# Repressed sobs = lump in throat...?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repressed-sobs-lump-in-throat/91565>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 5, 2001, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repressed-sobs-lump-in-throat/91565 "2001-11-05T06:26:30Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![ataclus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c68b51/32.png) [@ataclus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ataclus)\
**Post date:** [November 5, 2001, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repressed-sobs-lump-in-throat/91565/1 "2001-11-05T06:26:30Z")

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Anyone know why if feels like you’re swallowing a hockey puck when you try to hold back crying?  
Feels like my hyoid shifts loose. :\

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**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\
**Post date:** [November 5, 2001, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repressed-sobs-lump-in-throat/91565/2 "2001-11-05T15:10:38Z")

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Just a WAG: You have sets of extremely complicated muscles in your neck, throat, and larynx that control speech, singing, and also crying. So when you’re trying to stifle sobs, there’s a conflict between some of these muscles (the ones that want to make crying noises, and the ones that say “shut up”), and it makes your throat feel all weird.