Cracking Up Keeps Me From Falling Apart: How Laughter is Part of My Healing

by Nikki Stone

“I use to think that keeping up with my appearances mattered.  However, I have seen what age does to the body and quiet frankly I can’t run fast enough to keep up with such appearances.  So I have settled to frighten myself every morning when I get up to look in the mirror.  Of course it takes a half an hour to realize that the person starring back at me is myself.  Until then, I am thoroughly convinced it is a robber who does not have the sense enough to flee the scene and instead is spying on me, stolen my birthday suit and it appears they have really done some damage to it.” –NkstOne

“Being a child of a Navy veteran and preacher, I stayed in the state of confusion though I will admit it is familiar territory.  I have always been able to find my way around in such a state. 

Actually I have never figured out if I am to be a saint or to be a hell raiser, at times these two clash. The doctors call it bipolar; I call it an undeclared war. 

My heritage is very colorful—from preachers to thieves, from peace keepers to warmongers.  I had no chance really because the Mason Dixon line runs right through my brain being that I have both Confederate and Yankee blood.  It is constantly an uncivilized civil war in which has been turned into a hippie movement with Lithium and Elavil.  Now it’s a fizzled out firecracker that sparks a few thoughts.

I took life seriously one time and that was the last time I made that mistake. Instead I take life in moments of reality; some days in small doses and some days in large doses. However, I will never again try to overdose on such—it doesn’t go to well with my mental health!

Hello, my name is Nikki Stone.  I am a Mental Health Advocate, Writer, Photographer, Artist, Domestic Engineer (a professional way of saying I am a housewife), Wife, Sister, Daughter, Friend, and ultimately a human being—at least that is what I have recently discovered.

I have Bipolar Disorder that I am in recovery with and I am also a survivor from sexual, mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical abuse.  I know the effects of abuse very deeply.  Three years ago I came to a total standstill in my life—actually I hit a huge brick wall and ended up having a nervous breakdown. 

I lived in so much fear, anger, denial, shame, and guilt that I could not see any point in living.  To be honest, I would not let anyone help me.  Many tried, but I was in such a thick web of pain and lies that I could not see the truth about me or about my life. 

I believed that I was evil, worthless, a waste of space and time.  This belief was built upon years and years of lies.  I believed these lies so much that when someone would tell me the truth I didn’t believe them.

Though going through the nervous breakdown was a very dark time in my life, in a way I am kind of thankful it happened. I know that may sound weird, however, it has been through the process of facing my worst fears and surviving them that I am now beginning to be the “REAL ME”.

Until then, I was running on automatic. I was whatever people wanted me to be.  I was on a dead end road and I thought that death would solve my suffering. However, I am glad that I made the choice to live. 

I call my life now the gift of a second chance. Now, I don’t have to be someone I am not just to be a person of value. I am of value because I am a person. It has been hard for me to realize this but there is so much truth to that. I am on the road of healing, recovery, and ultimately living as a whole person and not a fragmented shell of a being.

The truth is, being a human means that we have our strengths but we also have our weaknesses.  I am not ashamed to be who I am, because no one else can be me thus no one else can tell me that I am doing it all wrong by being me.

When abuse occurs we are led to believe that we caused the abuse—that we are at fault.  And that is what many abusers want us to believe. The truth is the fault lies with the abuser. 

What I have realized in my abuse that if it wasn’t me, then it would have been someone else, because the problem wasn’t me. The problem was within the abuser. I can point this out because what I have realized in my own journey in healing is that I too became an abuser. Where the abusers left off in my life I picked up and began self-abusing and I became abusive towards others.  That is what happens when we do not see the truth—we become the very thing we despise. 

In my “warped” belief system I thought that in order for me to accept myself I had to have other people to accept me.  In truth I had that all backwards.  I have learned that I have to accept me “warts and all,” meaning accept myself 100% including but not limited to my weaknesses, my shortcomings, limitations, failures, and mistakes as well as my strengths, talents, abilities, and victories.  This is what makes me human and there is no shame in that.

