Do you scream?

[Beachtastic]

I don't mean when... you know... 😳
...and this is not a Sistine Chapel thread. Or at least, I don't think it is!

I was cleaning my teeth last night when DH walked into the bathroom. I'd thought he was asleep, and because of the noise of the electric toothbrush didn't hear his footsteps approaching.

Well, I let out such a shriek that we were both deafened 😬 ... of course laughed about it immediately, but anyone walking past the house might easily have felt they should raise the alarm!

This morning I remembered that when staying at a hotel recently, at breakfast I screamed when the waitress suddenly appeared at the table to take my order. Luckily there weren't many other guests around, but it was hard to reassure her she'd done nothing wrong.

DH has reminded me that when he first came to stay (years ago), I screamed when he appeared in the garden on the first morning. (I'd lived alone for some time...)

I don't consider myself a particularly nervous person and am curious to know if this happens to you too?

No, I don’t know anyone that does.

I've never screamed in my life. When I was a young child, someone tried to abduct me in a busy public place. I can clearly remember trying to scream but no sound came out. I silently freeze in moments of fear.

Yes. Moths.

I can't physically scream. My voice doesn't go high enough. No idea why. I've tried.

I have to decide to scream. My instinctive response is to gasp or utter an expletive (like I did on my way home from work today when a motorbike rider drove stupidly and nearly came off his bike).

I never scream. It takes too much effort to do so.

Yes, it's similar to how people are so sure they would/wouldn't do X Y or Z in traumatic, dangerous situations. Shock is a real thing and it's entirely outwith one's control. Some people will freeze, some will fight, some will flee. You can learn to overcome your instinct but that takes a lot of training.

Yes I have a strong startle reflex and I scream quite often. It's embarrassing but I can't help it. I'm autistic and have GAD.

I do a high-pitched sort of squeal

Surely screaming would be pre-meditated to a large degree because you have to take a breath?!

I often scream if someone trips or falls over.

The funny thing is that I have been in really dangerous situations (the worst being a close call with a pit viper in Peru) and did not scream at all, in fact stayed quite calm as I think survival instinct kicks in.

My lovely DH walking in on me cleaning my teeth, however...!!!!!!!!! 😨😨😨😨😨😨😨

Having a very sensitive startle reflex can be the result of a B12 deficiency, a B vit complex might help dampen that down.

No, I tend to freeze and hold my breath. I’ve never screamed in shock, though, and I’ve tried screaming but my vocal cords don’t do it?! I can shout though.

🤣

"staying at a hotel recently, at breakfast I screamed when the waitress suddenly appeared at the table to take my order. "

You were in a restaurant waiting for a member of staff to serve you and you literally screamed when they appeared? Sorry but unless you were staying at the Overlook Hotel from the Shining that's pretty ridiculous.

I'm afraid so 😞

It's probably fair to say that I have poor awareness of my surroundings 😳

I think her shock was greater than mine, poor lady!

Surely screaming would be pre-meditated to a large degree because you have to take a breath?!

Yes. That's probably why I would instinctively gasp with shock if I was startled instead of screaming. I just don't scream. That's what little children do.

and, perhaps, old ladies 🤦🏻‍♀️

I'm an old lady 😁

I do - and as a PP has said, it is a totally spontaneous reflex action. Out of my mouth before I'm aware I've made a noise. I really wish I didn't.

Like OP I scream when surprised by someone's presence and at wasps if they fly close to me or massive spiders if they appear from nowhere and scuttle across the room.

It's embarrassing. I screamed last week in front of a client, who clearly thought I was impressive until that point. I saw the 'Really?' look on her face. But just couldn't stop myself as a wasp was flying into my hair. I'd love to know how to control it. It annoys DH.

Me too 😂

I honestly don't think I used to do this when I was younger!

Really? I have never heard that before. But every blood test I've ever had shows B6 and B12 vitamin deficiencies. How weird.

It's not a massive scream. More a short loud yelp.

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/3178898-DH-embarrassed-by-my-sensitivity

What comes out of my mouth when someone or something makes me jump is less ladylike than a scream.

I can't scream, I have singer's nodules and my voice is a low register, so the closest I could get would just be a loud noise, but not a high-pitched one. Can't scream, can't shriek.