Everyone’s emotional register is a bit different, and it changes depending on circumstances. What’s yours like?
I’m generally pretty calm and to-the-point, to the extent that I can come across as pretty cold at first. But if there’s something that gets to me, whether it’s happy / sad / infuriating or whatever, I can let it out and process it now, rather than bottling it up. That lets me appear as even more of an emotionless robot the rest of the time! Yay, I guess?
I have real trouble empathizing with people around me, even if I can read them on a conscious level. I guess that either makes me autistic or a sociopath.
I feel like I have a lot in a big barrel that sloshes and spills sometimes. I was a “sensitive” kid that cried at movies and TV, and animals in the SPCA, and vandalized trees. Somewhere along the way I had to get it under control or store it, probably around starting school and needing to putting a mask on in general. Not to say that I never had embarrassing moments from that point on.
I still cry about both big and small things, when I’m in my own space. And one of things that I love about watching movies and series by myself with earphones in is that I get to cry at dumb shit uninterrupted and not feeling self conscious. I rewatched Harley Quinn and cried my eyes out at the finale of that goofy shit lol.
I’m hugely emotional I’ll cry once a day about something, including adverts and not being able to find my keys. I get really excited about things as well, I can shriek with excitement and want to bounce all over about it. I don’t often get angry though, I flip literally once every few years.
love this, usually when my estrogen is peaking I also cry at the smallest things - a cute photo, a touching moment in a TV show, etc.
I usually feel ashamed at this, like I’m too easily manipulated or receptive, but recently I’ve been rethinking this … the feelings make me feel alive and allow me a greater depth of experience.
This reevaluation leads me to think the system of values that prioritizes being unfeeling can enable more toxic values like willingness to compete and be cutthroat when cooperation is not only possible but mutually beneficial and more humane and ethical.
So now I try to feel proud for my teary moments, maybe having feelings helps me be a better person in some moments - certainly it helps with conflict resolution as I am able to empathize better and show caring sympathy in moments when that is what defuses the situation and leads to resolution.
I know it’s not perfect, I am more sensitive and hurt more easily, but even that raises standards and brings issues to the surface that need to be addressed. Overall I endorse this way of being, warts and all 😊
I am undeniably a less angry human than I was a year ago. Thanks estrogen!
I think I do cry a bit easier now, but its still not a super common, everyday thing.
Since going on fluoxetine, not very. I love that stuff and should have started taking it years ago.
The aromatase inhibitor might be contributing as well. I had the estrogen receptor positive variety of breast cancer a few years ago, so now I have to take Anastrozole for another 5 years.
I only have outside references to compare myself to others but things seem to be more muted for me than my peers. I feel the emotions but just not at the same intensity as others. An ex used to accuse me of being robotic. If crying or tears is a metric, I cry maybe once or twice a month on average.
I mostly have a flat affect unless certain triggers get hit. There’s a few triggers, chiefly related to my father’s sudden, unexpected death, that will start the tears flowing. And there’s a few social triggers (chiefly related to disrespect) that will make people wish they had never been born (or, if they’re more level-headed, that I had never been born).
I cry daily at all kinds of things, good and bad. I can basically be made to tear up on command, something my bestie has weaponised against me a few times lol by sending me things like cat rescue videos.
