# Anyone lose their train of thought while talking?



## Gregsab (Nov 23, 2009)

I can barely tell a joke anymore, sometimes in the middle of talking I will go blank, lose my train of thought, then start to almost panic, and have to make an excuse why I can't continue the joke or story, like saying I forgot it or something. Anyone ever get this?


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## foodie (Apr 27, 2010)

O Hell yeah....ill try to tell a story then right in the middle i lose thought of what i was about to say then the story never gets completed. Or ill try to tell a story but then it never coes out right and then i jut loo stupid. I hate it but trying to figure out if there is anyway i can practice becoming a better story tellerand not oss my thoughts in the middle of conversation but the best way is to practice i guess and or practice alone too,.


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## FallenofTrack (Jul 23, 2010)

Yeah, this is why I don't like having to explain things, because I don't feel like I can articulate myself, without leaving others confused.


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## lyssado707 (Oct 29, 2004)

I have a huge problem w/this. It's why talking in groups is like torture for me.


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## anonymid (Oct 16, 2005)

Yes, all the time. It's one of the reasons I don't talk at length very often. I'm not capable of saying more than one or two sentences at a time without sounding like a confused, bumbling idiot.


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## lanzman (Jun 14, 2004)

all the....

...umm....umm...I forgot what I was going to say...:blush


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## Shooterrr (Jul 19, 2009)

Yup. I hate trying to explain things or tell stories. It's like in my head I know exactly what I want to say, but as soon as I start talking I forget and try to make something up on the spot so I don't sound like a complete fool.


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## Sous la Mer (Apr 9, 2010)

Yes this always happens to me. Its part of the reason why I stop myself before starting to tell any "stories" to people. I know that somewhere in the middle of the story I am going to forget my train of thought and just sit there trying to come up with the words while turning bright red because they are still STARING at me...just waiting for me to finish. Like..... look away people! I'm already embarrassed enough that my mind went blank, I don't need you watching me turn red too.


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## Belshazzar (Apr 12, 2010)

Story of my life. Going on meds for ADHD has helped me a lot with this problem, though.

It sounds kind of weird, but it's because I actually need to "see" the story in my mind to tell it -- I have to visualize a piece of paper that has the words I want to use on it. When you get anxious, you have more trouble concentrating. Then you lose your train of thought and get even more anxious. It's a vicious cycle, especially for someone who is predisposed to be distractable. Medication makes it much easier for me to see that piece of paper, but I still tend to stop halfway through something and go "Now what the hell was the point of this again?"


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## Emptyheart (Sep 15, 2009)

um yeah..that happened to me yesterday..i was telling a story to one of my friends..its generally a very long story..i made it very short..i think you know why.


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## MPS (Oct 27, 2005)

Always. I hate it when it happens during our stand up meetings at work, during which, we are meant update team members on what we've been working on. My colleagues must think I'm on another planet as I often start waffling and talking nonsense.


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## Iwillovercomeanxiety1 (Aug 23, 2010)

Yeah that's not fun at all. I hate it when your mind just goes blank and you have mental blockage. I think that is very common for people with mental disorders.


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## disarmonia mundi (Jan 12, 2010)

"I dunno."


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## cubanscorpio (Jun 30, 2010)

Gregsab said:


> I can barely tell a joke anymore, sometimes in the middle of talking I will go blank, lose my train of thought, then start to almost panic, and have to make an excuse why I can't continue the joke or story, like saying I forgot it or something. Anyone ever get this?


 yea i do this sometimes when im talking to people i dont talk to usually or i dont feel comfortable talking to. i will lose focus on what im talking about because i'll become self conscious or aware of something small like for example, i'll will focus on the fact that the person is staring at me or i'll become self conscious of my body language, like where my hands are and what they are doing.


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## Gregsab (Nov 23, 2009)

Problem is, I do it even around friends. I don't start off as nervous around friends, but I do still go blank if I talk long enough.


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## ilsr (Aug 29, 2010)

all that and worse when "friends" or not so "friends" rudely say "what?" in a rude tone of voice and look at you like you're an idiot. Usually happens when people "get to know you" and lose all respect and act like you're a nuisance.
Happened at work to me with people I thought I got along with. Then later when they see me, the smirks, rude stares, and snide comments or loud noises attempting to scare me. Totally suks.


