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A MyMSTeam Member asked a question 💭
Seattle, WA

I tend to be a pretty unemotional person. I try to always have an attitude of gratitude and appreciate the wonderful things in my life. I feel I have been blessed and I have had a wonderful run with MS for the past 40 years.

Today, I was just sitting there, not feeling sad at all, and I busted out bawling. I could not stop either. It was as if I was having a logical conversation/thoughts inside my head while my body was having this emotional response.

Does anyone else have this happen to them… read more

July 21, 2018
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Answer Summary

Members responded with warmth and understanding to the question about suddenly crying without feeling sad, and many shared that this is a... Read more

Members responded with warmth and understanding to the question about suddenly crying without feeling sad, and many shared that this is a recognized neurological symptom linked to MS called Pseudobulbar Affect (PBA), where emotions do not match actual feelings due to lesions in the brain. Several members shared personal stories of unexpected crying or laughing episodes, with one describing a very public episode in a hospital waiting room and another noting their emotional outbursts happen on a strangely consistent weekly schedule. A recurring theme was that living with a chronic illness brings real emotional complexity, and leaning on community, loved ones, and self-care can make a meaningful difference.

A MyMSTeam Member

I remembered Pseudobulbar effect

July 21, 2018 (edited)
A MyMSTeam Member

Yeah, I'm very similar to you in that I'm most often quite cheerful and happy but every once in a while, have tears for no reason. Also happens with laughter. For me it seems to be a hormonal imbalance thing. I just started using essential oils for balance and it seems to be helping. XX

July 22, 2018
A MyMSTeam Member

There's a name for this, pseudo something, but it is due to the lesions being in the part of your brain that controls emotions. My friend cries over every thing, even when she's not sad.

July 21, 2018
A MyMSTeam Member

I think it's more a matter of your brain giving itself an emotional balance, I was the complete opposite, during my darkest days I cried half the day, every day, for over 6 months and was so emotionally weak. By the end of that period I no longer wanted to cry and had gained mental strength as a result of purely surviving all my traumas of that moment. It's been 2 years since I cried now and it'll be a cold day in hell before I cry about my MS situation now, I have fight in me because of where I've been in life, you're a fighter too, it's a blip.

July 21, 2018
A MyMSTeam Member

Depression, anxiety and grief are logical results of any chronic, progressive illness. Not everyone will experience all of those an some will experience the symptoms repeatedly. When there are changes in symptoms, as there often are with MS, mood symptoms occur.
Talk with others who deal with the same thing, talk with family, friends, exercise do things you enjoy

July 21, 2018

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