Prescribe Happiness – It’s Free And Easy

By Edita Diamante

Edita Diamante - Secretary and Editor

How many times do you hear the expression, “We are all in this together?” This goes beyond idle chats and empty promises. In fact, it is a universal statement that gives the idea that we are all connected – that what people do affect others. People do react and respond to every stimulus. Response may be passive and silent, but there is reaction. Example: when one commits suicide, this act creates extreme emotion like grief in the family and loved ones. Example: if a girl meets a fatal road accident as a result of her furious reaction to a malicious gossip or bullying at school, some people will have to be accountable to this outcome; this reaction can snowball.

In this age of the internet and worldwide web when the world has become smaller and family values seem to wane, the physical and emotional distances between individuals have never been wider. The abundance today of things to do for fun and entertainment is so much that we trade off our rest and sleep time for video games, internet and mobile phone chats, web search, and so on. Parents have less and less conversation time with their kids let alone supervise homework. Toys and peer group have become surrogate carers. There is so much entertainment and all types of indulgences available – temptations generated through the media by producers of goods and services and through the endless availability of credit cards. The human atmosphere does seem to get colder as the environment gets warmer. Watch out for Loneliness – the pox that dwells in every home, awaits to feed on any soul.

Situations beyond our control such as the death of a loved one, breakdown of a relationship, traumatic experience such as that experienced by soldiers at war or by victims of a crime can bring down even the strongest of characters and the brightest of talents to the pit of depression, loneliness and heartache which inevitably lead to fatal illnesses not to mention short life span. Why is this so? Well, medical science tells us that although the stress hormone ‘cortisol’ plays a very important role in our wellbeing, high levels in the body would be destructive.

Cortisol is a steroid hormone produced by the adrenal glands which are adjacent to the kidneys. It belongs to a class of hormones called glucocorticoids, which affect almost every organ and tissue in the body. The hormone is released by the body during times of stress – whether physical or psychological – that’s why it is called the ‘stress hormone’. Your family doctor can explain further how it affects numerous physiologic systems and help the body maintain blood pressure and cardiovascular function, slows down our immune system’s inflammatory response, balances the effect of insulin when breaking down sugar for energy and regulates metabolism of carbohydrates, proteins and fat. This hormone can also mobilize calcium in the bone and circulates it back into the blood system causing bone loss and therefore, osteoporosis. More significantly, it suppresses the body’s immune system by killing the good bacteria thereby promoting the increase of candida, parasites and viral infection already present in the body.

If high levels of cortisol is caused by compounding stress – whether self-inflicted or not – it does seem veritable that health and wellbeing are within our control.

Being human, we all have the ability to bring joy and sadness to others. Inflicting pain upon another can be intentional. Frailty may be human, but as humans we do have a natural ability to overcome obstacles in life. We also have the power to bring love and happiness to everyone. Sometimes, just by following the Lord’s Golden Rule can make a difference. But in times of real trouble, ‘love’ is the best stimulus to happiness.

In Tania Hayes’ book, Love Has No Limits, this Australian author shows how love can overcome insurmountable tragedies. Tania was asked to pull the plug on her husband who was on a coma for quite some time. She refused to do so. At 22, with the whole world in front of her, she willed upon herself to be her fiance’s full time carer. She quit her job, had her (then) fiancé Warren released from hospital, took him home with her and began a new role as full time carer of the love of her life. Her love delivered Warren. Karl Stefanovick of Australia’s Today Show (Channel 9) said, “In my 15 years of journalism I have heard many stories of courage and determination, but none have touched me quite like the story of Tania and Warren Hayes. It is truly an inspiration – a testament to the healing power of love.”

Being sick is a dark and lonely place to be. Having someone loving you is a spark of light that brightens the darkest corner. Love generates happiness. The body responds positively to happy feeling. The weakness is overcome. The spirit grows mightier. The revelation of what is more important in life is realized.

One day a friend visiting at home asked me, “What really is happiness?” Definitions are varied and subjective depending on a person’s outlook in life but we agreed to define happiness as the sheer feeling of euphoria, that big leap in our heart that makes us giggle, laugh, dance, jump, sing. It is that stimulus that causes the body to produce the ‘happy hormone’ called Serotonin. It helps us calm down, relieve anxieties and depression thereby boost our immune system.

The magical thing about happiness is: it is free as air. It is a free prescription to give and take. You can be a loving person by just passing it around through a smile, forgiveness and reconciliation, a tap on the shoulder, a letter, a phone call or a visit. Help someone beat depression and loneliness.

Edita Diamante
Secretary and Editor
The Society of Women Writers NSW