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## layitontheline (Aug 19, 2009)

I constantly lose my train of thought, and it's only gotten worse the last year or so which is kind of worrisome as I don't feel more anxious. At times it's hard for me to finish a sentence without stumbling over my words and pausing because my mind went blank.


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## Freiheit (Dec 8, 2008)

This happens sometimes when I try to tell someone a story or explain something. It happens usually when I become very aware that I'm having a conversation with that person, and that very thought, distracts me from what I'm supposed to say next, in order for my explanation to make sense. It's weird how my mind goes blank.


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## jennlynne5 (Aug 6, 2010)

This happened at my own wedding while repeating the vows!! I just completely lost what I was supposed to say at one point and started panicking and mumbling something. I'm terrified to ever see that video...


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## sarafinanickelbocker (May 16, 2010)

Yup, all the time.


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## Gregsab (Nov 23, 2009)

jennlynne5 said:


> This happened at my own wedding while repeating the vows!! I just completely lost what I was supposed to say at one point and started panicking and mumbling something. I'm terrified to ever see that video...


Weird, that's what I thought I would do if I got married.


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## Neptunus (Oct 29, 2007)

All the time.


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## Gregsab (Nov 23, 2009)

That's my problem too I think, Olazet. I realize I'm talking, and feel trapped, like I have to finish talking, and panic.


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## ManOnTheMOON (Aug 14, 2009)

LoL the real question should be. Anyone love smoking weed?


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## Lumi (Aug 21, 2010)

My sister makes me insecure. She do not let me take time to explain things. I usually start to explain things at different view than other people and my sister does not want to wait what is the thing of my ramlings. That makes me often stop talking and after she stop preaching I already forget what was my issue because of panic.

Also if I am exited about something I rambling things which even does not include inside of subject and then I am so far away from original subject that I have no clue from where I started, LOL


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## iwillbeaththis (Aug 31, 2010)

When you speak try to assert yourself talk louder and clearer.


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## Vitruvia (Jul 29, 2009)

Yes this happens to me too, but not so much that I forget what I'm talking about, it's more that my mind goes blank mid-sentence and I can't think of the word I need. So I will often be saying something and not finish the sentence, even to people I know. It's not so much about feeling anxious when I'm talking to the person that causes it, but it creates anxiety because of the embarrassment of it. I feel mentally impaired and I think that is what the other person is thinking. I also worry about my brain and why it just freezes like this. Is it the onset of Alzhiemer's?


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## enfield (Sep 4, 2010)

Yes. I do! I have a hard time telling whether it's b/c of my lack of intelligence or SAD. Like in class I definitely CANT talk well. But even when I'm around my friends I'm comfortable with (which is rare) I'm not so good at explaining things either. I don't recall ever being called out on it though, thankfully. Also I don't talk to people a lot (in general) so maybe I just need some practice etc.


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## Brittany m (Apr 5, 2013)

*Unable to focus n work conversations. Lose train of thought*

All of this sounds like me. I have been experiencing the following issues with memory for almost 2 years now. at that time I had a on change and I think that was the trigger. I'm wondering if anyone else is experiencing any of this. I am very discouraged and feel helpless. I want to quit my job because of all this...

Happens with anyone, anything work related

Lose train of thought. Keep talking with hopes I will remember what my point was

Forget words and can not recover. Many times simple words. End up hoping whoever I'm talking to can help me figure out what I was trying to say

Easily flustered

Empty head when in conversation. Almost like i am not totally focused on what they are saying. checked out. Have nothing to add to conversation leading to awkward silences or random comments

Talk in circles

Constantly repeat my point over and over as if other person doesn't get it

Don't feel Iike I have any fresh or new ideas. No imagination

An empty feeling in my head. Seems like a whole portion of my thought process is missing that used to be there

Used to be a quick, sharp thinker but not that way at all any more.

Can not be content with a simple comment or point have to keep adding more to make it longer


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## Lacking Serotonin (Nov 18, 2012)

I loose my train of thought quite often while talking, probably because I'm nervous.


