giggle, and also tend to use the down-on-me humor, but I love a good laugh of any kind and seek them out. Mind you, I can find the humor in a 7-pound cat scaring a 10-pound possum out of its wits, so I do have a very broad sense of humor....

I find that watching comedy reruns and comedians on YouTube is a good way to get at least a smile going. Makes my soul feel lighter!:-)

Laughter truly is awesome medicine.
LeoX3
LeoX3
BTW, I find 90 percent of the world absurd, farcical, or downright goofy, so I don't think it's odd to find it odd.... did that make sense?
CHRISTOPHER310
CHRISTOPHER310
Laugh or scream, I don't have much of an option for anything in between. I love life and people so I won't let my PTSD get in the way and steal my joy. I am known for joking and laughing and keep my screaming in private. It works for me.
Community Leadermujicaptsd
mujicaptsd
Oh, I teach a Death and Dying psych class, and we laugh a lot. It relieves tension and fear and wards off anger. Works wonders for my PTSD. The older I get, the more I can chuckle at myself without worrying it will make me look weak. I'm getting to be more like Santa Claus every day.
lovesmama
lovesmama
My homeopathic doctor prescribed laughter to boost my immune system... No joke...!!! Lol... My BFF is always good for the laughs... We seem to laugh at everything when we are together... It doesn't matter what... We are probably having the most boring conversation but we are laughing so hard we get tears in our eyes anyways...!!! It time for me to go see my laughing buddy because it's just what the doctor orders!!!
DarkGypsyG
DarkGypsyG
my humor is my last line of defense in this world. i have very dry sarcastic wit. as well as leaning towards the dark and psychotic. hubby spent many years coaching me in the art of the comeback. he and i get a kick out of making more uptight people nervous by casually conversing on rather macabre subjects in check out lines where people get a little too bubble invasive. and then there's the zinger game. we try to top each other in a back and forth of insults. my humor tends to keep people guessing.
gigglemon
gigglemon
lol i think my name says enough about my level of laughter. there have been periods of my life that ive lost my laughter but thank God its always come bk.
I agree with crazycanuk...
"laugh always, laugh frequently, laugh at nothing at all."
and muji....
love the santa image. I can see you as a "right jolly old elf"