autistic laughter

When everything becomes funny: humor during a manic episode

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I recently wrote about humor in autism. What becomes particularly fascinating is seeing how a manic episode can transform the sense of humor of people with bipolar disorder, including those who are autistic. Mania can profoundly change behavior, including the way someone laughs and what they find funny. For some people, it brings intense euphoria, disinhibition, and racing thoughts, completely altering their perception of what is amusing. The relationship between mania and humor can therefore become especially striking.

Autistic laughter: why does it seem so different?

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People often told me my laugh was “strange” throughout my school years. Muffled, choppy, sometimes almost out of breath. Years later, during my autism assessment, I began to wonder whether my laughter might be atypical too. The answers I found were far more nuanced than I had imagined.