Turkish laughing man’s story might not be so funny

KARS

A farmer known as the “laughing man,” who has uncontrollable laughing fits, has drawn the attention of psychiatrists in the northeastern province of Kars.

Kasım Can, 48, recalls having had these fits of loud laughs since birth, but never remembers having cried. He said that he laughed even when his father died. Psychiatrists believe a trauma may underlie in his laughs.

Adding that he lost his mother also when he was very young, Can said that his family loved laughing with him.

He said his uncontrollable laughs had caused him a great deal of trouble, as he was unable to stop himself, with one incident happening while he was serving in the military, where he was beaten up for his laughs.

“I laugh more when I see people laugh, I want this feature to be with everyone these days when we need to laugh the most,” he said.

However, Serhat Tunç, a psychiatrist from Kars Kafkas University, said that Can may have been exposed to a trauma during his childhood.

Tunç, who cited the movie “Joker,” argued that this type of pathological laughter is associated with behavioral disorders and psychotic symptoms.

“We define this as a neurobehavioral disorder,” he said.

Tunç said that Can should be subjected to a detailed medical neurological and psychological assessment.