Is this a communication disorder?

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I find talking exhausting and very taxing. Every time I speak, I have to process very intensively and I feel like I'm overclocking my "processor".

When I do talk, it comes out as a monotonous drone and I find that either my vocal cords seize up from time to time, or my lips feel "stiff" and I find it hard to articulate. Other times the words get confused in my head and I end up speaking crap.

I also have nonverbal episodes.

Is this a communication disorder? Why is this happening? It was easier as a kid (although not totally easy).

I'm thinking of severely restricting my social life as this is too much. Not that I have much of a social life anyway.

Are you doing other things that are mentally taxing as well? You may be in near constant overload.

The DSM 5 has created a new diagnoses Social (Pragmatic) Communication Disorder. It is not considered part of the Autism Spectrum.

http://www.iidc.indiana.edu/?pageId=368

The DSM 5 continues to recognize Social Anxiety Disorder but has made some changes

http://pro.psychcentral.com/2013/dsm-5- ... 4266.html#


My take on SCD is that the DSM was reacting to what it perceived as over diagnoses of Aspergers and the public misconception of Spectrum disorders as just about social deficits. Social problems may be caused by sensory overstimulation as common with Autism. If it is determined there is another issue causing your social tiring you will not be diagnosed with Social Communication Disorder. As this is a new diagnoses there is little or no data about if or how much SCD is being diagnosed.

Last edited by ASPartOfMe on 28 Dec 2013, 3:58 pm, edited 2 times in total.

I find socialising itself extremely taxing.

Studying comes naturally to me so that is not taxing.

Living in this supported housing is very taxing.

Could I be heading towards a shutdown?

But I've been having communication problems for a few months now.

I find socialising itself extremely taxing.

Studying comes naturally to me so that is not taxing.

Living in this supported housing is very taxing.

Could I be heading towards a shutdown?

But I've been having communication problems for a few months now.

Short answer: in part, yes.

Much allistic communication takes place nonverbally. It's possible to learn how to read some of it at a cognitive level, but it will remain hard work. I have a strong suspicion that allistic communication takes place on a subconscious level, which is why they talk about "social boundaries" which, if you are anything like me, you just cannot see. Some of this stuff about a physical boundary makes sense, sort of: the rest is a complete mystery, but allistics seem to know about it. I've never been able to get one to explain it in a way that makes complete sense, however.

In my experience, difficulty with spoken articulacy may have two causes. One is the edge of a meltdown or shutdown. The other comes from an extended period (5 or 6 days plus) of limited spoken communication.

In my case, I'm hoping to meet up with a friend tomorrow, but I haven't really talked to anyone in about 10 days now, so I expect it will take me a little while to get my brain used to talking again. It's like there is a sort of physical block I have to push through to get the words coming again, if this makes any sense.

I have a suspicion, consistent with the Intense World theory that some, perhaps all, silent autistics may be experiencing this more intensely, leaving them even more shut in.

These criteria still strongly suggest something on the autism spectrum. In order to meet this diagnosis you would simply not require many of the characteristics of AS, but I would expect most people with AS to meet the core criteria for SCD. Bear in mind also that AS has now been folded in to Autism Spectrum Disorder in the minds of the APA, which still suggests that they are blundering in the dark when it comes to some sort of taxonomy. While I find taxonomy meets my requirements for categorisation, I recognise that it has problems dealing with the real world.

Note that alogia is also consistent with schizophrenia. Your tag mentions this.

My suspicion is that what you describe involves the interactions of more than one disorder, but I can't prove it.

Oh yes. I forgot alogia. That would make sense: I think it is an interaction.