How does a person suffer from attacks of uncontrollable laughter live (4 photos + 1 video)
Scott Lotan, originally from Virginia Beach, USA, spoke about what it is like to live as a person with his neurological disease - pseudobulbar affect (PBA). He can't stop laughing - no matter the situation he's in. 
A man who suffers from pathological laughter - like Arthur Fleck in the film Joker - has revealed what it's like to live with an uncontrollable disorder.
Attacks of pathological laughter look like this:
Like DC character Arthur Fleck, played by Joaquin Phoenix in Joker and the upcoming sequel Joker: Madness for Two, Scott Lotan suffers from a rare condition that causes him to experience painful bouts of laughter that can last up to 10 minutes at a time.
Scott said his PBA is caused by multiple sclerosis and often puts him in awkward and sometimes dangerous situations.
“I had problems with not being served in restaurants and being asked to leave because the waiters were uncomfortable. Often, if I'm having a drink with friends at a bar, there will be someone with low self-esteem who thinks I'm making fun of him and tries to start a fight,” he admits. — In 2003, there was a tragic car accident. My fiancée died at the scene of the accident, and my mother died from her injuries three days later. I remember laughing at the scene and being questioned by the police. At the wake of my mother and bride, I had to retire and hide from everyone, because sometimes I burst out laughing.”
The attacks are also physically difficult to bear: they often lead to suffocation - this moment was shown in the film “Joker”, and shown believably. Scott says he really appreciated it.
“The choking comes from me trying to catch my breath, desperate for air. In addition, saliva accumulates in your mouth, and when you take a breath, it ends up in the wrong pipe. My neck really hurts and I move my head to try and relieve the tension and sometimes it cuts off the air.”
There's also the mental impact of having to constantly explain your condition to people, which Scott says is often "not easy."
“People are suspicious,” he says. “You try to explain, but they are sure that you are a drug addict or just some kind of crazy person.” I think Joaquin Phoenix in Joker perfectly conveyed the feeling of isolation and frustration from not understanding others.”
However, Scott stressed that despite all the difficulties, he does not allow PBA to stop him from living his life.
“There have been a lot of sympathetic comments online, and although people write with good intentions and wish well, they feel that my life is terrible, full of pain and suffering,” he says. - This is wrong. Like any other person, I have ups and downs. Of course, at times I laugh uncontrollably, but worse things can happen. And it even helps me when communicating with my children.”
