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Poll Does PTSD Influence Your Verbal Communication?

Does PTSD Influence Your Verbal Communication?

  • Yes - Only when symptomatic

    Votes: 250 89.6%
  • Yes - But not enough to effect me

    Votes: 21 7.5%
  • No

    Votes: 1 0.4%
  • Never really noticed

    Votes: 7 2.5%

  • Total voters
    279
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I switch the words around, forget what I'm talking about, skip words, pronounce it all wrong and sometimes everything comes out the wrong way because I say some words wrong and forget others and switch and just blah...

The fact that I currently know both the Norwegian written languages, English and some Spanish doesn't make it any better. In addition to that I know probably four or five of the spoken Norwegian dialects (we've got 2000+ dialects) and some of a few other and mix them all together with English and both the written Norwegian languages... It gets a mess, but luckily I can often remember the word in English or another dialect when I lose a word.

My friends and family always have a great laugh when I mess up. I don't think it's funny, but I kinda don't dare to say anything about it.
 
Thanks for this - Thought I was going mad (Oh wait I am) This is a new symptom for me. I mentioned this to other sufferers on face book and they prompted me to google it which is how I found this page. Spelling has been another problem guessing thats all part of it too.
 
Yes. I'm currently in school and whenever a professor asks me a question and my anxiety kicks up or I dissociate, I find it hard to speak. If I do try sometimes, my mind blanks out and it takes me a few seconds to think of what I was trying to say.
 
I'd have to say yes and probably more than I want to admit to. I've even forgotten what I was saying mid sentence and been unable to pick up the thread again. Its usually when I'm symptomatic, occassionally when I haven't been aware of just how symptomatic I was becoming until it hit me full in the face.

I get words mixed up, I can't answer simple questions straight away because I'm still too busy processing the question to think about the answer.

At least with email I can retype it.
 
This helped me - I have been reading a lot from other communities (autistic especially) about being non-verbal and executive function problems, and I used to blame the talking thing on my ME/CFS etc. But looking back I would go non-verbal when symptomatic since I was a very little person, and my parents used to force me to talk verbally/wouldn't let me use alternate forms of communication. I am having lots of trouble with this still/lately and this thread helps me feel like it's a common thing/part of PTSD. Even the numb mouth/lower face stuff I get a lot!
 
Silence or rambling on and on, filling in the whole dialogue. Finding middle ground where I'm depressed and willing to just quietly bitch about something then shut up again. It's fine because I don't have any friends.
 
Looking back on this old thread has been so helpful to me right now. It is helpful because I can actuall...
I don't know if you're still posting on this thread, but it would be really helpful to know how you have made your recovery. I am trying to help someone with this and don't know what will help. Need to make quick progress as severely affecting his life. Thanks.
 
I don't know if you're still posting on this thread, but it would be really helpful to know how you have made your recov...
I don't come here that much anymore, but decided to tonight, so to answer your question, what helped me a lot was committing to taking care of myself, eating well and I had to take some time off from the working world in order to heal...like a few years. Way more than I ever would have wanted to prior to my traumas, but that's how it goes. I recognised that my health is valuable, and my mental health is my number one priority, as well as my happiness.

I saw a number of psychologists/counsellors over the last 10 years in particular, and I'm sure they all contributed. I took zoloft for a period of time...I used all the tools available to me...art, crystals, aromathrapy, medication. I did not take drugs or drink for a very long time and just focussed on eating well, getting enough sleep and doing basic things...taking a walk when I felt up to it...journaling, painting, playing with pets. I think that my dedication to zen and meditation years before had set me up for a general sense of acceptance for what happened to me and I did not really spend much time in denial...although victim mentality did rear it's head for a while...I feel like I have a better grip on it.

I spent a lot of time on my own...and I accepted that it was best for me to be alone, not just because other people wouldn't understand or be very helpful most likely, but because I knew that it wasn't fair to bring my issues into a relationship with anyone, so I accepted where I was at. I did not have much or any real support from other people besides counsellors and my journal and the canvas or art work I created. I'm not exactly sure how I did manage to tell the truth...as I went through a lot while i was in this state as well...homelessness, fairly long term unemployment, no friends, family who were horrible to me and I eventually cut them out of my life.

