Lisa Pettersen, USA: I’m an alcoholic and an addict. I don’t know how many thousands of times I must have said that at different AA/NA meetings, over the years. Getting and staying sober was not an easy thing for me. I started trying to get sober in 1989, going to my first Rehab at that time. For the next 16 years, I went in & out of different treatment centers and was able to put a a few years together, but nothing ever stuck. Every bottom I hit had a trap door leading to another worse bottom. Nothing I did was helping to get sober.

I also suffered from depression and bi-polar disorder and was becoming more of a shell of a human being every day. That black hole inside of me just kept getting bigger & bigger.
Then, in 2005, I read an article about Laughter Yoga in the TIME magazine & thought “Wow, this is the best thing and I need to find out more about it.”

Well, I still wasn’t done drinking & drugging, so I put it on the back burner for a short while. Finally, in September of 2006, I had had enough! My depression was at an all time low and I couldn’t get through a day (hell, a few hours) without using some mind/mood altering chemical. I found a doctor who detoxed me and started treating my depression.

I also started going back to AA/NA meetings. But, I needed to do something different if there was any chance of staying clean & sober. Then, I remembered that article about Laughter Yoga and started researching it. I did my first certification training and immediately fell in love with it. I had finally found my purpose. I had finally found my passion. I had finally found my voice. I couldn’t stay sober/clean with just AA/NA alone. The hole inside of me was just too big & needed something besides AA/NA to fill it. Laughter Yoga was the perfect fit!

The principles of AA work perfectly with the philosophy & concept of Laughter Yoga and the Spirit of Laughter Yoga. I have stayed clean & sober since that day in September of 2006. Laughter Yoga was the ‘Game-changer’ that helped me do it-one laugh at a time….I no longer need to take medication for depression & bi-polar disorder. It filled that big, black hole inside me with love, peace, harmony, passion and a whole lot more.

Not only did Laughter Yoga save my life, but it gave me a life, as well. I now take Laughter Yoga into Treatment Center for Drug/Alcohol abuse, as well many other places to help people find health and happiness.