As a therapist specializing in addiction and recovery issues, I work with people in all stages of recovery. I rarely have clients come to me because their lives are just fine. One of my tasks is to help people gain self-understanding and control those issues that keep poppin' up, no matter how many 24's they may have in recovery.

I frequently use film as homework, since the metaphors embedded in film can often touch and reach folks in deeper, more profound ways than "talking therapy."

With all the bad news invading our consciousness (causing our thoughts to engage in negative self-talk), I prefer prescribing movies with a comedic spin. I especially prefer to recommend movies that make us laugh until we cry. (Research shows that both hearty laughter and tears of laughter enhance the immune system and create positive biochemical changes in our bodies and minds.)

We all have different ticklers for our funny bones. A sense of humor (like other human senses) is as individual (yet universal!) as our fingerprints. As a film psycho-humor-therapist, I understand people's differences, so I know the films I suggest for recovery tools may not resonate with your own unique brand of humor. However, perhaps you can use some of my personal favorites as stimulation to view funny films as tools for insight to ongoing recovery issues.

Bowfinger was written by and stars one of my all-time favorite comedians, Steve Martin. Add Eddie Murphy to the mix, in two very different roles, and you have just the right ingredients for spontaneous laughter.

The recovery themes in Bowfinger deal with justification and rationalization of our own less-than-perfect behavior, in addition to honesty, relationships and learning to become independent. Looking at flaws through mirthful eyes doesn't take away from the seriousness of taking inventory, but it may help keep things in perspective. (After all, as Charlie Chaplin so aptly said, "Life is a tragedy in the close-up and comedy in the long shot.")

Another recent comedy, The Muse was directed and written by Albert Brooks. Check out Brooks' Defending Your Life (1991) for themes around spirituality and relationships, and Mother (1995) for family-of-origin issues.

In The Muse, Brooks is a struggling Hollywood writer. He receives an award for lifetime achievement and the following morning loses his job with a major studio, being told that he has "lost it creatively" while being abandoned by former friends and colleagues. In his desperate quest to find inspiration, he latches onto his own personal muse, Sharon Stone.

Andie McDowell plays the ever-suffering wife who illustrates "co-dependent" to the nth degree. The co-dependent in all of us might be able to relate to her character that just goes along with the insanity rather than asserting her own needs and rights. The Muse also illustrates low-self esteem and lack of self-confidence.

What About Bob, with Bill Murray as a true obsessive-compulsive neurotic helps put our own "craziness" in perspective. Richard Dreyfus portrays an arrogant, rigid psychoanalyst who is enjoying celebrity in the psychology/pop self-help world with his bestseller Babysteps. This film deals with overcoming fears and phobias, putting others on pedestals and boundary issues.

Nuts, with Barbra Streisand, is a comedy at times and deadly serious at others. Dreyfus appears again as Barbra's supportive defense attorney. Its main theme is one that we deal with in recovery, exactly what it means to be "insane" and how frequently "professionals" label us as "crazy" when our problems are really tied to active addiction/early recovery. Also significant are themes of sexual abuse, family secrets and being true to one's personal standards and visions.

So if you're in need of some Attitude Adjustment in addition to going to meetings and calling your sponsor, go to the movies; browse your favorite video store or local library and learn to put more "smileage" in your recovery by developing your own arsenal of funny flicks!

Margot Escott is a therapist in Naples, Florida and has presented her workshop on "The Healing Power of Humor and Play" nationally for the past decade. In her seminars, she utilizes film clips, such as the early Saturday Night Live programs and Candid Camera, to speed the recovery of individuals who suffer psychosclerosis (hardening of the attitudes) and are seriously HI (Humor Impaired). She is also a regular guest host on Media One's TV show West Coast Magazine, where she provides updates on mental health and reviews films, with a psychohumor slant. She can be reached at 941/434-6558 or escott@naples.net.