Monday, June 1, 2015

Uncontrollable Crying

I heard the vacuum running in the other room. The vacuum screeched mechanically. Whirring. Oscillating. Repeating. Transfixed by the noise, my brain emotionally shivered until I cried uncontrollably. Whirring. Oscillating. Repeating. My stomach churned nauseously in response. My right temple pulsed with a painful electrical stab. Tears ran down my face and splashed on my arms. I began to sob uncontrollably. Whirring. Oscillating. Repeating.Whirrrrringggg. Oscillatiiiiiiiiiinggg. Repeatiiiiingggg.

A photo of me wailing in the Spring like a heartsick quail.

It reminded me of feverish dreams from childhood. 

Uncontrollable crying occurs in approximately 10% of people with MS. 

It is 100% uncontrollable when it happens to me. Sometimes it is accompanied by seizures. It is embarrassing as fuck. I am fascinated and horrified.

Uncontrollable crying. It is difficult to describe. It is a deeply emotional feeling with NOTHING worldly attached to it. Nothing. 

It does not relieve stress because I'm not actually processing anything emotionally relevant. Does that make sense? It would be like me slipping you a drug that had no effect other than to make you cry for a few minutes. It would not alleviate any existing stress in your system or help you work through your emotions, it would just be an unexpected neurological reaction to a chemical process; like a bad trip, maaan.

What I am describing is distinctly different from depression or grieving, I experience those in their full glory, different animals, this though is what would be described as uncontrollable crying aka Pseudobulbar Affect.