# forgetting things mid-sentence



## Bouffon

Don't know if anyone has this but when I am talking sometimes I become unable to follow up the rest of my sentences because I forget what I wanted to say so in order to avoid the weird silence of trying to remember the rest I just make up something related and it all comes out weird making me feel like an idiot, sometimes I change the subject abruptly which throws people off. It's not that I am not paying attention to what I want to say because I tend to analyze my thoughts very well, sometimes I feel like I need to repeat things in my head almost to the point of memorizing whole sentences out of fear of losing focus. Sometimes my conversations don't feel natural or fluid. Anxiety worsens this but even when I am comfortable it happens, it is really bothersome. I am not sure if this would labeled as a speech disorder.


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## shychick2

Anxiety does affect memory and concentration. I do the same and end up trying to describe things as can't remember the word or name, or just not finishing.


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## styler5

Same here. I often forget what I was thinking just a second ago.


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## MissMay1977

I do this also. This is a part of my ADHD as well as SA. I find that practicing mindfulness helps. Mindfulness is being present in the moment. I am very random and say random things also.


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## PickleNose

I'm so forgetful that I'd forget my arms somewhere if they weren't stuck to my body. I even forget what I want to do from one moment to the next. Then I'll remember it like a week later when it's completely irrelevant.

And yeah. I get stuck in mid-sentence all the time. I get stuck on words. Sometimes I have to stop and really think because I know what I want to say but can't think of the words for it. So I just stand there looking stupid and stuttering and stammering.


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## kraigg

First time poster here.

I'm going through the exact same thing, where I'll be talking to someone, and completely forget what I was trying to say. Then to cover it up, I'll change the topic or end the conversation quickly without it making any sense. 

It's affecting my work a bit because I'm unable to explain things properly to people, or I'm not about to argue my opinion or explain my ideas properly.

When I think things through in my head, everything makes absolute perfect sense. But the moment I speak, I'm not able to articulate myself correctly. It's like my brain stops working as soon as I start speaking.


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## arntk519

I forget mid-scentence too...but I think partly that's because I'm always trying to be more articulate and use less crutch words when I'm talking to someone new. I keep thinking "ok, I'm talking to someone ew so I have to articulate" ....when I try to talk to strangers, I imagine I'm a celebrity being interviewed on a talk show or something.... and I guess the pressure makes me forget what I'm trying to say.


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## dax

Yah, same problems. Hate it. Sucks at work the most.


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## slkjao

hey i have the exact same problem!!!!! omg i've been wondering for sooo long what was wrong with me. im glad im not the only one with this problem. i mean im glad i dont have to carry this burden on my own. While i was reading a book on ADD it mentioned briefly about other learning disorders and one thing mentioned was expressive language disorder, aphasia is another i dont know i dont think i had this problem when i was a kid but starting from high school which was like the same time my social anxiety started getting real bad is when i started forgetting what i was going to say mid sentence. i believe this problem has really really made my social anxiety a lot worse i know im not stupid but constantly not being able to express oneself thoroughly has given me serious doubts and is a reason why i dont talk to much and uh not socializing and talking much i believe (not a professionals opinion i still need to see a shrink) made my SAD worse. if anybody knows anything or has a idea a guess please post the answer. i hope its not something seriously bad like a sign of Alzheimer's.


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## slkjao

oh yea and exactly as Bouffon mentions it the problem happens to me EVEN when i am not under ANY type of pressure


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## lastofthekews

shychick2 said:


> I do the same and end up trying to describe things as can't remember the word or name, or just not finishing.


I do this. The right word does won't come to me and I also end up trying to describe what it is i'm trying to say. I think the more you try to think of the right words, the more anxious you get, and the less likely you are to remember it.

I also trail off mid-sentence because i'm not confident in what I am saying, and don't think the other person is really interested. People must find this really annoying, but its a bad habit i've picked up over the years.


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## Jumplittlelisa

I do that often, especially when nervous. It sucks when you're talking to people and they look at you weird because you've completely derailed with your thoughts. On the other hand, sometimes it's funny to me. My boyfriend helps me to laugh at myself by turning it into a joke. Otherwise, it's just too embarrassing.


