What happens after an extended period of not talking?

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I haven't really talked with anyone for an extended period now for about three weeks (since the only friend I usually talk to went abroad for a couple of those weeks)... although I'm still chatting online, but it's just not the same as talking verbally... and I think I might be losing my ability to do so (since in the few moments I did try to talk to someone I had difficulty getting the right words, since it's a different pace to writing etc. although that might be due to a variety of things, and it's hard to tell unless I have a bigger sample of people, which of course isn't possible or I wouldn't be thinking of this in the first place)... it's only reasonable to assume that unused skills atrophy, I suppose.

The strangest thing that's happening in my mind, though, is that I keep perceiving language as being artificial (which, of course, is ironic considering I'm communicating this in that same language... although I mostly perceive this while observing others communicating verbally in films etc.) - how seemingly the only reason people have to use language for is to deceive (this climaxed in my being scammed a week ago, which I put down to not having previously interacted with people at length)... which, I suppose, could be an excuse I use in an attempt to convince myself that being a virtual hermit has its advantages... but it might also be due to physical brain changes after all this time alone (it's been six months straight now that I've spent like 99% of the time like this, which I'm almost getting used to now...)

i gave up on talking years ago. i was never any good at it.

I used to go months saying fewer than 100 words a month

My tongue feels thick and I stutter a fair bit after not talking for a few days. I often talk to myself over the few days that I watch Chico for the four or five days that they're out of town from time to time, so there will be less of a chance of that happening to me.

Language IS artificial. Most human minds are built to be able to learn it, but it's not an integral part of the Universe. A lot of people are so used to language that they forget that, and I know a lot of people for some reason think in words, but that doesn't make it any less artificial.

That being said, you should probably keep speaking just so you can get the practice. It's really important for living on Earth these days...

Interacting with other human beings is the important part, how it's done doesn't matter, you want to engage the person, not their bodies (assuming you're not a sex-crazed psycho)... so as long as you and another human being are in some form or another, exchanging ideas and building on your relations, you will not be lonely.

I had a bad stutter as a child. The state spent a king's ransom on a speech therapist to get me talking. It subjected the rest of the world to the workings of my very odd mind.

If I go too long without talking to a real human, I find myself talking to myself. The people who know me well, know that that's just an 'aspect of Jeff' and either ignore it, or laugh. I've learned how to laugh at myself. It helps.

I'm 46. I just found out about Asperger's. I just found out it's the explanation for the why's of my life.