The Best Medicine

Many people at some point in their life will struggle with some form of depression. For most people, this is a temporary problem that can be solved with enough time and effort. For others, it is a lifetime illness that affects their lives on a daily basis. Unfortunately, I am one of the unfortunate individuals who have what is known as clinical depression. This paired with my bipolar disorder leads to periods of severe depression. During these times, it becomes very difficult for me to find motivation for anything at all. Throughout my life, there have been many friends, family members, and clinical professionals who have attempted to help me through these times. Countless therapy sessions, trial and error with various medications, and many hours discussing my feelings with close friends and family never actually seemed to provide the solutions I was looking for. That was until I met my girlfriend who showed me the best medicine of all is laughter.

When I first met my girlfriend I was going through a very difficult time in my life. My illnesses were causing me to feel very depressed, and this accompanied by my life situation radically changing for the worse led to one of the darkest periods of my life. Once again I picked up drinking and eventually lost motivation for nearly all things. This was a radical change from the motivation I had during my first semester of school. I almost failed my junior year of high school and I began skipping days at work. The financial strain from the hours I was missing was making things much worse. This is when my girlfriend entered my life. I began talking to her in search of friends who could help me through my tough times like I had at previous points in my life. While they had never previously helped me, I figured I must try something.

Anxiety is something that I have struggled with throughout my life. I suffer often from panic attacks and get very nervous in my conversations with strangers. This leads to stuttering and stammering which can be quite frustrating for all parties involved. However, despite my anxiety, my girlfriend seemed very easy to talk to and get to know on a deeper level. The jokes she made piqued my interest in her as her sense of humor alligned with mine well. The laughter instantly shifted me into a better mood than I had been in weeks. It had been a long time since I had genuinely laughed so hard. The icebreakers shattered my anxious tendencies and conversation began flowing easily on from that point. We shared stories from our childhood, discussed interests and hobbies, and even discussed some of my favorite topics like politics and literature. She was able to make me comfortable in a way not many people have, even the people I consider myself close to.

The entire time we were talking that night, we never once discussed any of the many issues that were present in my life at the time. While discussing issues can be useful, and it has proven to many times in my life, it has never been enough to improve the destitution I was experiencing. Instead, we discussed normal things like our hobbies and interests. Most importantly, she was able to make me laugh. The laughter I was experiencing led me to genuinely enjoy myself in ways I had not in a long time. While that night did not directly solve my problems, it showed me the way to feel better was to enjoy the little things and it gave me the person who would eventually aid in finding the solutions I was seeking. Most importantly, it reaffirmed that the old adage is true; laughter truly is the best medicine.

“Laughing Toddler” by katie.thomas0214 is licensed under CC BY 2.0