Local Comedians Host Free Show In Support Of Mental Health Awareness

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — Healing through humor. It's tough these days for some to find laughter, but on Wednesday night, they did.

Comedians are coming together with punchlines and a purpose to tackle mental health challenges.

Comedian Brad Bonar said humor is medicine for the mind.

"Laughter produces the same dopamine, serotonin, that anti-depression medication do," he said.

That's why he's hosting a free stand-up comedy show designed to fight depression and highlight mental health awareness.

"There's nothing better than to laugh and talk about it, to kill that stigma," Bonar said.

And with a pandemic, racial tension, political strife, and mass shootings over the last few years, it's hard to find any current events funny.

"I don't think anything's taboo or off the table, but there is timing to things that are too raw, too fresh, but when those moments come, you can laugh at tragedy. It gives you power over it," Bonar said.

Comedian Carlos Rodriguez has struggled with his own mental health.

"I suffer from depression, and then I suffer from anxiety because I'm so stuck in the depression," he said.

The free stand-up comedy show is funded by a grant from the National Alliance On Mental Illness. Money comes from California's Prop 26 millionaires' tax for mental health.

"I hope to help people gain a tool in order to live for the next second, the next moment, the next day," Rodriguez said.

The comedians are also performing a series of shows at local high schools, trying to let young people know they are not alone when it comes to dealing with improving their mental health.