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## Alwaysanxiousgirl (Aug 29, 2012)

Yes. It's why I don't like saying more than a few things at a time to people. I always thought it was because I think too hard, and I think that's still the case. I also suck at explaining things, which is why I feel I can never be a tutor or a teacher. I want to to start practicing on getting better at conversing and talking/telling stories though. It totally sucks not being confident enough to even tell a joke.


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## Iceman33 (Jan 3, 2010)

Yes, this has been my problem really bad for the past 10 years (since about 27 years old). If I am completely relaxed around someone, it rarely happens. Around children and foreign people, I never have this problem. Bizarre, huh? It must be intimidation from average, everyday people.

Ver recently I had to make a phone call to explain a possible fraudulent charge on my credit card. Once the initial panic goes away (about 30 seconds), I am usually ok. But if I lose my train of thought from being nervous at the very beginning, I get ultra panicky and have to pause (dizziness, light-headedness, etc). After the long pause, I am usually able to go with the conversation with moderate nervousness, or sometimes, none at all. It's all really bizarre how the mind works. I can even tutor adults, etc without much problem. It all depends on the situation, and to whom I am speaking.

I never knew what the solution is. Sometimes I manage well without reason (suppose I am subconsciously in a more relaxed state), other times it's disaster (I hate the sensation I get). Like the OP, I cannot always tell jokes or stories without getting in a panic-stricken state of mind that only last a few seconds, but long enough to wreak havoc and cause embarrassment. Now with my family and close friends, I can (wasn't able to for a while, which proves that we can be just as intimidated by our friends and family as strangers).

I've learned this over the years: slow down when talking and breathe deeply, even if your mind tells you not to. It's all a state of mind, if you will, even though I am yet unable to prevent this fear from overtaking me at times. I just have to jump right into it time and time again. Maybe - just maybe- it will go away for good as I never had this problem before my late 20's. I think it's due to over self-consciousness and intimidation, which strongly manifest themselves when you, "the talker", become "focused on" for too long of a time (all eyes on you). This is why you lose your train of thought. And as you've lost your train of thought, you panic to get it back on track, but fail.

It is a vicious cycle, though I am sure it can be broken with self-acceptance therapy, or something similar.


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## tristatejosh (Mar 10, 2013)

I have this issue as well, I just am not sure how to go beyond simply observing when either in a group conversation or just listening to the other person talking in a 1-to-1 conversation.


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## wiggibow (May 18, 2013)

always always always
I'll write the most well articulated sentence you've ever seen, but coming out o fmy mouth it'd sound something like: "So.. yeahh, i uhhh, the other day i was....... what was i talking about? oh yeah, so i was walking to this one uhh place thing and yeah, i like got there and.." (people stop listening and continue with their conversation)


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## tbyrfan (Feb 24, 2011)

_All the time,_ lol. It happens probably every day.


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## berlingot (Nov 2, 2005)

sometimes it's a sign of depression. this happens to me even when i'm with people i'm comfortable with. i did this in front of a psychiatrist & she called it "thought-stopping." when i was hospitalized, my fellow patients suffered from various degrees of thought-stopping that affected their speech. we'd leave conversations just hanging in the air.


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## wiggibow (May 18, 2013)

berlingot said:


> sometimes it's a sign of depression. this happens to me even when i'm with people i'm comfortable with. i did this in front of a psychiatrist & she called it "thought-stopping." when i was hospitalized, my fellow patients suffered from various degrees of thought-stopping that affected their speech. we'd leave conversations just hanging in the air.


googling thought-stopping shows me it seems to be a debated method of controlling panic disorders, not a term for this phenomenon.
i really would like to further research that connection though, does anybody know the actual term for it or if there is one?


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## berlingot (Nov 2, 2005)

wiggibow said:


> googling thought-stopping shows me it seems to be a debated method of controlling panic disorders, not a term for this phenomenon.
> i really would like to further research that connection though, does anybody know the actual term for it or if there is one?


sorry, i meant thought-blocking.


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## Lazarusx (Apr 14, 2013)

It use to be worse for me..

What happens with me is i'll be explaining a story or describing a situation and then mid-conversation i will switch from first to third perspective, watching and hearing myself speak.

This cause's me to lose my train of thought, and through the interruption of this happening, im pulled back into first person and realize the people im speaking to are all staring at me/waiting for me to continue.. which of course creates a tremendous amount of anxiety because everyone is able to see that i just totally lost my focus and point.


