Emotional lability and Iron Man

[jensequitur]

Went to the movies Saturday.  We've been wanting to see Iron Man for a while, and finally got the chance.  Well.  As soon as the opening credits started rolling, I knew I was in trouble, because my eyes started welling up with tears, and my diaphragm started shaking, like I was about to cry.  What the heck?  This is not a time to be crying!  I was looking forward to seeing the movie, I'm finally here, and now I'm crying.

I said to myself "Well, this isn't going to work" and tried very hard to shut off the flood.  Telling myself to calm down didn't help.  Finally I said to myself "Think of something boring" so I thought about popcorn.  How normal and satisfying popcorn was, how the butter flavor wasn't too overpowering, and that it wasn't too salty, and how the shells kept getting stuck in my teeth... and it worked.

This keeps happening.  I don't have this problem at the house, but in a movie theater I get overwhelmed and want to bawl.  Boo!  Not cool.  I also have this reaction to music I like - I'll get all choked up and cry, when I'm actually having a good time.

So I guess this is what they call emotional lability.  I started having this problem ten years ago, when my sister died.  But it hasn't gone away.  It's just gotten worse!  I have to assume that it's just another symptom of MS, just like the shaky hands, and I'll have to learn to live with it.  Fortunately I have the 'boring thought' trick, so I'm not as much of a victim to it.

[jensequitur]

Yeah, we must be cool!  :-)  That sounds good, let's go with that!

[sllowe]

This is so me too!  I'm horrible. Music especially.

I still cry if I even hear Little House on the Prairie (re-runs of course).  I can be in another room, and if there is something going on w/Laura and one of the animals in the barn, or when Paw is tucking them in talking to the girls.... oh boy, out comes the floods!

I'm thinking we must be pretty COOL if JonM is like this too. D-Definitely cool, d-definitely sobbish, D-Definitely cryfaces, d-definitely Wopner at 7.  

:( :( :( :( wamburgers and frenchcries for me please!
-SL

[wonko]

I have no dx, so I'm likely just a kook, but I understand this.  I burst into tears from stimuli as mild car and cereal commercials, often.  It will be almost like a sneeze or cough that just suddenly pushes out!  When I was younger, I was a more cynical and negative person, took myself very seriously, always picked dark colors/themes.  Now I am really lame and corny, and into pastels.  Likely just a normal progression, but it is interesting to ponder what governs these changes.  

I go to the movies ~every other week.  I think too I read recently about that overwhelming feeling in the grocery store, where all of the labels and lights can somehow complicate the whole process.  I've had to leave stores before from these feelings, and I get a similar flood of senses at the movies.  I know its loud and a big screen, so everyone "gets into it," but the last few months, I feel like I actually get my $'s worth for the ticket.  I seem to react very strongly to the sounds and flashing in the theater, like I almost hit my head on the high ceiling because the sound and flashing can feel so extreme.  I sit further back then I used to in order to be further from the screen and speakers, and away from other people because my butt jumps around in the seat so much.  This also helps give me some stretching room for when my sensory symptoms try to ruin the show, so it works on a couple of levels.  

Hope you liked the movie, and I'll try the "think about boring things" tip next time I feel my emotions are getting out of hand in public.

[JonM]

Iinterestng.

I too have this issue, have a hair trigger sensitivity to TV and Movies, even stupid commercials, oh and reading the newspaper or stories.  It too started when my father-in-law was killed in a car accident.  I cried so hard for a week that I think I actually re-wired my brain to be very sensitive to it.  I didn't know it had a name.

Jon