Smiling

I have, what may be considered, an unusual problem and I'm not sure if this is due to having Aspergers, or not. But I have great difficulty smiling, even with people I know well.

I can laugh, with people I know. But when it comes to smiling, I just freeze up. I have had professional help with this, but nothing seems to work. 

I was wondering, if anyone else has this issue, or is it just me. 

Any advice, much appreciated. 

Thanks. 

  • Smiling has always been a difficulty of mine. I think I vary from no smiling at all to over expression. 

    I'm only guessing on the overexpressing thing because sometimes I've been laughed at because of my 'retarded' looking smile, I'm using that R word because that is the word often used to describe it. This is usually when I've been lost in my own world and thinking about something like animals (something I'm enthusiastic about). 

    But the rest of the time unless i'm laughing at a joke I rarely smile. People often get confused and think I'm unhappy about things they thought I'd be happy about. I find people often need reassurance that I really am happy with something because I'm not showing enough reaction. 

    And if someone tries to get me to smile.... it can't really be done. I've always hated photographs where the person taking the photograph is saying things like, "Smile" and trying you to get you to look enthusiastic for the photo because I just can't do what they're asking of me!  

  • I have the same problem, I call my face, 'resting *** face', I have a permenant slapped *** expression I can laugh naturally but smiling yea its like my facial muscles are wired wrong, they say it takes less muscles to smile but I think it takes less to frown, its not even that Im unhappy or angry or feeling anything at all, the term they use is, 'blunt affect', quite common with people on the spectrum.

  • Slightly different but I thought I was smiling and turns out I wasent. I was in my 20s and someone said my face has no expression, I said that's rubbish. I then had someone say I never smile, I said not true. I practiced smiling at home in a mirror and they were right I didnt smile! 

    So I practiced in the mirror and smiled more but sadly I smiled too much and attracted negative people, the kind who prey on you. I also smiled at inappropriate times!

    Next was I was told I move my eyebrows alot but now I've started i cant stop. So I've gone from expressionless to too much, i cant win.

    My latest thing (I'm now 37) is to try the hug thing if people are upset. That's awkward and didnt work out I just went in for a hug they stepped aside.

    Another one this week was another upset person who was crying I tried talking to them to make them feel better and they walked off whilst I was talking. People are such hard work

    I'm undiagnosed by the way as I'd have to go private in my area