Physically difficult to maintain conversations

[naotakun]

I like being social, but it is physical more than mental for me.

What I mean is that I can begin conversation comfortably and speak naturally, but any more than that my speech begins to degrade. My jaw gets tight, and I start to have trouble first with 'r' sounds and eventually any speech that requires my jaw.

As I begin to have a longer conversation that requires more short term memory and recall, I get all tongue-tied and stutter a lot as I'm switching back and forth between keeping info in my head and saying it in context.

Finally, after talking for a long enough time, either 1 on 1, or small or large group, my head begins to swim. I start feeling really dopey and forget myself. (Like tonight, after a nice dinner with family, I started talking really loudly about something interesting I noticed about the family sitting next to us. It just suddenly did not occur to me to be sensible and either avoid the topic entirely or mention it quietly to the person sitting next to me or something) If it's the start of the conversation, I can usually keep sense of myself and how I'm acting.

Does anyone else have this phenomenon, or know anything about it, or where I can find some therapy for it?

 

[Ronald Zeeman]

Just part of being on the spectrum.

 

[Kayla55]

Look online and practice r sound with speech therapy tips....

 

[Fino]

Sounds like at least part of the problem is that you become very self-conscious.

 

[thejuice]

I only just realised I have a slight problem with R sounds, very subtly.

I sometimes say something too loudly or inappropriate. Or accidentally let out a secret. Sometimes I go caveman mode, where I can just about manage a grunt!

Probably something to do with being overwhelmed. I'm not sure of the proper reason but I speculate it's because socialising is something that needs to have your whole focussed, problem solving attention rather than it being automatic. Quite mentally taxing. It's not surprising youre getting brain fade.

 

[marc_101]

Yes, it does sound familiar, but we're all different. As @Kayla55 said, speech therapy for pronunciation could help. The rest sounds like anxiety or overstimulation. Does it happen more when there are bright lights or you are tired? I use tinted glasses sometimes, especially in rooms with fluorescent lights. That has help a lot. If it's placebo, I'm very grateful to Mr. Placebo.

The other thing that could help is practice in a less stressful setting. That could help with anxiety.

 

[Tom]

That does sound familar. I experience parts and see other aspects in other on the spectrum I know.

When I am extremely nervous I start getting a damn annoying tick in the cheek and an ever worsening case of cotton mouth that eventually feels like someone has injected insulating foam into my mouth and sinus cavities.

 

[vergil96]

It takes me more time to reach that, but I can relate and I don't know a solution. You can try therapy for anxiety but it might or might not help. I simply can't socialise for more than 3 hours a day. Sometimes half an hour is the limit.

 

[Rodafina]

A lot of what you describe is one reason why I keep social interactions short especially when there is more than one person. I think it just takes a great deal of effort and energy to process everything and it can lead to brain fatigue pretty quickly. I can survive social situations much longer as a listener and observer than as someone who speaks. I like to think of it as input mode and output mode. It is difficult to do both at the same time.

 

[Dagan]

Trust and comfort. If you don't have it, you start to feel the cringe come about you and just need to get back to elsewhere that you are comfortable. Many if not all of us experience this. You are nowhere near alone.

 

[Jumpinbare]

If someone shows real interest in something I am talking about asks engaging questions that actually demonstrate their intetest, and this goes on for more than a few minutes, my teeth start chattering as if I were cold, and I find it hard to continue speaking.

 

[naotakun]

You have all written such comforting replies, even if they were about not at all comfortable things.

I tend to notice it more when I am not among 'trust and comfort'. It is easier to be an automatic person when I'm within my comfort zone than out of it, but as a teacher there's not as much room for that.

My medical history literally gives me a diagnosis of some sort of aphasia. I forget the full term, but according to an MRI, a small bump on my brain is showing on the lobe that controls speech.

Part of my training from back in the day was to remind myself that if I ever start feeling this way, to stop whatever conversation I was having, rethink what I'm trying to say, and try to start my sentence again. Should any of you need more advice, please let me know.

 

[Jumpinbare]

I have anomic aphasia (aka anomia). I can't retrieve the names of people or things, and frequently have to describe the word and someone else provides the name.

 

[naotakun]

I have anomic aphasia (aka anomia). I can't retrieve the names of people or things, and frequently have to describe the word and someone else provides the name.

Yes! And it's so frustrating because things that should be automatic just never come into my mind. So what I always do is say the word or phrase that best describes it, but sometimes that frustrates people because they think I'm being intentionally vague.

I'll have to look at the medical records when I can and reply to confirm if that's what it said.