What is wrong with me? Is anybody else like this?

[17caterpillars1mouse]

Ok my AIBU is am i unreasonable to react like this? What is wrong with me?

Is anybody else like this?

In day to day life I wouldnt say i'm anymore emotional than the average person, but in certain situations I get this ridiculous over emotion that floods me and results in me starting to cry and have to bite my lip to try and stop myself making a scene. It feels incontrollable at times and I dont remember always being like this.

The situations -

weddings and funerals starting - maybe not as unusual but it happens even if i barely know the person / people

Any kind of show - theatre, cinema, gig, kids nativity, especially if there is singing and music but there doesnt have to be

Every year when the year 6s leave at my kids school, even if i dont know any of them. Also school sports day even when my kids aren't participating in the race.

I cant sing along to the radio in the car without getting choked up and starting to cry. It doesnt matter what the song is / is about

Watching a parade at the weekend, had to hold back the tears - no idea why

When ambulances drive past, not every time, but around 70% of the time.

I don't know what comes over me and why, just a complete flooding of emotion. Why am i like this? It can be very embarrassing

Have you watched My Octopus Teacher ?

I'm like this too and it's got worse as I've got older! I can't go to funerals any more as the emotions just overwhelm me - it's really annoying! I'm not sure if this applies to you, but I do think we often suppress emotions when difficult times come along. Losing a loved one, going through a traumatic childbirth, losing a job maybe. We have to carry on with our day to day lives somehow and don't really allow ourselves to grieve or work through the emotions, but they're there lurking - ready to spring to the surface just when you thought you were enjoying yourself!

I have a couple of tricks that sometimes work in the cinema or theatre - I recite a particular poem in my head which stops me focussing too much on the emotion in the room. Or I just close my eyes and try to remove myself for a few minutes. No-one notices! Recently at a show I did allow tears to roll down my face, but managed not to completely lose it! It felt like quite an achievement 💪

I do really feel for you though as you start to dread any occasion where you might feel emotionally overwhelmed. I do wonder if some CBT would help?

You're definitely not alone op. I used to get immediately choked up at my children's primary school plays. As soon as any music would start playing I'd be off..... but nobody else seemed to be like this. I'd be constantly (discretely) wiping away the tears and thinking WTAF is wrong with me?! Even now I can't get through an episode of Long Lost Family without having a total meltdown 😭 🙈🤣

I’m the same.. and omg it was worse coming out of lockdowns etc.. the first theatre show after lockdowns etc I was absolutely beside myself! Something I’ve realised is that no one is actually looking at me (lol) so if I just stay still and let tears roll down I can kind of style it out. Trying to keep it in entirely and wipe away every tear makes it worse. Like others have said I am mostly completely unemotional in every day life so it takes me by surprise 🤣

This was my first thought too!

Yup that’s weird.

No I haven't! I've just looked it up and it looks just like the kind of thing that would have me sobbing haha.

Would you recommend? :)

I'm way past menopause so can't blame that/hormones etc. I didn't cry at my wedding, childbirth, death/funeral of parents etc. But show me a film with a dog in it, be at a concert of bands from the late 70s/early 80s and they play my favourite song and I'm a mess. I've spent the last 3 days crying because I have to my cat pts next week but can't shed s tear over a family member who doesnt have long left!! I cry at films, Christmas adverts and sometimes just a beautiful view. Those that know me would say I'm strong, capable the go to person in a crisis but show me a picture of a mistreated cat or dog and I'm a mess. Funny though not so emotional over people, I think that probably makes me a bit odd 🤔@

Absolutely! You will need a box of tissues! What's crazy about it is octopus are sort of snails and it changed the way I see animals forever.

I was sobbing watching Race across the world earlier 😢

I’m the same, all since perimenopause/menopause. I’m a blubbering mess over anything these days lol

Ooh yeah!
Can’t go in a church without disintegrating and I watched a televised concert in floods of tears.
absolutely hopeless at theatre, art galleries etc

i don’t think it’s a bad thing, but it can be embarrassing sometimes 🙄

I just caught a YouTube video about behavioural psychology that touched on this, and linked it strongly to social media and internet advertising - feelgood emotional content being immediately followed by advertising etc. If we have an innate tendency to emotional responses, it gets ruthlessly leveraged by tech. Certainly food for thought....