Real Story: Karen
Karen was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) and then started experiencing strange crying outbursts.
Karen is a real patient living with PBA. Image reflects patient’s health status at the time the image was captured.
In February 1995, I was diagnosed with relapsing-remitting MS. I spent the next decade trying to navigate this disease and the effects it had on not only my body but my life.
There was one strange symptom nobody seemed able to figure out. I would sometimes laugh or cry uncontrollably, often at inappropriate times. For example, I began crying at work for no apparent reason; I had just become inexplicably emotional. On another, more severe occasion, I was attending my friend’s parent’s funeral, and I got the giggles during the service. I had to hide my face in a tissue and quietly slip away to the ladies’ room to try and stifle my laughter.
Karen is a real patient living with PBA. Image reflects patient’s health status at the time the image was captured.
I noticed the episodes happened more if I was stressed. For me, it took a lot of emotional energy to contain my laughing and crying episodes. And if I had my guard down, it happened more often. I struggled at work and had to always know where the bathroom was so that I could escape and have an episode in private. Episodes of laughing or crying could be triggered when nothing was funny or sad. These responses were not appropriate.
I constantly wondered, “What is wrong with me?” I had to have an explanation for why this was happening.
Sequena is a real patient living with PBA. Image reflects patient’s health status at the time the image was captured.
Next Up: Learning About Pseudobulbar Affect
Sequena is a mother and stroke survivor who thought Pseudobulbar Affect might have been the cause of her uncontrollable crying episodes. Learn how she prepared to discuss her symptoms with her doctor.
Ready to Take the PBA Quiz?
If you think you or someone you love might have PBA, take the PBA Quiz to learn if the symptoms suggest PBA.
Liyah is a caregiver for a real patient living with PBA. Image reflects patient’s health status at the time the image was captured.
