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What Causes One To Involuntarily Smirk While Discussing Another’s Problems?
Question: Hi, I am a forty year old male. I have been living with a problem that had been costing me dearly for over a decade now. Lately it had increased dramatically. I believe that my problem is somewhat unique because I have been looking for answers online and never got anything quite like it. There were cases which were somewhat similar but not exactly. My problem is that I smile (not laugh) but deviously smile at inappropriate times. To give you an example. A dear person who was in my place and was diabetic told me that he needed to get something to eat because he was feeling a little light headed. At the time I didn't know that he was diabetic at the time, but when he saw that I was a bit puzzled, he told me that he was diabetic. A sad fact right?! Well, I smirked!!! My mother has a disability, whenever she talked about it I smirked!! This episode had been going on and on and on. I notice that when I read or see people's pains or suffering when I am all alone (like online when I am at home or on tv) I feel a great deal of empathy and sometimes i look a way even when someone has a bad accident due to a prank gone wrong or so regardless of the fact that they were not seriously hurt. When I am alone I am overly compassionate and when someone suffers on my screen I don't smile like an idiot!!! To me, I feel like it's a demon that wants to destroy my social life and isolate me. This phenomenon occurs especially with people that I care about most, and whom I want to build bridges of trust with the most. I resort to alcohol. I have been drinking heavily for a long time. Today I went for some blood work to investigate my liver function among other things. This makes me very very depressed and it's very painful. It is painful especially because most of those around me whether they tolerate this or not are victims of this "evil smile"!! I feel that even those who chose to keep close to me want to smack that smile right out of my face! I cant help it, I can't control it and it's destroying my life in more than one way!!
Brief Answer:
No medical/psychological term for this.
Detailed Answer:
Hello
Welcome to HCM.
I can understand your concerns.
You have given the great description of your problem.
Psychologically, inappropriate smile can be due to anxiety or a thought disorder like psychosis. Your description does not suggest it to be psychosis.
Rather, I donot think there is a medical/psychological term for this.
But I have some suggestions for you to control this:
When there is a need to control smile, tell yourself it is inappropriate to smile, this works in many cases. Then check to see if others too are on the same track, this cautions your mind and helps controlling.
If you still continue, pinch yourself hard, try disguising it, try changing your thoughts by thinking of something very depressing.
If nothing works, close your mouth with one hand and breath heavily through the nose - nothing funny it works, use the timeout method - count back from 10 to 1, bite the lower lip or tongue.
When nothing works move away from the place.
Hope you find these suggestions helpful.
Feel free to ask for more doubts.
Regards.
No medical/psychological term for this.
Detailed Answer:
Hello
Welcome to HCM.
I can understand your concerns.
You have given the great description of your problem.
Psychologically, inappropriate smile can be due to anxiety or a thought disorder like psychosis. Your description does not suggest it to be psychosis.
Rather, I donot think there is a medical/psychological term for this.
But I have some suggestions for you to control this:
When there is a need to control smile, tell yourself it is inappropriate to smile, this works in many cases. Then check to see if others too are on the same track, this cautions your mind and helps controlling.
If you still continue, pinch yourself hard, try disguising it, try changing your thoughts by thinking of something very depressing.
If nothing works, close your mouth with one hand and breath heavily through the nose - nothing funny it works, use the timeout method - count back from 10 to 1, bite the lower lip or tongue.
When nothing works move away from the place.
Hope you find these suggestions helpful.
Feel free to ask for more doubts.
