# Do your eyes water when you're nervous?



## bluebluesplayer

For some reason mine do. During presentations, when at a cashier stand, or talking to a person of authority, my eyes just start watering. It's very strange. Some people's hands start shaking when they're nervous, mine don't. My eyes water instead. 

Anyone else suffer from this?
What do you do to remedy this?


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## ilikebooks

Yes! I'm not sure if it's just my eyes drying out a bit causing them to tear up or if it's related to crying somehow, but it happens to me constantly when I start getting anxious. I found switching from contact lenses to glasses helped a bit, but I don't think that's really related.


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## AshleyMarie

Yeah all the time I just try to blink alot and it works most of the time..
but it kinda looks like I got somthin stuck in my eye..


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## thisisfraser

Yup. Happens way more than I would like and I'm always scared that people will think I was crying. Actually just happened to me tonight when I was waiting for the bus and they kept going while I was getting on and looking for a seat. 

I find that making myself yawn or even just faking a yawn really helps because my eyes have always naturally watered a little after yawning. This might not work very well when dealing with authority figures, especially if they are expecting you to pay some serious attention to them. 

Now I'm not sure if that was any help at all or not :sus


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## HoneyyDew

All the time before a presentation.. I hate it and I think people notice because I'm always wiping my eye. =[


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## engima

mine pretty much water 24/7, even more so when getting nervous


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## Post_Punk_Proclivity

No but they freakin twitch!


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## Post_Punk_Proclivity

I think I'd prefer watery eyes to shaky hands though, I dunno.


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## ohioisforloners

yeah this happens to me sometimes. I think it's partly because I get nervous and forget to blink as much as I should haha.


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## SadRosesAreBeautiful

_*Call me weird, but, when I'm really nervous, I yawn...when I yawn, my eyes water. There ya have it.*_


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## Encore

It sucks. When Im in public I tear up for no reason. I dont cry for movies or nothing but eating, yawning and walking in public brings tears.


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## Mike85

This used to happen to me all the time, particularly in school. When I would get called on in class the anxiety would hit like a ton of bricks. The thought of everyone focusing on me would cause me to blush, my eyes would water, and breathe irregularly. It also happened in other situations such as the one's you described.

Thankfully I've gotten over this symptom. I think what helped me was learning to focus externally. Try not to think about watery eyes, and instead try to focus on your surroundings, i.e. magazines at the checkout. Take a deep breath, try to relax your muscles, and direct your attention off of yourself.


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## dennissbr

*Help*

I have been dealing with the problem of my eyes watering in certain situations for years now. I am currently prescribed valium but even that has limited effect. I am considering cbt. Can anyone recommend if this is a positive, helpful path to take or know of any other treatment methods?


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## Seba5

I'm glad that there are more people whose eyes water when they are nervous. My eyes always water when im nervous and I wish that didnt happen. I need help because I hate it when Imy eyes just start watering in front of the class. help?


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## ty44

I'm pretty sure this has some biological answer to it. I always yawn when I'm really anxious, and I mean like a yawn every 60 seconds. My yawns also produce a lot of tears for some reason.


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## ty44

Railroad Cancellation said:


> No but they freakin twitch!


****ing hell I am the same. If I get scared of somebody and they are confronting me, I can feel my eyes twitch. It has only happened once but I remember now.

I want to search the cause of all this, its really interesting.


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## WaitingForTheDay

This has happened to me quite a bit. I think it's one of the most annoying symptoms of anxiety because it's one of the hardest to hide. I manage to cover most things up but people always seem to notice this.


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## Mogmop

Yeah, I get both the eye-watering and the constant yawning when I'm feeling nervous/anxious.


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## PauloTheHouseElf

I just Googled "tears nervous" and was brought here. I read the entire thread and was so excited to sign up because I realized I'm not a freak! Haha.

I was actually just at the Optometrist to get eyeglasses. I didn't need glasses coming in. After talking to the eye doctor, it was confirmed I didn't need glasses but I still spent $400 for fake, non-prescription glasses just to ease my watery eyes due to nervousness by using the lenses as barrier between me and my surroundings.

Also, while trying the eyeglasses on, the lady across the table was watching me. Of course that also made me nervous and my eyes got watery.

GOD I love you all!


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## catz4ever

I feel so angry that my eyes water so much when I get nervous! I feel like it betrays me in situations where I'm trying to act calm and collected. Today I blamed it on an air vent.


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## chris7

bluebluesplayer said:


> For some reason mine do. During presentations, when at a cashier stand, or talking to a person of authority, my eyes just start watering. It's very strange. Some people's hands start shaking when they're nervous, mine don't. My eyes water instead.
> 
> Anyone else suffer from this?
> What do you do to remedy this?


That used to happen to me, not sure why it doesn't any more. If anyone asks about it just tell them it's allergies


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## Stevie22

I had this happen to me today when I was talking to a friend. It was a long conversation and I couldn't really get it to stop. I tried to play it off like I was tired and yawned a few times, but I also did have the urge to yawn a lot. It's weird because my anxiety has been better lately and I haven't got it around this friend in a long time. And when I do have anxiety talking to someone it's usually sweating from my forehead or rapid heart beat. Anxiety can be unpredictable sometimes I guess.


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## gigixo

That happened to me the other day. I was at the store and got the feeling that everyone was staring at/judging me. My eyes started to water and I could feel my face turning red. Agh it sucks.


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## Quirky

Used to happen infrequently in high school for some reason. Probably because I was self-conscious to an extreme degree and equated my eyes watering with "crying".


