Re: emotional dysregulation link
@Flutterbug9 @Glisten
Really good link 😊.
I'll add to it (from my own personal experience) a few extra notes on emotional (dys)regulation. For me, laughter. Yep, if I'm feeling uncomfortable or nervous or needing to verbalise something upsetting to me -- I will most often "laugh" or smile whilst saying it.
And people misunderstand this so often :face_with_rolling_eyes:. I mean, yes i use humour as a coping mechanism (laugh or i will cry; find the silver lining, etc) but the physical inability to *not* laugh/smile when discussing something painful... turns out that can also be my autistic attempt to regulate my emotion!
People misunderstand it and think i must not be distressed because i'm able to "laugh". Or they think i am lying or exaggerating (attention seeking, potentially) because my external-expression does not match what i am verbally telling them i am thinking/feeling.
https://neurolaunch.com/inappropriate-laughter-autism/
https://neurolaunch.com/autism-laughing-fits/
But since I've become aware of what my brain/laugh is doing, i can now verbalise it to people when needed to explain to them that i am not *real laughing* i am *dysregulated autistic laughing* and i cant easily control it unless i stop talking about the topic.
PS - i think a funny but clear sign of this in my childhood... my sister use to hit me (not terribly - just as young siblings do sometimes!) and I would *laugh*. So she would get annoyed that i was laughing from it and then hit me more to try to make me stop laughing -- it make me laugh more!!
As we got older she realised what was happening was not deliberate on my part and then it became more of a fun game for her to make me laugh until i couldnt breathe by mildly hitting me 😅. Not in an abusive way i will be clear; this became a playful thing once i got to 10 years old. 🤭. Yes i am a laughing punchbag?!