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## wiggibow (May 18, 2013)

berlingot said:


> sorry, i meant thought-blocking.


thank you


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## Iceman33 (Jan 3, 2010)

It seems to be symptom of social anxiety/panic disorder - nothing to do with schizophrenia.


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## Iceman33 (Jan 3, 2010)

Has anyone on here ever fully overcome this?


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## berlingot (Nov 2, 2005)

Iceman33 said:


> Has anyone on here ever fully overcome this?


i haven't fully overcome it, but the less depressed i get, the more clear my thinking can be. depression can totally affect concentration. also, it takes practice to build confidence in handling blank situations, to pull yourself out of them with aplomb.


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## Iceman33 (Jan 3, 2010)

berlingot said:


> i haven't fully overcome it, but the less depressed i get, the more clear my thinking can be. depression can totally affect concentration. also, it takes practice to build confidence in handling blank situations, to pull yourself out of them with aplomb.


I'm getting a bit better. I also get the same feeling if I believe that I am annoying a stranger, etc (complaining to a server, etc). I get panicky and dizzy for a few seconds.


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## Iceman33 (Jan 3, 2010)

You just have to put yourself out there until you overcome it, no matter how disgustingly torturous and overbearing it may be.


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## GreenRoom (Jan 28, 2012)

I get this all the time, I once thought it was because I wasn't good at speaking chinese but I think it's related to confidence and depression. It gets better when I'm not depressed but I normally don't have much to say so I don't have much of a benchmark. 
I find that the less i care about what i say the more i will be able to say it well.


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## sanspants08 (Oct 21, 2008)

Gregsab said:


> I can barely tell a joke anymore, sometimes in the middle of talking I will go blank, lose my train of thought, then start to almost panic, and have to make an excuse why I can't continue the joke or story, like saying I forgot it or something. Anyone ever get this?


Even when I'm typing, on a bad day. I know for me, it's because of two facts: I don't think before I speak when I'm anxious, and because my thoughts become jumbled when I try to articulate something I didn't think through. If you can remind yourself to pause for a second to think of how to phrase what you want to say (when anxious), you'll probably find yourself feeling calmer. It's a cycle, wherein you'll feel calm if you hear yourself speaking calmly, and so on.


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## Iceman33 (Jan 3, 2010)

sanspants08 said:


> Even when I'm typing, on a bad day. I know for me, it's because of two facts: I don't think before I speak when I'm anxious, and because my thoughts become jumbled when I try to articulate something I didn't think through. If you can remind yourself to pause for a second to think of how to phrase what you want to say (when anxious), you'll probably find yourself feeling calmer. It's a cycle, wherein you'll feel calm if you hear yourself speaking calmly, and so on.


That is so true. You just have think before you speak. And in doing so, you'll come down.


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## cozynights (Mar 19, 2013)

Yes! Sometimes I think too fast. But it must be a memory problem, because it's also common for me to forget words too. Or to forget what I was gonna do a few seconds before.


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## OverComeIt (Jan 28, 2013)

What has helped me with this is trying to slow down as I talk....I used to rush sentences and words and my speaking would be all jumbled....I try to train my thoughts to relax a bit more before I go ahead and speak....


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## Iceman33 (Jan 3, 2010)

Has anyone been cured of this? Is it from being overstimulated; in other words, you let the external environment see a threat when there is none.

It doesn't always happen to me - just with certain strangers, and with people who I am not comfortable around. It is very bad on the phone with the kind of people aforementioned. Also, if I get socially awkward all of sudden, it can happen without warning. But again, it never happens around people I feel comfortable around (well, a little bit a few years ago).

Acupuncture? What can help this?


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## Lish3rs (May 5, 2013)

That happened just today. A lot of times I'm interrupted at work and sorta put on the spot by customers asking me for products I don't know the location for. So sometimes I stutter, or get these brain freezes that make me pause. Then I noticeably can breathe again. It makes me look like I am lazy-exhausted and that I don't actually want to help the customer, when really I just don't know what to do. They get to be like mini panic attacks at times. Anyways today the lady was mad it kept happening and she stormed off saying, "we'll I just thought you'd know.." throwing her hands in the air as she walked away >.>

I know i shouldn't take it personally, because however she interpreted it wasn't the best thing I guess. I just saw it as blaming me for having anxiety attacks when I could not have controlled them. 

