Over-expressive-face (your own?)

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My face is highly expressive. My emotions are often big, so my expressions and body language often match them. I change my expressions while just sitting and thinking about different things. It pains me quite a bit to think people might not believe I have Asperger's only because I don't talk and act like a robot.

When I was younger I made a lot of enemies because people said I gave them a dirty look, but I was completely oblivious to this. Now people tell me that I look tired. I can only smile when I'm laughing, but apart from that it takes a lot of conscious effort to put a smile on my face. Rather than making the wrong or awkward facial expressions, I find that having a blank expression saves me a lot of trouble. I'll practice expressions in the mirror, but when I'm actually talking to someone I think the expression changes back to a tired look because it's fake. I can only keep an act going for so long.

I don't really know because I have never examined my expression, but people tell me I have an unespressive face. They say that even when it has an expression, it appears weird, fake or exaggerated. Except my mother. She is the only person I know that can "read" my expressions correctly and that thinks they're natural.

OP. I totally relate. I'm almost in tears after reading your post because this has been such a struggle for me. Feeling insecure about being too expressive. Feeling insincere and fake.

I'm un-diagnosed, but am strongly considering trying for a diagnosis. Past attempts to talk to mental health professionals about AS have been horrible. I wonder if my "overly expressive face" was one of the causes my concerns were so harshly dismissed?

Thanks for posting on this. It gives me more confidence to get a diagnosis.

From elementary school onward, I would practice facial expressions in the mirror and try to develop muscle memory to react with them when I felt the appropriate emotion. So yeah, I've often been told that my face is overly expressive.

Yes overly expressive here too. Except if I'm nervous, I may have very little expression.

I also have the problem where I look mad or sad when I think I'm looking neutral. (There was a thread on this where I wrote I have to smile or people think this, and it gets so tiring smiling.)

My face isn't over expressive. It's how I talk. When I'm joking about something my mom said that it's hard to tell when I'm joking.

Or maybe my sense of humor is highly misunderstood.

I went through a period in my teenage years and college where I was also overly expressive. Now, in my 30s, I'm much more muted. For me, it's been phases.

People did comment on my facial expressions when I was very expressive. It was a social problem at times, but at other times it was an asset. Some people found it appealing. My future husband liked it.

I think I was overcompensating socially and had a lot of energy. Now my energy goes elsewhere and I don't feel I need to "perform" for people as much in social situations. I'm more aware of how it drains me.

Anyway, old thread. But I find it useful to go back and read other people's experiences, so I'm putting in my own here in the hopes it is useful/interesting to someone else.

I have this problem too. I can't tell a lie, because it's so obvious from my facial expressions that I feel uncomfortable. I have a near permanent frown, because I'm always thinking about all the complex little details involved in what's going on for me and my family.

Yes, I sometimes wonder why more people don't recognize the value of a whole group of people who are uncomfortable with lying. Seriously -- I get seriously anxious over pressure to say less than 100% of the full truth (when you are in a position of authority, you are apparently expected to do this a lot to mollify other people in authority).

Anyway, I just can't sell it. My voice either!

Glad I'm not the only one.