Hope, help, and humor when facing a life-threatening illness

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My father, Morty Sosland, MD, was a psychiatrist in a community health setting when he was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS; Lou Gehrig’s disease) in April 2020. He continued to work until February 2021 and credits his ongoing resilience to what he refers to as “the 3 Hs”: hope, help, and humor. Although he can no longer speak, I was able to interview him over the advanced technology that is text messaging.

Sarah: Hi, Dad.

Morty: It’s Doctor Dad to you.

Sarah: I guess we are starting with humor, then?

Humor

Research has demonstrated that humor can have serious health benefits, such as decreasing stress-making hormones and altering dopamine activity.¹ For individuals facing a life-threatening illness, humor can help them gain a sense of perspective in a situation that would otherwise feel overwhelming.

Sarah: I feel like a lot of the humor you used with patients was to help them gain perspective.

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