Either way, all those types of things seem to happen to me when my mood makes me feel sorta frazzled. It usually feels like I should step away from being around people for awhile lol


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## teopap (May 12, 2013)

It happens all the time. I told it to my p-doc because I thought I had ADHD or some brain problem, and he told me it's just the anxiety. You're too concentrated in your anxiety and what's the worst thing it's going to happen (hypothetically). I still believe though I need an MRI scan.


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## Michaelk123 (Jul 3, 2015)

I forget what I am going to say if I don't say it right away and if I get blocked by the usual "wait your turn" "your rude" , and other boosters of self confidence, 5 minutes later, it either is no longer relevant or I forgot what to say. The usual response to this is: "well it wasn't important" making my confidence reach all time highs because I like when my input doesn't matter
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## 658298 (Jun 26, 2015)

FallenofTrack said:


> Yeah, this is why I don't like having to explain things, because I don't feel like I can articulate myself, without leaving others confused.


I do this, but i sometimes get uncomfortable with too many people paying attention to me and just start to mumble and not make sense and stop talking ha :S


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## Mikko (Jan 21, 2014)

Sometimes when I'm too excited to tell somebody a story, yes.


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## Iceman33 (Jan 3, 2010)

I never had this problem until 27. I think it's a symptom of severe anxiety. But I am not really a shy person. Go figure.


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## Malek (Oct 4, 2012)

Gregsab said:


> I can barely tell a joke anymore, sometimes in the middle of talking I will go blank, lose my train of thought, then start to almost panic, and have to make an excuse why I can't continue the joke or story, like saying I forgot it or something. Anyone ever get this?


Yes, this is why I prefer typing and texting over real life conversation.

Due to my lack of practice, insecurity, lack of oxygen to brain and other medical reasons, makes socializing difficult with specific people.

I improved greatly in which I can chat nonstop or have no nervous episodes with most strangers or people I've known for years, yet there is always some specific topic or some people once in awhile my mind goes blank around them, it's rather infuriating cause I've been trying to hard.

I've since deduced that I need to take drastic measures, acquire the nose surgery so I can breathe and the headaches subside and my mind has more clarity. I've been staying away from junk food and fatty foods for the most part. Lost a ton of weight through exercise. I'm going to step up my game and I saved the money I'll need to do it. I don't want my life to feel stagnant anymore, I desire true friends and a healthy mind.


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## TheAdd (Jul 12, 2015)

Gregsab said:


> I can barely tell a joke anymore, sometimes in the middle of talking I will go blank, lose my train of thought, then start to almost panic, and have to make an excuse why I can't continue the joke or story, like saying I forgot it or something. Anyone ever get this?


Yes I get it sometimes, especially if being put on the spot

You need to slow down, pause! Pausing is one of the most important skills of conversing with others


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## LetMeThinkAboutThat (Aug 24, 2013)

ah, yeah. or no. ah what were we talking about?


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## Lonelyguy111 (Oct 14, 2013)

Sometimes. Not as much anymore.

But when I was a kid and in my early teens, I was so shy and terrified of people that when people, especially adults would talk to me and the attention of a group of people would be centered on me, I was so terrified that I could not think straight and would barely hear what people would say to me and I would miss what they were saying and had to ask them to repeat what they said.

People would sometimes ask me if I was hard of hearing !


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## Penguinfan (Apr 5, 2015)

Not often do I can't think of anything to say. I usually think what I'm going to say before saying it. If you have to think about something, it's ok to do before saying something.


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## wonderlandianfaerie (Jul 15, 2015)

Yes. I think this is one of the reason I rarely say more than a sentence or two at a time. I usually get so embarrassed that I just stop talking completely and can't say another word even though I want to.


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## Iceman33 (Jan 3, 2010)

Around foreigners, particularly Asians, things are almost normal at times. 

It's weird how the mind works. I get worried about my future employment. I can't work with the public, and I can't talk on the phone. Again, I'm not a shy person, but I get "panicky" in tense social situations. My mind literally "shuts down."

