‘The way your smile left the chat’: Woman’s decision to take a spinning selfie ends in pain and regret when she faints and takes a nasty tumble

Spinning around like a carefree child, feeling the wind in your hair and the world blurring into a kaleidoscope of colors – it’s a simple pleasure that many of us have enjoyed at some point in our lives. But as we grow older, we learn that even the most innocent of actions can have unexpected consequences. 

Just ask the unfortunate woman who decided to take a spinning selfie, only to end up with a painful reminder that gravity is not to be trifled with. 

In the 15-second clip, a user (@birdandmouseglass) on TikTok attempts to take a spinning selfie on the deck of her house, surrounded by a lush green yard. Then suddenly, the spinning stops, the screen blurs, the sky and ground swap places, and down she goes. The camera, ever the faithful companion, captures the entire spectacle in all its comedic glory, and the woman posted this video with the caption, “it’s not everyday you catch yourself passing out on camera.”

The aftermath? A selfie with a black eye and a swollen forehead, branded with the candid caption “f*****g gnarly,” which, while perhaps not the most eloquent description, certainly seems apt given her injuries. Fainting on camera is pretty much the ultimate “you had one job” moment. And then to add insult to injury (literally), you wake up looking like you just went ten rounds with Mike Tyson. Talk about a selfie fail.

The comments section of the video is filled with a mix of concern and humor. “The way your smile left the chat,” quips one user, while another offers a more sympathetic response: “Hello fellow potsie, sorry about the bump on your head.” It’s clear that viewers can relate to the woman’s experience through their own struggles with fainting in the most unexpected moments.

What exactly caused the woman to faint in the first place? 

In her caption, @birdandmouseglass includes the hashtags #pots, #syncope, and #lowbloodpressure, suggesting that she may suffer from a condition known as postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS). POTS is a disorder of the autonomic nervous system that affects blood flow, causing symptoms such as dizziness, fainting, and rapid heartbeat. It’s a relatively common condition, affecting an estimated 1 to 3 million Americans, most of whom are young women. For those with POTS, even simple activities like standing up too quickly can trigger a fainting spell. As the woman herself admits in a comment, “I still get dizzy if I stand up quickly.”

While there is no cure for POTS, treatments such as lifestyle changes, medication, and physical therapy can help manage symptoms and improve quality of life. If you have a history of fainting or dizziness, and you’re going to attempt a spinning selfie, it might be best to stick to more stationary poses. Or, you know, maybe it’ll just become a funny story to tell at the dinner table. Either way, keep on spinning, you crazy diamonds. Just try to do it with a little more caution, okay?