I am not talking about being selfish or conceded or prideful.  I am talking about really truly learning to love the person I am and if I can love me “warts and all,” then I am able to truly love others. 

Love begins within us before we can truly give it.  I had a light bulb moment a few weeks ago over this, that light bulb moment was I realized that I can’t give what I don’t have, so if I don’t love me for who I truly am then how can I honestly give what I don’t have? 

At that point I realized “Wow, and the truth shall set you free!” Because I lived years and years believing that if I loved me that I was being prideful, that I was being selfish!  Now I know that is a lie and to be further honest to understand my motives I needed to quit listening to the world and listen to my own heart and compare it to the truth.

One of the vital tools that has helped me is to have a sense of humor.  Laughter is the best medicine!  Now I am finding many reasons to laugh and to find humor in everyday life. I still face difficult times and I still have struggles but they are not like they use to be. In other words I am not consumed by them to the point that I shut down, instead I face them and when it seems that the issue at hand is too overwhelming I am not afraid to reach out to get help.  

I realize I was not created to become “Wonder Woman.” I have not yet found my lasso or my golden arm bands thus I know I am really 100% human and not some fictional character from a comic book who was sent to rescue and save the whole world.  And to be honest “THANK GOD” because I can be me and not have to be a superficial person who has to be strong all the time. 

And to be honest Popeye lied; spinach does not make us super strong.  I have found strength in being able to laugh again. No matter how thick the clouds in my life may get, if I can come to a point where I can laugh then the burden isn’t so hard to carry. 

It is being able to find humor in life that has helped me to see the truth of many things.  It is okay to be who we are and to be able to laugh at ourselves, just as it is okay to cry and to lean on each other’s shoulders for support at times.  I tell people quite often “Don’t give up when it is the darkest hour of your life because usually that is when the sun will soon rise.” 

Now I am proactive in my own life. I am learning to take responsibility for my life.  I am neither hopeless nor helpless.  It has been a long hard road to get to where I am at right now and even though it has been painful, it has been worth it.

Being able to see certain parts of my broken life becoming whole again has been amazing to me.  And the beauty of it all since I have had to make that huge U-turn in my life and face all the things I was running from, as well as speaking out about these things there have been others who now have found strength to do the same. 

Yes, our life counts and we do affect each other one way or another.  I used to think that my life had no affect, however I have been proven wrong and I am thankful that I can now see the truth and not be a prisoner to the lies I once believed.

 Nikki Stone (aka NkstOne) is a mental health advocate in the state of Mississippi as well as a mental health consumer. She lives in North Mississippi with her husband and Cairn Terrier, Oz (who is her fur baby and therapy dog). She is involved with NAMI Mississippi and a trained Connections Facillitator, and “In Our Own Voice” Presenter (IOOV).

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Cracking Up Keeps Me From Falling Apart: How Laughter is Part of My Healing

7 thoughts on “Cracking Up Keeps Me From Falling Apart: How Laughter is Part of My Healing

  • September 20, 2010 at 12:40 pm
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    nikki, you seem to be telling my ownlife, but in your words.
    i had a breakdown at 17 and it did kick start the spine in me that said, if i want to get better i must find the cause and not just treat the symptoms.
    the one difference is that as i got further into my journey i lost the ability to have fun and laugh, but just lately i find myself laughing more and growling less. it has taken me my whole adult life to undo as much as i have and only know feel strong enough to try and get to the root cause, my family. i have skirted around the actions and though have dealt with the memories that have risen through other issues, i havent actually done any dedicated work to what happened in my home those early years and yet i know til i finally face what is there and unpack and bin the parts that are holding me back i will struggle to become the person i truely want to be, calm and happier with my lot inlife

    Reply
  • September 20, 2010 at 12:53 pm
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    Great blog, Nikki! I know for a fact that I could have never stayed sane through the healing process without humor. It gives me a little break from the “somber” topic of abuse.

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  • September 20, 2010 at 12:55 pm
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    Nikki,
    When I was growing up, my family used humor as a coping mechanism. We covered up our pain with jokes as a way of avoiding the pain. We pretended like we were happy. Laughter was the only acceptable expression, so I learned to laugh when someone died and I laughed when I was too afraid to talk. Laughter may not have been the appropriate response at that time, but at least it allowed me some kind of expression.

