The health benefits of laughing are widely chronicled. It releases endorphins, through which we experience happiness, as well as other hormones that contribute in reducing depression. The comedy industry, in fact, is making waves in the recent years. Now, many stand- up comedians are emerging to offer a fantastic outlet for individuals who need to ward off burdens from their chests.
It also works as a great way to spread awareness across new audiences and helps them to have a rational understanding of mental disorders. Stereotypes and misconceptions that mental disorder makes an individual mad or crazy is very common in India.
“I made a lot of errors throughout my childhood to where I am now. But I try to give a positive side to my mistakes where I use them to my advantage and not get put down by it. So my show (comedy) was a charity show for NIMHANS, and I decided to address this issue”, says Dr. Jagdish Chaturvedi, an ENT surgeon, author and stand up comedian, based in Bangalore.
His channel on YouTube, The Magaa of Small Things, contains clips of him addressing the dark side of depression in a hilarious way. His campaign called ‘F for Failure’ was a fund raiser campaign for NIMHANS.
“I believe comedy is the most fun way to embrace the positive side of life. At a personal level, I reduced my depression simply through laughter, cracking jokes and making other people laugh. If anything goes wrong, there is always a benefit that comes out of it.
Depression is triggered by negative thoughts. Despairing will make matters worse”, he said.
Celebrities are no strangers to this disorder. Cara Delavigne rose to fame around 2010. A few years after her first lightening rise to popularity as a fashion model, she has spoken candidly about her own fight with depression. Cara has previously spoken about the issues she faced as an adolescent at the 2015 Women in the World Summit.
‘I think I pushed myself so far that I got to the point where I had a mental breakdown… I was completely suicidal. I didn’t want to live any more. I thought that I was completely alone. I also realized how lucky I was, and what a wonderful family and wonderful friends I had, but that didn’t matter. I wanted the world to swallow me up, and nothing seemed better to me than death. But laughter and positive energies around me saved me’.
Here are some video clips of his ingenious blend of stand up comedy and mental health.
Exercising or getting married is not the solution. Due to the increasing pressure of the 21st century, the competition is at sky high levels. We require much more than these solutions. The stigma around depression makes it harder for the victim to talk about. Though easier said than done, it is high time that depression is taken seriously and authentic steps are taken to remove the stigma around it.
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