Do you laugh at awkward times?
Have you ever attended the funeral of a close family member and been plagued with an attack of giggles? Perhaps it was while someone was talking about how much that family member meant to them. In the middle of sniffles and the surreptitious wiping of tears, you were struggling against the inappropriate urge to burst into laughter. Maybe your uncomfortable fit of laughter occurred at work during a board meeting to discuss how the company is not reaching the financial targets set. Definitely not a topic that should amuse anyone.
Whatever happened, you had an overwhelming urge to burst into laughter. What made the situation worse was your awareness that laughter in that situation was highly improper. But that only made it more difficult to stop.
That can be an extremely embarrassing predicament to be in, especially with people looking at you like you’re some kind of insensitive and disrespectful monster.
If you have been in this situation before, the shame of uncontrollable laughter can be enough to cause social anxiety. Who wants to be in a situation where you are going to offend people you respect or love?
Luckily, you are not the only person to struggle with laughter in serious situations. It happens to many people and for different reasons. Let’s look at what causes this uncontrollable laughter. Knowing what causes these embarrassing giggle fits can help take away the sting of guilt that comes with it and lead us towards coping skills to lessen future occurrences.
1. It can be a natural defense mechanism in a stressful situation.
For some people, laughter is a natural reaction when faced with a highly stressful situation. When they face high levels of anxiety, confusion, stress, and discomfort, at that moment, their body triggers laughter as a defense mechanism to downregulate the emotion.
Some research has even found that nervous laughter may be a defense mechanism against emotions that may make us feel weak or vulnerable.
Laughter erupts from people who struggle with this condition to signal to the rest of the body that they are not in danger and that everything is ok. It helps them relieve stress, release tension, and calm the rest of the body down.
2. Social anxiety can cause nervous laughter.
People who experience social anxiety will struggle in situations where they are not familiar with the people or surroundings. They are fearful of or anxious about social situations because of a fear of negative judgment, embarrassment, or rejection.
This can lead to inappropriate behavior in these situations, such as spontaneous laughter. Social Anxiety is one of the most common mental health conditions, with fifteen million American adults suffering from it, according to Mental Health America. People living with this social anxiety often experience the following:
– physical symptoms, such as blushing, sweating, trembling, nausea, increased heart rate, and the mind “going blank”
– feelings of panic or panic attacks
– fear of experiencing anxiety or of seeming anxious in front of others
– an intense fear of judgment from others
– feelings of fear or dread in situations with other people, especially strangers
– feeling very self-conscious, embarrassed, or awkward in front of others
– having difficulty speaking
– avoiding situations that might trigger anxiety
– a rigid body posture and a soft voice during social interactions
– difficulty making or maintaining eye contact
– sensitivity to criticism, low self-esteem, and negative self-talk
While many people may have experienced one or several of the signs above, people with social anxiety describe the anxiety they have as being overpowering and out of their control.
3. Neurological conditions can create an urge to laugh.
Neurological conditions can also produce the urge to laugh in improper situations. People who have suffered a stroke that affected the frontal lobes of the brain can have issues with uncontrollable laughter. When the frontal lobe of the brain is damaged, communication between it and the cerebellum is affected, which leads to improper laughter.
4. Tourette Syndrome can cause vocal tics that include laughter.
If the laughter occurs suddenly or follows a specific pattern, it could be a sign of Tourette Syndrome. In Tourette’s, laughter can manifest as a type of vocal tic.
Tourette Syndrome is characterized by repetitive, involuntary movements and vocalizations called tics. These tics can vary widely from person to person and may include sounds like clearing the throat, sniffing, or, in some cases, laughing.
People with Tourette’s don’t choose to laugh or make other sounds at inappropriate times. These are involuntary expressions that are part of their neurological makeup.
5. Some psychiatric conditions include symptoms of uncontrollable laughter.
Certain psychiatric conditions can cause uncontrollable laughter. In particular, psychiatric conditions that have hypomania – a lesser state of mania – as a symptom. People with this symptom will be extremely happy most of the time, while also being very loud, hyperactive, energetic, and engaging in attention-seeking behavior.
An example of a psychiatric condition that causes laughter at inappropriate times is schizophrenia. This happens because people with schizophrenia have difficulty regulating their emotions. They even experience hallucinations that are funny or induce anxious laughter. When they are having a manic episode, they can be very excited or feel powerful. Because they perceive the world differently than others do, they may be amused or excited by things/situations that do not provoke the same reaction in most people.
6. A condition called Pseudobulbar Affect (PBA) can affect the brain’s ability to control laughter.
Usually, people with Pseudobulbar Affect (PBA) have an underlying neurological condition that affects the brain’s ability to control and express emotion.
The pseudobulbar affect is a condition that’s characterized by episodes of sudden uncontrollable and inappropriate laughing or crying. It commonly occurs in people who have neurological conditions or injuries, such as:
– Stroke
– Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
– Multiple sclerosis (MS)
– Traumatic brain injury
– Alzheimer’s disease
– Parkinson’s disease
Pseudobulbar affect is often undiagnosed or mistaken for mood conditions. However, once it is diagnosed, it can be properly managed with medication.
7. Physical health conditions can affect the systems that control emotions and laughter.
Different medical conditions can cause uncontrollable laughter. These illnesses include:
Hyperthyroidism – Occurs when the thyroid gland makes too much of one or both thyroid hormones called T4 and T3.
Graves Disease – This happens when the immune system makes too many antibodies that attach to thyroid cells. Having too much of the thyroid hormone can affect the nervous system. One symptom of this is nervous laughter, even when nothing is happening that is funny.
Kuru (TSEs) – This is a rare condition known as a prion disease. It occurs when an abnormal protein called a prion infects the brain. This can stop the brain from functioning properly. It also damages the part of the brain called the cerebellum, which is where many emotional processes are located.
8. Neurodivergence results in a different way of processing emotions and social cues.
For some neurodivergent individuals, such as those who are autistic, ADHD, or both (AuDHD) inappropriate laughter can be a common occurrence. This isn’t due to a lack of empathy or understanding, but rather a different way of processing emotions and social cues. Neurodivergent people may experience intense emotions that manifest as laughter, even in serious situations.
Additionally, they might struggle with interpreting neurotypical social cues, body language, and facial expressions leading to responses that seem out of place to neurotypical individuals.
Finally…
Laughing in serious situations can be embarrassing and distressing, but it’s crucial to understand that it’s often beyond our control. Whether it’s a natural stress response, a symptom of anxiety, or linked to neurodivergence, inappropriate laughter doesn’t define your character or level of empathy.
If you find yourself struggling with this issue frequently, it may be helpful to speak with a mental health professional. They can help you explore potential underlying causes, encourage acceptance, and help with strategies. Remember, you’re not alone in this experience, and with understanding and support, you can navigate these challenging moments more comfortably.
