Why can't I talk straight?

Question

When its the normal talk at home/with famly etc I'm ok. But when I'm expressing an opinion, an idea or normally carrying out a conversation the right words seem to get lost somewhere, I cant find the right words. I mix up my thoughts and everything comes out in a jumble.

Sometimes, when I have many things to say, i want to stop and say the last first then I realise I should probably explain the simpler things earlier, while the specific words slip away from my mind and I struggle to find them or alternatives.

I sound like an unsure mess who's not sure of what to do/say and isn't confident about anything, and i FEEL like its a struggle to keep my words and thoughts in sync and keep the dictionary of my mind WIDE open while I'm talking like holding open an alligator's mouth. I'm not smooth as I'd like, and it ends up taking up quite some effort. I try reading as much as i can but that isnt the problem.

Advice please?

Answer 1

Your toungue is crooked? :P

FYI: I am not a psychiatrist or anything.

"When its the normal talk at home/with famly etc I'm ok. But when I'm expressing an opinion, an idea or normally carrying out a conversation the right words seem to get lost somewhere, I cant find the right words. I mix up my thoughts and everything comes out in a jumble."

Ask yourself what the difference is between the two situations. When at home with family you're around people you know, who know you. You're comfortable. In other situations you're probably not. Examine closely how you feel in such a situation. Perhaps you feel other people won't really respect what you have to say.

"I sound like an unsure mess who's not sure of what to do/say and isn't confident about anything"

You may be confident of your subject, but I might guess you're not confident of their reaction or what they're thinking.

"i FEEL like its a struggle to keep my words and thoughts in sync and keep the dictionary of my mind WIDE open while I'm talking like holding open an alligator's mouth."

Try focusing on the idea you're trying to get across rather than on the words. The words will come, just let your subconscious take care of that. Stay focused on what you want to say, rather than how to say it. If you don't say it quite right, or they misunderstand, you can correct that after.

I suspect you need to realize that everybody else are just people too. Everyone has problems, and makes mistakes. No one is perfect. Everyone sucks at something, and no one knows everything (and most people know less than they think). If someone doesn't respect your opinion, then why should you respect theirs?

Another thing you can do is take a moment to compose your thoughts before speaking, and perhaps speak slower than you're used to so as to give yourself more time to think ahead.

Answer 2

Sometimes I get all tongue-tied in trying to express an opinion or explain something also. You need to slow down your speech. You can't slow down your thoughts, so focus on what's coming out of your mouth. Sometimes, like myself, when those other thought come flooding into my mind while I am trying to get something else across, I have to just make up my mind to let it be. You can't expect yourself to get everything on your mind into someone else's ears. Choose your words carefully and commit to that much information being shared and drop the rest for now. It's hard, but a practice in self-control.

Answer 3

Before I knew I was hypoglycemic (low blood sugar), I was having tremendous difficulty with expressing complex thoughts, with words slipping out of my mind, and with short term memory in general.

After I was diagnosed, it took a while to find a proper diet, but then my memory started to return, and only once in a while do I lose the word.

There is some basic information about low blood sugar at www.hufa.org.

Answer 4

Same issue; I also end up mixing up my syllables, skipping words, et cetera.

Think about what you want to say. Really think about it. Imagine dividing the thoughts in to bricks, and you want to build the wall of your sentence. Brick A is this, brick B is that other thing, brick C is part of that article you read, and you can then build your wall slowly. It will probably mean you talk less, but you will get your point across very clearly and people will understand you better.

Answer 5

It sounds like you're putting way too much thought into what you're saying, while you're saying it. Don't get so tore up about it sounding perfect. That's what's making you lose your train of thought in the first place... and I'm diabetic... I agree with the first answer because having high suar or low sugar can affect the way to think. You may want to mention that to your doctor.