Opposite of Flat Affect

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I don't know what to call it, but is anyone else extremely the opposite of flat affect? I accidentally just saw a video of myself and it is so embarrassing how much I over move, over gesture, over express with my face. I forget I do it until someone shares video...ugh, going to put my head in the sand and hide for a few days.

I had dubbed it as 'overacting effect' where even a teeny bit of a sensation gets an explicit reaction appropriate or not.
It's just as 'automatic' as one would 'let it' permit with the opposite (under reaction), as opposed to manual on either 'directions'.

Didn't knew what it was really called, really. Had yet to search what it is...


Had done 'both' myself, on accounts of my own discovery and other else's remarks or their reactions.

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I think I'm extremes. Most of the time my face doesn't bear much resemblance to my inside world. But once I'm talking about an area of interest I probably over express.

Histrionic personality disorder

I'm either stone-cold flat (95%), or so giddy that people think I'm high (5%).

I call it being over expressive.

I am indeed guilty of this I think. Though I was sure I would be in the minority on these boards.

I remember I met this boy I liked in high school's mom. I tried to be friendly to her and I thought it went well. Then when I was coming back into the room I overheard her saying that she thought I seemed like I was "putting on an act" because I seemed "too happy". I remember thinking "Well, she's not wrong..."

Now that I've been pondering it for a few days, I think it is a very poor masking reflex. Like because I know when I talk people usually don't understand, I over project to add more meaning. I don't always know how to verbally express how I feel, so every feeling comes out overdone on my face.

That is me: uber expressive. (Unless I am "subdued".) On the other hand you have my Aspie-like BFF and her family: most of whom are flat affect in a big way. I went to her house, said hello to her dog in my usual way "aaaaaaaaw, doggggggg!" and the poor fellow growled and went defensive. I guess he had never seen the like. (They rarely, if ever, had visitors of course.) But then at my house we had a hyper Labrador, so I guess personality can reflect in the pets.

I can't hide my emotions. People know if I'm happy or upset.

I saw a term in the research literature called "inappropriate facial expression", I wonder if this has anything to do with what you are talking about.