Regards.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Great,
All the things you had suggested I had already done. Trust me doctor none of that works except for your last advise about breathing. I had tried everything else you had mentioned. At the moment I am intoxicated so I can not experiment with your last suggestion (nothing funny about it, I totally understand your point). However, when I am sober again and that doesn't work what can I do? I mean, should I stay inside my house and drink myself to death? Is that fair?? You suggested that I "leave the place" which is good, only that I have to leave EVERY PLACE :(. See it's a problem. From my research I believe that it's some sort of anxiety like you had suggested. True, I would dismiss being psychotic but then again would I know about that if it was the case?? I believe that it's some sort of social anxiety coupled with some thing that is deeply embedded in my unconscious mind. I really have total faith in such a possibility. Doctor!! Something deep within me tells me to offend my close ones.. Those who are dear and near or even everyone around me. Why? I don't know.... It is totally against my nature and it's not something you will be able to treat with drugs. Alcohol works but it destroys your liver. I don't know doctor but it's a horrible feeling. Anxiety it is I guess, social anxiety. However, why social anxiety?? I was never abused in my childhood, I had never gone through a bad social experience that would traumatize me to the extend that I develop a complex. What could be the cause?! Hey thanx for your advise and would be nice to hear your feedback on this
XXXXXXX
All the things you had suggested I had already done. Trust me doctor none of that works except for your last advise about breathing. I had tried everything else you had mentioned. At the moment I am intoxicated so I can not experiment with your last suggestion (nothing funny about it, I totally understand your point). However, when I am sober again and that doesn't work what can I do? I mean, should I stay inside my house and drink myself to death? Is that fair?? You suggested that I "leave the place" which is good, only that I have to leave EVERY PLACE :(. See it's a problem. From my research I believe that it's some sort of anxiety like you had suggested. True, I would dismiss being psychotic but then again would I know about that if it was the case?? I believe that it's some sort of social anxiety coupled with some thing that is deeply embedded in my unconscious mind. I really have total faith in such a possibility. Doctor!! Something deep within me tells me to offend my close ones.. Those who are dear and near or even everyone around me. Why? I don't know.... It is totally against my nature and it's not something you will be able to treat with drugs. Alcohol works but it destroys your liver. I don't know doctor but it's a horrible feeling. Anxiety it is I guess, social anxiety. However, why social anxiety?? I was never abused in my childhood, I had never gone through a bad social experience that would traumatize me to the extend that I develop a complex. What could be the cause?! Hey thanx for your advise and would be nice to hear your feedback on this
XXXXXXX
Brief Answer:
Try the breathing advise.
Detailed Answer:
Hi again.
Sorry for late response.
Drinking alcohol as a solution to your problem is not worth it. I mean, that would create more problems than helping you.
Well, your problem is more in front of your relatives. I think it would be better that you discuss about this problem openly with your family members atleast. Convince them that you have been seeking for solution to this. Atleast, they would be on your side when you face an embarrassing situation.
I understand that you can not leave every place. But try it as far as possible.
As far as psychosis is concerned, there are lots of other features like loss of insight, loss of touch with reality, loss of judgement.
So I rule out psychosis in your case.
If you feel its not Anxiety, then its not because anxious person is aware of his anxiety state.
This theory of unconscious mind holds true in some cases. May be true in your case as well. Psychoanalysis by trained psychiatrist can help to reach to your unconscious mind and look for some hidden thoughts. But these are Freudian concepts, rarely accepted these days.
So, try that breathing advise and see if it works.
Hope you find my answers satisfactory.
Regards.
Try the breathing advise.
Detailed Answer:
Hi again.
Sorry for late response.
Drinking alcohol as a solution to your problem is not worth it. I mean, that would create more problems than helping you.
Well, your problem is more in front of your relatives. I think it would be better that you discuss about this problem openly with your family members atleast. Convince them that you have been seeking for solution to this. Atleast, they would be on your side when you face an embarrassing situation.
I understand that you can not leave every place. But try it as far as possible.
As far as psychosis is concerned, there are lots of other features like loss of insight, loss of touch with reality, loss of judgement.
So I rule out psychosis in your case.
If you feel its not Anxiety, then its not because anxious person is aware of his anxiety state.
This theory of unconscious mind holds true in some cases. May be true in your case as well. Psychoanalysis by trained psychiatrist can help to reach to your unconscious mind and look for some hidden thoughts. But these are Freudian concepts, rarely accepted these days.
So, try that breathing advise and see if it works.
Hope you find my answers satisfactory.
Regards.
Note: For further guidance on mental health, Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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