Loss of ability to speak when under stress.

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Who_Am_I
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29 Sep 2007, 1:29 am

Does anyone else experience this? Not necessarily a complete inability to talk, but a noticeable impairment. As an example, I've had a **** of a morning and I was just speaking to my mother, trying to tell her about the mark I received for an assignment, and it came out like this:

"...
...
...
I... um... er... I, I, um... was... was- was... what am I saying... oh yes, I was on... um... learning@griffith and...uh.............................................. um... making sure that the lecturers hadn't posted any surprise assignments... and I... I went to... .... .... Stephen Cronin's course... um... um.... what does he take me for again? ... Oh yes, Contemporary Creative Writing, and... there was a button that said "Results" and.... I got 9 out of 10... for my...uhhh... first assignment that I handed in."

Does anyone else experience this stress-caused dysfluency? Is it a common Aspie thing?



*postscript- interestingly, the same effect does not apply to my written communication.


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angelene
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29 Sep 2007, 1:39 am

i have indeed lost my ability to speak during stress. specifically, when i am MAD.

also, i've ranged from babbling to full-blown ranting when i have to talk to someone when i'm under stress.


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iceb
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29 Sep 2007, 1:48 am

Abtsolutely!


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SilverProteus
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29 Sep 2007, 2:13 am

Who_Am_I wrote:
Does anyone else experience this? Not necessarily a complete inability to talk, but a noticeable impairment. As an example, I've had a **** of a morning and I was just speaking to my mother, trying to tell her about the mark I received for an assignment, and it came out like this:

"...
...
...
I... um... er... I, I, um... was... was- was... what am I saying... oh yes, I was on... um... learning@griffith and...uh.............................................. um... making sure that the lecturers hadn't posted any surprise assignments... and I... I went to... .... .... Stephen Cronin's course... um... um.... what does he take me for again? ... Oh yes, Contemporary Creative Writing, and... there was a button that said "Results" and.... I got 9 out of 10... for my...uhhh... first assignment that I handed in."

Does anyone else experience this stress-caused dysfluency? Is it a common Aspie thing?



*postscript- interestingly, the same effect does not apply to my written communication.


Yes. It usually happens when I have to give an oral presentation or speak to someone I don't know. It's really embarrassing.

It feels like a language processing overload when it happens, like I'm just not able to formulate a sentence.


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geek
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29 Sep 2007, 2:17 am

It happens to me with strangers sometimes, but mostly it happens when I least want it to. Make me give a speech to a hundred managers, for example, and it's guaranteed to kick in at some point.



Mindtear
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29 Sep 2007, 2:34 am

hi, i get what you describe alot when talking at people. the numerous pauses and complete mindblanks whiles im staring at something else totally. i tend to forget i was talking to someone at all and walkoff or continue doing the task they initially interrupted me from in the first place. this would of course create another long pause when they gain my attension again while im trying to remember why they are talking to me.



alexbeetle
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29 Sep 2007, 2:59 am

yes, I struggle to speak coherently but write well. If really stressed I am unable to speak and become catatonic but can do well at presentations as it is 'reciting' information I know well.


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Who_Am_I
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29 Sep 2007, 3:43 am

alexbeetle wrote:
yes, I struggle to speak coherently but write well. If really stressed I am unable to speak and become catatonic but can do well at presentations as it is 'reciting' information I know well.


I do well at presentations too, for the same reason.


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Plagal cadence: IV-I
Deceptive cadence: V- ANYTHING BUT I ! !! !
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-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I! I! I! I I I


Pugly
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29 Sep 2007, 3:54 am

I've lost the ability to think of words to say. How to describe something.

Example:My car broke down once, a car I just purchased... really ticked me off.

I call someone for help, they ask a few questions... I have absolutely no clue as to how to explain it... I normally could... the words just weren't flowing.


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Basshead
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29 Sep 2007, 5:27 am

yep. happens to me whenever i have to make a presentation at school.
I have crap handwriting, so I can't write anything on posters...
so my classmates say that i can read out the presentation instead, since i have such a proper voice...
which i lose as soon as i go up in front of the class.
:lol:



2ukenkerl
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29 Sep 2007, 6:00 am

OK, how many nails are in the coffin anyway! YEP! If people surround me waiting for me to fix an urgent problem, or something similar, they just shouldn't try to talk to me. MAN does my speach change. I can go from articulate to seemingly almost a babbling idiot. I mean ***I*** know what needs to be done, and can do it(albeit not as fast as normal), but I just can't seem to get the words out.



Beenthere
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29 Sep 2007, 9:23 am

Yes.. :lol: It's like I loose the ability to concentrate, I can't think straight, so nothing comes out right.


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Graelwyn
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29 Sep 2007, 9:27 am

Yes. It is worse if someone is angry with me or I feel someone is angry with me.



pandd
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29 Sep 2007, 10:38 am

Yes, and I really hate it.



mutantleg
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29 Sep 2007, 11:03 am

Yea it happens with me all the time,
and like if i somehow i get really really angry
i just burst into tears and cant even think or anything :?



Aseld
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29 Sep 2007, 11:07 am

Yes. I hate it so much. I go through a few stages when stressed, in ascending order of stress level:

Talking normally
Retreating to formality, using the rules of language to my advantage
Beginning to become incoherent, not being able to find the words I want
Beginning to feel like retreating, if for whatever reason I can't or it's important that I don't, I become even more incoherent and start swearing, mainly at myself for not being able to find the words I want
Inability to make myself understood - I really don't want to find out what happens if I'm in this state and can't go to my room. Text communication only.