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## Your Crazy

The writers of 'The Sopranos' have this issue as well.


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## layitontheline

I have the same problem. People end up finishing my sentences for me half the time because I can't even finish my own. I'll start saying something and then my train of thought will kind of die and there will be an awkward silence until they finish it off for me.


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## epril

slkjao said:


> oh yea and exactly as Bouffon mentions it the problem happens to me EVEN when i am not under ANY type of pressure


Yes, even when I'm relaxed, I have a strange problem where I can say the whole sentence up to the last word. Weird but true.


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## epril

Your Crazy said:


> The writers of 'The Sopranos' have this issue as well.


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## epril

lastofthekews said:


> I do this. The right word does won't come to me and I also end up trying to describe what it is i'm trying to say. I think the more you try to think of the right words, the more anxious you get, and the less likely you are to remember it.
> 
> I also trail off mid-sentence because i'm not confident in what I am saying, and don't think the other person is really interested. People must find this really annoying, but its a bad habit i've picked up over the years.


In a college English class, where of course I never talked, I wrote a paper and received an A, with 'see me' written at the bottom. I saw the teacher, she asked me if I had written the essay on my own! I was humiliated then, but now, I think I should have reported her.

My point is that I can write quite easily, but I can't talk worth beans.


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## Cataclysm Ballet

This happens to me too.

I think my smoking has at least a little to do with it in addition to anxiety. I've heard that smoking causes people to speak less clearly. I tend to mumble a lot and abandon sentences when they don't turn out right. I jumble up what I'm saying a lot too because I change the sentence structure once it's too late.

I also feel like I'm more articulate in writing than in speech. I think it's because since we speak less than most people, most of our communication is built upon being able to visually see what we are saying as we're saying it.

As far as speakings goes, it helps a little to try and think about what you're going to say beforehand. If you're analytical, you'll have the urge to want to sculpt a perfect sentence but it'll be a lot easier if you just let it happen the way it happens.


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## kraigg

epril said:


> In a college English class, where of course I never talked, I wrote a paper and received an A, with 'see me' written at the bottom. I saw the teacher, she asked me if I had written the essay on my own! I was humiliated then, but now, I think I should have reported her.
> 
> My point is that I can write quite easily, but I can't talk worth beans.


I experience this quite often as well. Last year one of my managers read an email from me, a project proposal, and he didn't think that it was me who wrote it. He was surprised that the content of the email was so easy to read and understand, whereas I can never express myself that clearly when I'm talking, so in his mind someone else must've wrote that email for me.

He then went on to say that I express myself so much more clearly in writing that I do when I talk. I couldn't disagree with him on that point. :roll But I'm trying to work on that.


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## Vitruvia

My point is that I can write quite easily, but I can't talk worth beans.[/QUOTE]

This is the same for me. I had an A average while studying and remarks about how well written my essays were, but I have not got the ability to speak the words that enter my mind. Or it even seems as though my mind goes blank on me. So many times, in relationships I have not been able to speak my thoughts or emotions, so I have had to write my thoughts out for the person in question, and then the words just flow.

It is as though my mind is disconnected from my mouth.

Quite often I will forget a word and stop mid-sentence trying for the life of me to think what the word is, whilst getting weird looks from the person I am talking to. I also notice that I will talk normally for a bit and then slow right down as I try to think of the words, which doesn't make for a great conversation either. It makes me feel like a bumbling idiot.

I can remember even as a child having this loss of words problem sometimes, especially when having to talk about my emotions. My mother would question me on something personal or slightly uncomfortable and I would not be able to speak. It was as though I had a physical condition that made it impossible for me to speak, while on the inside I would be screaming the answer over and over, but it just wouldn't come out. Problem was, that my mother was not a patient woman and would get angry at me for not answering, I'm sure it could have been coaxed out of me gently and creatively. Perhaps this is where my anxiety stems from? I think it has something to do with it. (poor Mum, gets all the blame!!!)


