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Nervous laughter

8 replies

lawit · 17/09/2023 23:34

Does anyone else here have a nervous laugh? Or know of someone that does?

I’ve always had a terrible nervous laugh and i absolutely hate it. I’m constantly giggling at everything.

I’ve got myself into multiple uncomfortable situations because I’ve laughed at inappropriate times.

It doesn’t take a lot to set me off but the number one thing I can’t stand is awkward silence… I’ll just laugh my head off! I can’t stand being in a room where it’s silent I’ll just giggle…

you could tell me a sad story and I’ll react by giggling, not because it’s funny but because I feel awkward and don’t know how else to react? It’s weird because in my head I’m not laughing, I’ll feel sad hearing the story but my whole body just reacts differently from my thoughts.

There’s been many of times I’ve ended up in tears over my nervous laugh because of how embarrassed I was. It really is the most embarrassing thing ever but I just can’t help it!

I’ve also made others super paranoid. I had visited a friends house a while back, when we were sat in her kitchen drinking tea, it went silent for about 2 minutes and for whatever reason my nervous laughed kicked in and I was hysterically laughing (she knows I have a nervous laugh) but I made her paranoid and she ended up crying (she thought I was laughing at her & she was already anxious as it was that day)

I hope one day this passes, I just can’t seem to help it, some days I’ll refuse to make phone calls or enter a shop or even answer the door to the postman incase I start laughing. Like how ridiculous.

Are you like this or know anyone? I want to feel less like a weirdo.

OP posts:
Aquamarine1029 · 17/09/2023 23:55

There are many resources out there to help you combat this. YouTube has many videos to watch which could help you learn to control this impulse. I would work diligently to overcome this because it really is very off-putting, unfortunately.

Hermittrismegistus · 18/09/2023 00:31

I laugh when someone is in danger, seriously injured or dead. Never been able to stop.

I've never been able to control it, unfortunately.

KievLoverTwo · 18/09/2023 02:03

My OH does it but not to the hysterical stage you describe. He laughs at some really bizarre times.

I put it down to his autism.

LuLu345678 · 18/09/2023 07:37

I’ve been on the receiving end of inappropriate laughter, in a very serious and stressful situation. It did quite a lot of damage and I was unable to trust that person again.
I have done some research and it does seem to be linked to autism (at least in some cases). Please try and work with a therapist to try and find ways to overcome this.
It sounds very stressful for you to live with too, OP.

Toloveandtowork · 18/09/2023 07:58

My sister inappropriately laughed when our father died over 30 years ago and again 12 years ago when our mother died. It was odd and seemed inappropriate of course, but we all knew it wasn't her true feelings. Just nervous laughter.

AlrightThen · 18/09/2023 10:13

I do brief nervous laugh as an acting act so that people think I'm self conscious and don't come off too strongly.

I'm a very shy person though, hope that makes some sense to you.

Calistano · 18/09/2023 10:16

I used to have this terribly, I still cringe at myself. I'm more your dead inside peri menopausal person now, problem solved, I never laugh at anything now.

Calistano · 18/09/2023 10:18

Interesting that it's linked to autism, I do think I have traits, cba to get on a waiting list though.

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