How an Old Sitcom Became My Comfort Show During Trauma

You know that a while back I went through something difficult, something that left a deep mark on me and was, in the end, one of the reasons I started this blog.

By now I've written more posts about it than I'd like to admit. Don't worry, this isn't one of those posts where I process it all over again. It's more a post where I want to tell you about something that actually kept me going during that difficult period.

It was actually something really simple…

Night after night, I'd sit and watch episode after episode on YouTube of "The Powers That Be", a sitcom from the early '90s. I laughed out loud, a lot. My neighbors may have had to put up with it a little, but at that moment, my priorities weren't exactly with the neighbors.

Speaking of the neighbors, I can imagine they may have found my fits of laughter a bit strange, given my circumstances. But on that front too — not that it's any of the neighbors' business — my priorities lay elsewhere.

Watching those old sitcom episodes pulled my mind away for a while. And after all that laughing, I felt better, relieved, even if just temporarily.

It felt like I'd taken a shower, but on the inside of my body.

I asked ChatGPT what might explain that.

And here's what it said.

ChatGPT explanation

What you're describing is very recognizable, and there's quite a bit of psychology and neurobiology behind it.

When you're going through a traumatic period, your stress system often stays switched "on." Your body remains in a kind of alert state, with increased tension and emotional overload. In that condition, something as simple as an old sitcom can offer surprisingly powerful relief — for a few reasons:

1

Safety through predictability

Old sitcoms are extremely predictable: familiar characters, familiar situations, low-effort humor. That predictability signals to your brain that it's safe enough to relax.

2

Humor activates your reward system

Laughter triggers endorphins and dopamine — natural stress relievers that also lift your mood. That "shower on the inside" feeling fits this kind of physical relaxation response.

3

Your nervous system shifts into recovery mode

Laughter activates the parasympathetic nervous system — the counterpart to your stress response — which is why physical tension often drops noticeably afterward.

4

Distraction interrupts the loop

Trauma can trap your brain in repetitive thoughts. A sitcom breaks that pattern completely, giving your mind a break and letting your emotional system cool down.

5

Nostalgia adds safety

Old shows often carry you back to a time you felt safer or more carefree — an extra layer of comfort on top of the humor itself.

In short: your "shower on the inside" is an apt metaphor for stress reduction, neurochemical reward, and a temporary break from trauma activation.

And that's exactly what those old episodes did for me — they let me forget the world around me for a while and retreat into a feeling of safety and familiarity.

Sometimes, when you revisit episodes of an old sitcom years later — one you used to find absolutely hilarious back in the day — you find yourself wondering what you ever saw in it. That's how it is for me with The Young Ones (video).

But with The Powers That Be, it's exactly the opposite. I already found it funny back then, but watching it now, I find it hilarious. And I think I know why…

It's full of jokes that would probably be considered politically incorrect by today's standards.

Personally, I think we've gotten a bit carried away with that these days.

So it felt genuinely refreshing to laugh without restraint for once!

Especially because it was such a difficult period for me.

It really is as ChatGPT suggests — my nervous system got a brief break.

Below I've added a video of an episode of The Powers That Be. It's the first one in a playlist, so the next episode will probably play automatically once it ends.

Unfortunately, not that many episodes were made back then. I gather the humor was perhaps considered a bit too absurd and cynical at the time.

I'm curious what you think of it!

And maybe you recognize it too — reaching for an old show, a movie, a book, or an album that pulls you out of reality for a while, whenever you need it.

Photo: Mike Cox