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## epril

Cataclysm Ballet said:


> This happens to me too.
> 
> I think my smoking has at least a little to do with it in addition to anxiety. I've heard that smoking causes people to speak less clearly. I tend to mumble a lot and abandon sentences when they don't turn out right. I jumble up what I'm saying a lot too because I change the sentence structure once it's too late.
> 
> I also feel like I'm more articulate in writing than in speech. I think it's because since we speak less than most people, most of our communication is built upon being able to visually see what we are saying as we're saying it.
> 
> As far as speakings goes, it helps a little to try and think about what your going to say beforehand. If you're analytical, you'll have the urge to want to sculpt a perfect sentence but it'll be a lot easier if you just let it happen the way it happens.


I'm glad then that I don't smoke! I like having time to form coherent sentences, which is possible through writing. I have, however, learned to deal with the uncommon sense that I speak with. I don't care much anymore how I sound to my good friends and family, and then talking can be so much fun. I'm known for my lack of sense. Whatever. At least I'm not an attic dweller anymore.

I've always thought I had a verbal disability. Interesting you pointed out the visual aspect of communication. Perhaps we are all visual learners;we need to see what we are doing and not just hear it. That may be leading us to social anxiety. We have a hearing disorder? I remember in college I would hear the lecture, but in order to take in the meaning, I would have to take a lot of notes and look at them.


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## Akira90125

Cataclysm Ballet said:


> If you're analytical, you'll have the urge to want to sculpt a perfect sentence...


That's EXACTLY how I am whenever I'm talking to just about anyone. Not only do I try to articulate my thoughts to my satisfaction, but I also try very hard to be easily understood. It really irritates me whenever people don't communicate clearly because they seem to gloss over details that they assume are obvious to others and/or they articulate themselves in an unnecessarily convoluted manner (such is the case with one of my close friends).


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## IThinkIAmMe

I forget what I am saying all the time, and it is a pain in the butt
usually I just joke that my mind must be going in my "old" age ahaha...and people don't seem to mind that I never finish my sentence


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## epril

It could be that other people do the same things we do, but we stop and worry and analyze everything where other people continue onward without such self monitoring. 
I get stuck hyper focusing on detail, for ex. I have a very hard time saying "oh, I can't remember the movie now" I want to dwell on it. It's like unfinished business that I need to finish, to alleviate anxiety. For me, to alleviate this, I have had to force myself to throw caution to the wind and simply verbalize, and whatever comes out, so be it.


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## epril

kraigg said:


> I experience this quite often as well. Last year one of my managers read an email from me, a project proposal, and he didn't think that it was me who wrote it. He was surprised that the content of the email was so easy to read and understand, whereas I can never express myself that clearly when I'm talking, so in his mind someone else must've wrote that email for me.
> 
> He then went on to say that I express myself so much more clearly in writing that I do when I talk. I couldn't disagree with him on that point. :roll But I'm trying to work on that.


We should be allowed and enabled to communicate using our most comfortable method! Let's protest! Being quiet does not mean having less intelligence!


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## kraigg

epril said:


> We should be allowed and enabled to communicate using our most comfortable method! Let's protest! Being quiet does not mean having less intelligence!


I agree! In a perfect world, that would be the case.

But I'm noticing more and more that people who like to talk a lot, and can articulate themselves well, seem to really get further ahead than people who don't talk much or don't talk well, when it comes to work and relationships and life in general.

What's ironic is that most of the time people who talk a lot don't seem to know much at all, but because they are able to exude confidence through their speech, they are seen to be more intelligent, reliable, and trustworthy. But really most of them are just good at 'talking the talk'.

I know so many people like this, and some dear friends of mine fit into this category as well. I have people at my work who are like this too - great at talking and discussing things during meetings, but they're lost when it comes to doing actual work; yet they're the ones who are always getting promoted.

And I'm all for a protest! When do I sign up?


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## Lvn4moi

Ive been goin thru this mahself.... I did some research & it brought me here to this discussion lol. So, here I am hahaha!


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## thakshak

*same here...*

i'm also having the same problem, searched and ended up here.....:b

any suggestions for overcoming this problem...?


