Hi everyone,

I seem to have an issue that has plagued me since childhood and I'm wondering if any of you have dealt with the same. That issue is laughing at emotionally inappropriate times. I haven't laughed at a funeral yet (thank goodness), but I have laughed in threatening situations. When I was thirteen, my mom grabbed me by the throat and shoved me up against the wall. She was red in the face, nostrils flared, and looked like a raging bull. For some reason, it just tickled me and caused me to burst out laughing. I remember feeling very uncomfortable, but I couldn't help but to act as if it was hilarious. It only enraged her more, so it certainly didn't help to alleviate my anxiety at the time.

It's been a long time since that event, but I've noticed that the same thing has happened recently in my relationship. I've had several instances where my boyfriend was being verbally abusive or accusing me of being sneaky and hiding things from him (due to jealousy issues on his part) and I couldn't help but to laugh. Obviously this only made things worse. So not only was I then having to defend myself, but also explain that I'm not an insensitive sociopath who laughs at his perceived pain. I've explained my dilemma and he seems understanding, but it's still embarrassing and frustrating when it happens.

So, again, has anyone here had the misfortune of dealing with a similar problem? If so, have you been able to figure out how to prevent it?