I think I just can thank a very strong sense of self reliance, and understanding of how important that is...but to be honest, good friends would have really made my process a lot faster. I don't like to think where I would be now if more people had have been able or willing even to be with me through it, instead of just not even bother with me. I was badly behaved at times, but I wasn't that bad.

Yeah, also my spiritual practises no doubt played an important role in helping me heal. I am a reiki channel and have always had a keen understanding of colours as being therapeutic, and I was very much into personal development in my early twenties, before all the trauma happened...or really just after actually but I wasn't completely hampered by symptoms at that stage. I did a lot of work sifting through all my thoughts and beliefs, and opinions...letting go of what were imposed on me by others and society and was really honest with myself.

I spent time in nature, which is immensely helpful. I forced myself to leave the house and go for walks with the dog, and made that a habit. I held on. I kept going when I wanted to not be here anymore. I don't know how I made it through, and I still am affected by triggers and occasional flashbacks, so it's not as though I am 'cured'. I don't think CPTSD is like that.

I found support online, friends who also have CPTSD and were further along their healing journey, so I had help there suddenly and people who were willing to listen to me and empathise and didn't judge me. Don't think I did anything much more different to many people here though. Adopted a cat...cat died, and another one came along and he's still with me now. I managed to find work that was not too full on and only 3 days a week which sustained me. I'm at school now so I kept occupied that way.

I eliminate anyone who begins to display behaviour that I know is harmful or unhealthy for me to be around. Recently I transferred into another class at school as my teacher has no empathy and is an ex IDF soldier who thinks he's still in bootcamp and treats us all as though we are soldiers and not students...so I walked away, and I will continue to walk away from anyone who compromises my mental health or well being. I'm fierce about that now.

Not sure what else I can tell you? I just finally found a group of people who are empathic and supportive and helpful to be around...even if I don't always see them as much as I'd like to, I know they are there and I can go to them anytime. I live on my own so I don't have to worry about not fitting into anyone elses vibe or expectations. It's just me and the cat and we're fine together. I am finding a lot more balance and am pretty functional now I think. I have my meltdowns of course, and I know how to take care of myself when I do.

I don't spend too much time on forums...not because this place has not been super helpful for me and I can see how it has transformed many peoples lives here for the better...I just find they can also encourage people to form little groups where they support each other to the point where they become very comfortable within them, and that becomes incentive to never leave or get better...because they you will have outgrown or have to go out into the scary world again and not have that security blanket anymore. I've always seen forums as a pit stop towards recovery...not a place to shack up and call home. Not saying that to offend anyone in particular here as such...just that I can see it happens. I want to get better, not just stay ill to have friends I can relate to.

I think willingness to look at what triggers me and see it as an opportunity to heal from helps. Exercise helps. Breathing well helps. Eating well helps. Journaling helps. Art helps. Music helps. No contact with harmful relatives helps. cups of tea help. Self pleasuring helps.

It might give me a better idea of where your friend is at if you give me more information about what ways in which he is coping now...for example, does he self medicate? Is he seeing a therapist? Does he have a strong support network...besides you obviously? How bad is he at the moment?
 
Yes, my PTSD means that if I have to talk to someone who I don't really know, I get all tongue tied and I begin to stammer and stutter, as I can't get the words out that I want to say.

I get nervous and sweaty, even if it's by telephone I walk back and fore, I get restless and sometimes confused, I can't concentrate, and get all flustered.

I hate being like that, so I tend to shy away from people. The annoying thing is I never used to be like this, I used to be a bubbly, easy going normal person, who had no problems interacting with other people, it's changed my life totally, for the worst I'm afraid to say, and I don't know how long I can keep living like this?
 
@Gadgie it gets better with practice and patience. I tend to go over what I want to say and have a list of questions I need to ask so I don't forget anything.

When I'm on the telephone, I usually keep a cup of coffee to hand so that I can take a sip to help me compose myself.

Its at its worse when its someone official.
 
Aye! When it's an official call I get even more nervous. In fact, I recently had an outburst of anger and frustration when I was talking to a woman at a call centre.

She was so annoying, wouldn't listen to what I was saying, and kept talking over me, it was like she had to get all the words, on the card in front of her out, regards, she just wouldn't stop talking, and kept repeating herself, it was like a record that's got stuck?

In the end I lost it, I knew the call was being recorded, but I did t care, she wound me up so much that I lost my temper with her!
 
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