Poll Does PTSD Influence Your Verbal Communication?

[shadowchaser]

When I get worked up I studder bad. Combine that with talking so fast I could give an auctioneer fits and it becomes and issue.

 

[untiltoday]

This is the main thing that has troubled me most. I was THE quietest kid, but have felt for the past year like English is not my first language.

It's very frustrating to not remember a word or why I am talking.

But it is extremely frustrating and upsetting when my own family can't understand a simple thing that I *think* is said correctly and coherently. I worry sometimes that I *don't* realize if I randomly speak parts of a second language (Which I learned, but they didn't, so would they notice or tell me?)

It drives me crazy. :/

The other end of it is when my family tells me I sound like I have an English or German accent, but I don't try to.

The thing is: they know many people with accents and respect them enough to hear what they say...is it just to weird for them to "hear" my words when I sound different at times?

On top of that, I sometimes cannot do anything to speak loud enough. :/

 

[falling]

also zone out mid sentence - disocciate - then struggle to remember what I was talking about. The most embarrasing one is when my speech goes slurred, the lower half of my face goes slightly numb & feels a bit like having an injection at the dentist. I sound like I'm drunk, so avoid all social situations when it is this bad.:x3:

THIS HAPPENS TO MA ALL THE TIME. I didn't know is was due to PTSD but it's extremely embarrassing and it adds to my negative self-image.

 

[JustBe]

I don't know why I've never noticed this thread before. YES! I lose words, names and whole streams of thoughts when I most need them.

I'm fine when alone but as soon as another person is present, my mind goes blank and I sound like an idiot!

So annoying!

 

[EvenStrongerNow]

Yes, only when symptomatic. Otherwise, I'm extremely articulate.

 

[Anthy]

I can only speak in English (my mother tongue) when things get bad. I lose my ability to speak in foreign languages, minus simple things like "Hello" or short, disjointed, disconnected phrases like "I am".

Even then, in English, I develop very awkward breaks in my speaking and will walk away from a conversation mid-sentence and not realize it. Or, I may begin to express a thought I feel is important and then totally forget whatever it was that was important, BECAUSE I made myself take a mental note about needing to mention it. Sometimes I become monotone.

 

[Deleted member 12723]

I can write better than I can speak. I speak in shorthand and am still working on the communications skills

 

[Fadeaway]

Yes yes yes! The effect it has on my communication is a serious sore spot. I am extremely sensitive to comments made about my speech, which my husband hasn't figured out yet. My adopted "little brother" (a kid and fellow PTSD sufferer that I took under my wings) Once told me that it was my speech and my occasional stuttering that let him know I was someone who he could tell his story to and would understand.
@Anthy

I develop very awkward breaks in my speaking and will walk away from a conversation mid-sentence and not realize it. Or, I may begin to express a thought I feel is important and then totally forget whatever it was that was important, BECAUSE I made myself take a mental note about needing to mention it.

That is exactly what I do that my husband complains about. That and using pronouns instead of proper nouns for certain things. i.e. Calling certain people he or she, but the word stressed to represent a particular person instead of giving their name. Or calling an object it or a place "the place" instead of referring to it by name. It drives him nuts, but I feel uncomfortable using the actual name.

 

[Notsowild]

What me? No never. I wish. I forget words in mid sentence. I stumble on certain words. My kids favourite - I'll say Who instead of What. You know. Who what where when and why? One of those words lol

I know it's because my mind is so overwhelmed and dissociative the words don't come out right. I hate it because it makes me look stupid and I'm actually quite intelligent.

 

[Ti Vu]

Not too bad. I'm a lot slower now, I feel. More "ums" and long pauses. Kinda hard to find things to say. Or want to say.

 

[Fadeaway]

I know I already replied to this but.....:mad::arghh;:mad: I am really not frustrated over this, I swear. My inability to communicate properly because I freeze up, forget common words or have to take long pauses while I gather my thoughts is really causing problems for me.

 

[Nephthys]

I find myself unable to speak fluently, or even correctly. My words become jumbled, I say things wrong. It's very embarrassing, especially seeing how I am a public speaker

This has just recently started happening to me really badly, and I too am a public speaker. I haven't had it happen too much while speaking publicly, but it happens a lot at home or in the day to day. Very recently in the past 6 months I have developed a stutter, and I've always been very very well spoken and loquacious! Its so un nerving. I hadn't really thought about it as a symptom, is it?