Dead silence. It could be the middle of class, walking into the third floor of the library, or a quiet scene in a movie, and something just happens. It starts with a subtle blurt and the "oh s***" feeling and then turns into an uncontrollable roar of laughter that can simply not be tamed. People are staring, but that just eggs it on further. Sometimes they even try to laugh along in second hand embarrassment. Uncontrollable laughter is a serious problem that is ironically NOT funny at all. If you have ever found yourself smiling when someone tells you bad news, or laughing when your professor asks you a question in class, join the club because I am the founder at this point. Through years of frustration and literally googling if this was an actual medical condition (it's not), I've realized there are a few, and very few, ways to try to minimize your outburst/ ways to play it off.

1. The cough.

While it definitely is not ideal, there are techniques to dull your laughter with a cough. At minimum you could excuse yourself from the situation by clamming a said "cough attack." Try something along the lines of just pointing at the door and holding up a finger to signal you need a minute. You could even hold your chest to make it more believable, but whatever you do don't stop coughing.

2. Drinking Water.

Highly recommended as long as you don't spit out your drink because that could cause you an even bigger issue than the one already at hand. Drinking (chugging) water will buy you time to take it down a notch and force you to get it together.

3. Pinch Yourself

While this works for some, it doesn't for others. In the middle of a laughter attack, when you feel it coming on in vengeance, try pinching your leg (discreetly, if people see it'll be a little weird).

4. Distract Yourself

Count to 30, mentally list your favorite candies, or think about your plans for the weekend. A solid technique is to think of all the homework you have for the rest of the day and maybe even week, that is enough to try to halt a laugh right in it's tracks.

5. BREATHE

Lastly, just breathe. Sometimes it is the best thing to do. Look down and think to yourself how awkward the next ten or more minutes will be if you cannot get it together. The less stress you put on yourself to control it, the more likely it is you can avoid the outburst. Just remember there are worse things in life than laughing at an inappropriate time, and sometimes just realizing that is enough to get over your uncontrollable, uncomfortable, and inappropriately timed laughing.