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## rlo1995

My eyes used to water everytime I got nervous. They don't anymore, now I just get shaky hands. I don't know if theres something you can do about it, right here and now but it will probably go away in a couple of weeks without you even noticing


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## i suck at life

my eyes water when i laugh cuz i think people are judging me. i feel vulnerable for some reason when i laugh in front of others


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## catharus guttarus

Hi!

I've been following this forum for some time and finally decided to join when I realised how many people experience exactly the same kinds of things I go through every day. 

Just today I had another attack of the watery eyes. It is this strange hotness that begins to develop around the eyes every time I have to look at someone in theirs.

Another thing related to eye contact is a feeling of numbness in the muscles around the eyes and mouth. It is like my face is going into paralysis the moment I'm looking at someone in the eyes. 

Then, as I quickly turn my eyes away from theirs, I get this feeling like an inward shiver of embarrassment followed by depression. I realise I've just revealed to another human being how ridiculously scared I am of social situations.

The feeling of loosing control of facial muscles is hard enough but combined with the watery eyes problem it becomes unbearable. Perhaps this is something related to dry eyes, which I incidentally also suffer from? Moisturising eye drops?


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## timmylover237694

I am in year 9 (English) 8th grade (American) and whenever i talk to new people or in front of the class my eyes water. I am shy and get nervous talking to people and i have started researching and trying to tackle this for a couple of years now. i blink lots trying to get it to stop and a few times i have to act like there is something in my eye. it really puts me down and i dont know how to stop it :mum:um:|:afr


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## LolaViola

Yes. It happens when I'm approaching a large crowd of people. It feels like they're about to attack me or something. It's so intimidating. I've actually felt myself getting light-headed from the nervousness and fear. My eyes also water when I have to stand in front of people and speak. It basically happens whenever I feel embarrassed and overwhelmingly self-conscious.


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## PandaTooth

*I have the same issue :/*

It seems to be more frequent with me then you guys but the same. I'm a 17 yr old boy in high school. If i'm in the hallways at all in my school my eyes just start pouring every time i go into the halls i have to stop in the bathroom and try to compose myself. I don't know why it happens but it makes me look terrible running into bathrooms and classes contently trying to fix my eyes so i can actually see.


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## P1e2

Sometimes my eyes do this lately and I notice I blink more if stressed and sometimes my eyes water. Never really noticed until just recently. When I was younger and maybe even now I notice that my voice seems to change if nervous speaking to someone or to a group and its like my voice is more serious and becomes monotone. If I'm around family my voice can be relaxed and is not monotone.


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## womaninterrupted

Good to know I'm not alone. My right eye basically starts pouring tears whenever someone asks me a question at work that I'm nervous about answering correctly. It's extremely distracting, makes me more nervous, and it just started to happen within the last several months.


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## Zyriel

Nope. I'd probably punch myself in the face for it though lol so glad they don't xD


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## Tokztero

Yeah my eyes water and my mouth trembles or twitches when I get nervous. It looks like I wanna cry, It's embarrasing when I'm in public.


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## Imbored21

heck yea breh


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## AnonymousPersonG

Nope. My tell tale sign of being nervous is my hands get really sweaty.


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## DarkmanX

Yup. Haaaaaaaaaaaate it. Doesnt exactly help.


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## SmartCar

Hmm.. an old thread, anyways.. yes this happens to me as well; probably one of my worst symptoms, but unlike other's this usually happens when i'm encountering someone of stern authority, & not only that.. but a person of that type raising their voice at me, it's one of the major disabilities of my SA, & why i go out of my way to avoid things that could potentially become confrontational, or turn into a bad argument, if i feel targeted i can verbally defend myself, especially with insults & swearing.. but if i feel like i'm loosing the argument, or it's my fault in the situation.. or worse, that's when the symptoms come, i think this has been the result of a bad childhood experience with a family member, i was yelled at & felt intimidated at the time.. i was a kid, ever since then i think it might have heightened my already shyness into something bigger, & i think because of that i feel inferior to people who seem bigger than me, mentally & physically, & yeah.. i only have two choices in these situations, let my eyes water & become reddish.. so that the aggressor sees my weakness.. or get into a boiling rage, & usually at the time.. it's a mix of both emotions, my heart rate increases.. i can't calm down, & whatever the person is saying starts to blur out, depending on the situation.. this is one of the code red parts of my Social Anxiety. Honestly if i could overcome this major part of it, i don't think certain situations would be as bad, i believe because of this emotion, i tend to be inadvertently defensive around people sometimes, i just can't stand to be pushed by somebody.. i really don't like getting angry, or getting emotional like that:no


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## Cyldra

So I'm a bit late on this one but (just by a few years right?) But I've got the same issue :/

I usually 
A) blame my allergies (in the middle of winter? Whatever people usually buy it)

B) say something about the wind getting in my eyes

C) Yawn (many people tear up a bit while yawning so it's less weird and it sometimes actually helps stop the tears by focusing my body on something other than my eyes)

D) if all else fails, think of something hilarious, random and completely inappropriate (lemurs in banana boxers, llama llama llama, I'm a kitty kat and I dance dance dance)
This way, even if my eyes are crying a new euphrates river, my face is at least smiling and people tend to get really confused, usually causing them to try to ignore my watery eyes cuz they just don't know how to react. XD


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## Penguinfan

Not really, but I'll get hot and I can tell I blush too.


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## Sapphire14

Nope, they don't. Instead my face goes red and feels hot. It's the most uncomfortable sensation of my life /(


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## millenniumman75

Occasionally, but it can also happen when I am cold......but mainly allergies.


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