Emotional Lability (ha, ha, ha, sob, sob)

[MtPockets]

Drive by Bricking instead of shooting?

The really strange part was having the cashier warn my wife about this happening. When she left the store sure enough some teenagers in a car started yelling and calling her all sorts of names. She looked around thinking they were talking to someone else since she was at her car putting away groceries, no they were yelling at her.
It was a car of about 5 teenage white kids out for "fun", terrorizing people. The Walmart guards showed up quickly and chased them in their car. No idea if they caught them or not. What would they charge them with anyway, being stupid? School has let out for the holidays. Guess this is their new way of having "fun".

God have mercy on the United States. We have raised a generation of reprobate, non respecting, children who believe there are no moral standards. Whatever feels good do it.

DRIVE BY BRICKING?
Smoke your dope, drink your booze, sniff your cocaine, shoot up whatever, free sex, abortion if you get pregnant, anything goes in this generation of perverts. Whatever feels good do it.

I know Judgment is coming on the world today, because we have turned our backs on God and His teachings. We will reap what we have sown.

SORRY, Got off topic. It just upsets me so, I have to vent sometimes.

 

[olly]

AMEN to that capt al.

 

[Ronelle]

I have uncontrolable laughing, crying and yawning and it can be really embarresing once it starts. It makes me avoid laughing which I used to love before ALS. Avoiding crying is a good thing. What interests me the most is the fact that the little bit of speech that I have left, disappears whenever I get emotional. Is there a connection?

 

[brooksea]

My husband cannot talk when he gets emotional. He cannot breathe and try to talk at the same time when that happens. Anger and sadness/anxiety are the worst!

 

[GlenBrittle]

Oh Yes.

When I get upset, I can just barely get a whisper out.

I just let the laughing out. Everyone I work with has been warned. Sometimes I get that "I dont get it" look . I dont care.

I try to stifle the tears. The worst is when I am watching TV at night when I am tired. I grunt and my bottom lip quivers trying to suppress those tears.

 

[mango]

It sounds like this emotional lability affects us pretty much the same way, while other symptoms of ALS vary more from case to case.
I get the same problem losing my ability to speak when I'm emotional in any way, including laughter, or just being in a jovial mood. Last night I went to a Gator Alumi club function where coach Urban Meyer spoke. I went with my brother and sat with a group of fellow Gator fans that I've posted with on a private message board for 8 years. Every once in a while groups of our forum members will get together in real life and visit, so it's fun, and kind of weird, seeing Internet friends in real life. The whole time I was on the verge of laughter, so whenever I tried to say something, it came out really bad, or didn't come out at all. I know my friends must have been thinking to themselves that I'm really in bad shape, and I am, but not nearly as bad as I sounded. It was embarrassing, and kind of sad because I was with my brother, and I know that every time I try to take part in the conversation, and no one understands what I said, it hurts him, which hurts me.
I also had four beers over a five hour time period. I wasn't drunk at all, but I sure as heck sounded and looked like it. I needed a lot of help too. I really can't enjoy beer much at all anymore, knowing what just one or two can do to me.
Oh well, we did have fun though.

It was my camera, so I don't know why I'm the only one not looking towards it:

 

[Sammantha]

I grew up with a very mean brother who i had to defend myself from and learned to fight really well. I also grew up in an area of N.Y. where EVERYONE used swear words in everyday discussion. I moved down south and quicly learned to clean my language up. My immediate response to someone ticking me off was not a punch their shoulder! Well i have hyperreflexia and babinski response. But i also have been through hell and back with no diagnosis yet and a lot of scary health concerns and dwindling quality of life. Whichever one has led me back to my old self. I curse all the time and i will get so angry so quick it runs through my body like an explosion! It is very scary and uncontrollable. It does not happen often thank god but when it does i feels out of control and i feel like a monster. Just like the Hulk. The only good thing is that feeling of happiness can be just as intense. But so can feelings of sadness, everything is intense...... Noone can push my buttons like my husband, he would say ignorant things and i would think, man i'd like to punch him right in the mouth! Well about four months ago or so, i did not think it, i did it! Now thats out of control! I try very hard to control my body, i have had to learn to because of breathing difficulties and heart issues. Sometimes my breathing is so bad my body want to run around freaking out screaming i cant breathe but i know this will make me hyperventilate so i meditate until my chest has rested and the feeling goes away. Sometimes i wake at night with an extremely fast heart rate that wont stop beating out of control and i have to do the mind over matter thing along with other techniques to get it back to a normal rythym..... See all that so who knows if it is the reflexes or all the scary shit we go through.....Probably a combination!

 

[Ronelle]

I must tell you that although my children find it very hard to live with the changes in me, they love the fact that I cannot get angry at them anymore. The angrier I get the more I smile. Then I start laughing in the end because they know I have lost the fight. I never win anymore Sometimes I smile when I should be sad. That upsets them.

 

[crystalkk]

I have the crying out of no where, and I get angry and have been using the four letter word alot.
I don't have the laughing though.

 

[crystalkk]

Mango,

Which one are you in the picture?

