Hi,

Do you remember George Burns? Or maybe you heard of him? He was a famous comedian, who died in 1996, just a few weeks after his 100th birthday. Now, you might say that George Burns is proof of what the experts say about humor: That humor can actually extend your life.

Now, I’m not going to dispute whether that is actually true or not, but I can see where it might be true.

Consider this: Stress is one of the things that doctors warn you against. They are constantly telling you to get rid of the stress in your life. Why is that? Because studies have shown that stress decreases people’s life spans? Yes! How? Because stress leads to more heart attacks and

strokes, that’s how. And even if you don’t go along with that idea, you must at least believe that stress decreases the quality of a person’s life. Stress makes you nervous, edgy, irritable, agitated,

short-tempered, and can even lead to physical illnesses and maladies, like: insomnia, body aches, headaches, stomach aches/ulcers, and make you more susceptible to colds and viruses because you tend to not take care of yourself.

That’s one of the reasons why I recommend humor to people who have bipolar disorder. Learning not to take everything so seriously can help them and their supporters to cope with the disorder.

Humor decreases stress. That’s right. Even the Bible says so! It says, “Laughter does good like medicine.” People who laugh live longer than people who don’t laugh. I may not be able to quote you the exact studies, but there have been actual studies into the phenomenon. Think about it… It has to do with having a positive outlook on life. Negative people tend to have more problems and more stress. They also tend to get sick more. Thus they tend to have a shorter life span. At least that’s what studies show.

So… In spite of your loved one having bipolar disorder… LAUGH MORE! Try not to look at everything so seriously. I know it may be hard sometimes, but it will help to decrease some of the stress in your life.

Need help? Try watching a comedy movie or watching a comedian like George Burns on tv, or reading a funny book. That should make you laugh! Or consider the following funny quotes from people who have bipolar disorder who have learned to laugh at their disorder:

“If you like rollercoasters, you’ll love bipolar disorder!”

“I’m a bipolar bear – cute and cuddly!”

“Bipolar – where Santa Claus’s cousin lives.”

Enjoy!

Well, I have to go!

Your Friend,

Dave