The health benefits of comedy and laughing are widely chronicled. It releases endorphins, which make us feel happy, as well as other hormones linked with reducing stress, boosting immune response and strengthening social relationships.

When it comes to mental health, the release of these happy hormones are an excellent short-term relief, while a heightened level of social bonding can lead to longer term feelings of inclusion and the creation of support networks. Both are key elements in the fight against depression.

Gelotology – or the study of laughter – has long sought scientific answers to the potential health benefits of laughing.

_____

Kevin Breel: Confessions of a Depressed Comic

Kevin Breel didn’t look like a depressed kid: team captain, at every party, funny and confident. But he tells the story of the night he realized that — to save his own life — he needed to say four simple words.