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## TheLastDreamer

When I talk to people, I experience the same thing. I try a lot to make the sentence grammatically correct that I pause a lot. I have no problem chatting with people in a chat-box but when I meet them directly, I can't even talk. Many people think I am weird -_-


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## miminka

gah.. this happens to me a lot. more often when im talking to a group of people.. must be symptom of anxiety. also its a common thing people on ssris experience. 

it is certainly embarrassing. 

:hide


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## millenniumman75

Our minds are preoccupied with worry - as if it was another frequency on the radio. We need to get to the same station as other people. Filter out the noise in our minds so we can focus on the conversation.


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## ingodnito12

It looks like this is a very old thread, but I'll give it a whirl anyway. Who knows. I did put this on another thread, but I meant to put it here. So I apologize if someone sees it twice.

*Relating to mid-sentence memory loss* Hey...I'm new here. And very frustrated. I have this issue. I'm only 51, and granted have had my fair share of medical issues (emotionally and physically).

A couple of years ago, I had a psychiatrist put me on 8 different meds, anti depressants, anti psychotics (for PTSD), but it made me horribly sleepy, and even more depressed. However....My memory was better then than it is now. I will be having an intense conversation and boom. It just disappears right before I am about to make my point. First of all, being female (sorry ladies we do do this) when sharing a story I MUST give every detail from start to (well...however far I can get) because it will make you understand the situation better...haha...A couple of scenarios.... 1. Someone interjects and I forget right away. If with friends I have to say wait let me finish, but even by then its usually gone. Long after conversation has past, it will come to me. Another scenario, shoot...I forgot. Not kidding. I just forgot. And this sucks. I am currently on disability. On the most minimal amount of medication because I refuse to be a zombie. Clonidine (BP), Mobic (Arth), Lamotrigine (kept ONE for the PTSD/Dep), Nuvigil 1/2 (sleep apnea treatment) and a microscopic dose of suboxone for PAIN. Not approved in US, and it is normally RX'd for drug withdrawals. Not my use for it. Not addicted to anything. I can't imagine what this all could be. I used to be at the top of my class for spelling and carried it into adulthood up until a few months ago. Suddenly I am forgetting how to spell certain words, and appointments. If not in my calendar I'm screwed. Ok. That's my tale of woes. Any suggestions? PS: I exercise, take some very expensive and GREAT supplements that one could actually live on! So these are not the issue.


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## Boulder257

Bouffon said:


> Don't know if anyone has this but when I am talking sometimes I become unable to follow up the rest of my sentences because I forget what I wanted to say so in order to avoid the weird silence of trying to remember the rest I just make up something related and it all comes out weird making me feel like an idiot, sometimes I change the subject abruptly which throws people off. It's not that I am not paying attention to what I want to say because I tend to analyze my thoughts very well, sometimes I feel like I need to repeat things in my head almost to the point of memorizing whole sentences out of fear of losing focus. Sometimes my conversations don't feel natural or fluid. Anxiety worsens this but even when I am comfortable it happens, it is really bothersome. I am not sure if this would labeled as a speech disorder.


I have this happen all of the time and then as soon as I get away from the situation I can remember exactly what it was I wanted to say and how I wanted to say it. I originally thought it was my benzo's, but it has happened at times when I haven't been on any benzo.


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## CelestiaSun

Haha this happens to me all the time. My mind starts wandering off, and I just completely forget what I was even talking about, or the whole point of what I was trying to say. It's happened to me so many times already that I've just gotten used to it and find it funny now. Usually I'll just be very straight-forward and say that I lost track of what I was talking about.. that way I won't be sitting there for 5 minutes in awkward silence. 
I think this happens due to my ADD though, not my anxiety.


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## TheWildeOne

Yeah, this happens to me too, I really hate when it happens because.... uh.... wait... what the hell was I going to say...?


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## Koshea

shychick2 said:


> Anxiety does affect memory and concentration. I do the same and end up trying to describe things as can't remember the word or name, or just not finishing.


Or sometimes I'm talking about a restaurant or so. Ethi g and can't remember the name.


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