 

[BethU]

Sam ... I get the same uncontrollable rages, including screaming at the top of my lungs. I was really afraid I would get violent with my husband who is gravely ill and very weak at this point with kidney failure in addition to Parkinson's and dementia. I also got bouts of euphoria that were spectacularly blissful, and of course the loud and uncontrollable crying. I ALSO had the same experiences as you waking up after horrible nightmares with my heart pounding, which took maybe 15 minutes to calm down. I thought they were "night terrors" and I take a Xanax before bed now to prevent them. Never occured to me it was ALS-related, although they started at the same time.

I thought my euphoria was connected to FTD, but my neuro said it was just more emotional lability. Thank heavens the EL meds worked on the rage and the weepiness, but unfortunately they took away the euphoria too. I've never had the uncontrollable laughter, but then I have always spent half my life laughing my head off anyway, so it would be hard to tell the difference! (except for the "inappropriate situations" part). The neuro said it was "interesting" that I had both rage and euphoria, as they are closely connected in the brain.

I think you're right, that all emotions seem to be so intense. There's no reason EL would only produce weeping and laughter. I hope when you get your thymoma taken care of they will perhaps give you relief from these emotional excesses. I don't know if your experiences are EL or something else, but I do know they are hell on wheels.

Hang in there!

 

[mango]

Mango,

Which one are you in the picture?

I'm on the right. My "little" brother is on the left.

The guy in the blue drove me to the Hyatt Regency in his truck. It was really hard for me to get in his vehicle, lol. My bro drove me home.

Today is happy day for me, but I was sobbing all morning, go figure. I took a decongestant and I'm in control now.

I have lots of friends and family, I'm so lucky. I don't know any of you in real life, but I feel close to you all. Words are not enough to describe the experience we all share.

I've received some PM's and I hope my replies are going through. I'm not good with this message board software yet. I belong to private Gator message board. We have some Vol buddies too. Over the last 8 years, I've made almost 48k posts! Sounds like a waste of time, but we have fun. I also do Facebook. Typing is starting to get difficult.

 

[Sammantha]

Thanks Beth, i am glad you shared because sometimes i feel so horrible, like when i get that way with my kids.... Its like you with your husband, if we could control it there would be no way we would get that angry at people we love, especially people that are more helpless than us. I have been on klonopin for over two years and i would hate to think what i would be like without it! I tried Lexapro and it made me cry and want to go jump off a cliff, literally! Two days after i stopped taking it, i was fine.. Antidepressants and me dont work! It also made me yawn so bad my face was sore. Unfortunatley i stay away from my hubby because he is so critical all the time and never sees the fun in trivial things. I love him but he can be a downer. That attitude really rubs me wrong! I am so greatful when i am joyous, i dont want to be around someone who wants to bring me down because i dont get a little down, i get angry! He's a good guy, i nicknamed him Scrooge... Does this sound weird? I get upset with my children when they whine and cry about things to me that are trivial, its like i want to say well if you have been near death over four times you would not take not being able to stay up late so hard! I dont say that but thats how i feel and i know its not fair to them, its that way with a lot of people out in the world, i want to slap them and say get over it, this is nothing! Stop wasting time being bitter or hateful or complaining and do something or be happy! Choose happiness like me, just dont piss me off!

 

[crystalkk]

Sam,

I don't know if your husband would read on here, but if he did maybe it would help him understand.
I don't think my husband would.....When i have a crying spell, my husband tells me would you stop crying or ignores me.
I hate it when it happens in front of my kids, I try to go to another room....but they follow me.
My son will ask why am I crying and I tell its because I can't do all the things that I used to be able to with them.
MY daughter will tell people oh yeh my mom cries everyday for no reason.

I wish I would get the laughing instead of the crying.... it does last long but after it is over i feel better for some reason.

 

[MtPockets]

Attitude can we adjust it or change it?

Most of us would say no without even thinking about it for a moment. The old saying is the glass half full or half empty. Most of us are one of the other type personalities.
My wife is always negative and sees the worst in everything, her glass is half empty. I am not discussing this to make anyone feel guilty, just trying to nudge you in a direction of thinking that might help deal with what we have been given.

Every morning I get up and as I sit here by the window I have 5 bird feeder outside the window. The birds are all feeding and singing songs just for me. At least that is the way I perceive it. Because I Choose to believe that. I can sit on my back porch while my cocker spaniel runs around the yard smelling and chasing squirrels, and listen to the sounds of nature. I live in a subdivision, yet there are squirrels, rabbits, humming birds, cardinals, red and blue buntings, etc. to entertain me.
I may be in pain as I watch and listen to them, but the pain just goes to the background as I view the wonderful show God has prepared for me this morning.
I try, notice I said try, to look at everything this way.

Every day above ground is a blessing and a chance to be a blessing to someone.

What will be your choice for todays attitude?

I still have the crying, laughing, yawning, going on in the midst of all these thoughts, but somehow, someway, I will have a good day, no matter what that day may bring.

Hey, I understand if you think I am full of it. Just think on these things and maybe your day may be just a little brighter, I hope.

Christian :: RainbowSlides slideshow by ShakeyMarble - Photobucket