    In my own process of healing, I’ve learned to see the humorous side of things. Human weakness has its moments! It’s a way for me to say, “I love being human!” Now, my laughter isn’t a substitute for tears or words. I can laugh at my failures out of an assurance that I’m loved in spite of them and with the confidence that I can overcome them. Thanks for sharing that part of your journey.
    Hug, Christina

    Reply
  • September 20, 2010 at 1:44 pm
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    Hi Nikki!
    This is a great post with a great combination of serious and light. I laugh so much more today too. I didn’t know that I was funny when I ived in depression and opression, and I seemed to attract people who squished the me out of me ~ so they didn’t really like it if I was funny, cuase it drew the attention away from them. Today I don’t think about any of that, becaue like you, I learned to be me and to appreciate me. It is great to read your story of how you learned to be YOU and as you said, you are the best you for the job!
    Thank you for sharing, your post was a blessing to me today,
    Hugs, Darlene

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  • September 20, 2010 at 2:41 pm
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    Carol I totally understand what you are saying about “i got further into my journey i lost the ability to have fun and laugh” That occurred last year with me, I had arrived at a point in my own journey that I had hit another brick wall, of course there was more going on than just trying to figure out how to live my life after the nervous breakdown. A dear friend and mentor had passed away, another person whom I was close to backed away from me completely, and there was much more that happened. I went from running scared to trying to figure out what the “cause” that lead me to the point of my the break down to deep grief. I can remember last year telling a friend that I did not see a point but I was going to keep going until I found it. At the end of last year I had come to a critical point within myself it was at that very point that I started finding my laughter again. I know that sounds strange however it has been through laughter that has helped me to continue my journey instead of becoming totally stuck within myself. Of course this does not mean I haven’t had to face the grief or the truth. Just as laughter has been very helpful in my healing so has being able to cry. There was a time in my life that I could not even cry for myself nor allow myself to cry, however that is different now. I encourage you to continue your journey in healing it may be at times hard and painful but it is well worth it to be the person you are! (((HUGS))) <3

    Bethany I totally agree being able to have laughter has been a relief and it has kept me sane for the journey for sure. (((Hugs)))<3

    Christina, I can relate to what you are saying there was a point in my childhood that I can remember not allowing myself to have any emotion whatsoever. Many times my own emotions where overlooked or labeled as me being "Dramatic" I believed in order to be strong in this life I could not cry. However throughout my life I was able to laugh and often times I too laughed at things that may have been inappropriate. What I have learned is that we are not just physical beings that grow physically but that we are also emotional beings that our emotions also goes through a growth or a maturing, as well as our mental growth and spiritual growth. With me I shut my emotions down when I was barely a pre-teen so I am having to allow myself the time to emotionally grow as well. (((Hugs)))<3

    Thank You Darlene, and yea I attracted people who didn't just want to squish the me out of me but also thought that I should comply with their standards for me and if I didn't then I was a vile creature. Actually at the first of this year I was still not sure on how to accept me as I do now, I was still wrapped up in the fear of accepting me in which that was part of my grief as well, however there was this amazing blog I read let me think I believe I know the name of it, oh yes Emerging From Broken if you haven't read it you should it is absolutely amazing! LOL When I started reading your blog it hit me that I had the right to be me and not to be afraid to be who I am thus I began the process of standing up to a few folks and not backing down. As well as standing up to myself! (((Hugs)))<3

    Reply
  • September 20, 2010 at 3:58 pm
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    ???? ????????? ??? AWESOME…thanks my friend! (:

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  • June 28, 2016 at 6:35 pm
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    Hi,

    I just wanted to inject a little humor: The Simpsons’ S1E4 Shock Therapy. I would download it here, but I am unsure if that is allowed. Just go to YouTube & type that in. To me, that is reality in humor. I always think if my family & I did that, we’d be fried to a crisp! In the midst of a crisis or argument or whatever situation is not good, I like to step back & look at the humorous side of it.

    Reply

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