Scream Clubs: Release Stress, Connect with Community

0:00Welcome to Durham News Today, two minutes of news that matter to Durham. Scream clubs are popping up fast across the United States as a simple way for people to release stress through group screaming. It all started in Chicago when a couple screamed out their frustrations by Lake Michigan, leading to 17 chapters in under one year. You can find them now in cities like Seattle, Austin, Chattanooga, Atlanta, Detroit, and even San Juan in Puerto Rico. Things happen weekly or monthly in parks or near water to keep things low key. Folks star by writing what they want to let go of on biodegradable paper. Then do deep breaths and vocal warm-ups to ease into it safely from the diaphragm. Participants feel a real shift, with many describing a grounded calm after the screams mix with sounds like lapping water. For one Seattle organizer, it melted away job loss pain and parenting stress, leaving heightened senses and relief. Some even screamed just for joy.

1:00The practice echoes 1960s, primal scream therapy for trauma, but experts like a Harvard psychiatry professor say it's no proven mental. Health fix. Still, if fires up the brain stress centers, ramps the fight or fight response, then flips to deep rest, much like a good workout. As chapters grow, the community side shines too, helping people connect while blowing off steam. Solutions often rap at sunset, tossing worries into the water for a fresh start. Support for this DNA episode comes from our sponsor. It is a pillow that plays your podcast and music without earbuds. Still for listening in bed, S-O-L-L-I-S-O-L-P-L-O-D-C-M-A-I.