Perhaps I will move to Taiwan to teach English :laugh: Sometimes in life we have to do what we have to do to survive. Other people don't know what I silently live from day to day.


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## kageri (Oct 2, 2014)

Depends what I'm doing and I talk far better than my husband when I am paying full attention and know the subject at least somewhat. I don't make filler noises and I try to plan sentences well before I begin speaking them even if I have to silent pause. If I'm not committing to talking to the person and nothing else though I may pause to concentrate on an aspect of something else and not get started again. I also blank words a lot and more so when it's a topic I'm not really familiar with so my intended sentence might get broken by having to fit around a different word. With people I know well I sometimes plaster bits of different sentences together that don't actually match in order to find a way to explain what I am trying to talk about. If I couldn't do that then a number of my sentences would just end with no way to continue unless I wanted to think about it and fully start over which is too tedious and tends to frustrate or bore your audience.


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## iPOUT (May 11, 2015)

Yes, I do a lot whenever I go on super long rants on nonsense. XD


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## BackToThePast (Aug 31, 2012)

I can't seem to form a sentence to strangers without coming up with some garbled nonsense, let alone attempt a rambling.


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## Iceman33 (Jan 3, 2010)

I can't believe so many people deal with this issue.


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## LostInConversation (Dec 8, 2015)

Lazarusx said:


> It use to be worse for me..
> 
> What happens with me is i'll be explaining a story or describing a situation and then mid-conversation i will switch from first to third perspective, watching and hearing myself speak.
> 
> This cause's me to lose my train of thought, and through the interruption of this happening, im pulled back into first person and realize the people im speaking to are all staring at me/waiting for me to continue.. which of course creates a tremendous amount of anxiety because everyone is able to see that i just totally lost my focus and point.


This is exactly what happens to me sometimes.
Its as if I am in a car driving down a road. Behind me is my starting point, and ahead of me is the final point I am trying to make. I am driving along (explaining myself) when suddenly, I am no longer in the drivers seat, but instead I am in the back seat watching myself drive. Then, there is no one driving at all. I quickly become aware that no one is driving the car and its now on its way into the ditch. I jump into the drivers seat and try to recover, but in the commotion I realize I've forgotten where I was trying to get to. Im lost.

Other times, something happens to me that I've come to call a "buffer overload". Its like the length of my story or explanation exceeds the space of my memory, and the begining of my story falls off the stack, leaving me with no memory of my starting point or the purpose of my explanation.

Like many others on this thread my first concern is some sort of mental illness. My first google search turned up mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Among the risk factors were:
- Lack of physical exercise
- Infrequent participation in mentally or socially stimulating activities

I think there is a lot to be said for both of these points.

I'm not out of shape or anything, but I don't enjoy working out.
But I have found that when I have pushed myself to do a really intense workout in the morning, I generally significantly better throughout the day mentally in terms of my emotions and cognitive abilities. A light workout doesn't seem to do it, it has to be really intense.

As for infrequent participation in mentally or socially stimulating activities, I think there's a lot to be said for this too.
I work remotely as a programmer for most of the year, and as a result I tend to have very limited involvement in meetings or other social activities at work. During this time the majority of my days is spent writing emails, writing code, and searching the internet for answers. They say your brain is like a muscle, you get good at what you practice, and the opposite is also true. So in not being heavily involved in social activities and mentally challenging conversations, that part of the brain gets weak. 3 times a year I have to travel to the office to work around people and have to talk and present etc, and it is a huge shock to my system, but by the end of my trip I feel mentally capable. I then return to my cave, and start the slow process of losing my speaking abilities again....


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## TryingMara (Mar 25, 2012)

All the time! Not sure how I missed this thread in the past, but I'm glad to see it now. It happens frequently- it's frustrating and makes me feel stupid. It's happened at work several times, which was not fun. If I have to talk in front of others or I'm nervous to begin with, it'll happen. However, it also happens when I'm at home relaxed, just relaying a story to my mom. Very frustrating.


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## JustThisGuy (Mar 24, 2012)

This seems like a thread I would've responded to, and since I'm too lazy to go through each page, I'll just assume I haven't.

Yes. I do. A lot. I'll get lucky sometimes and catch the last word and go off of that, but I'll miss an entire side of the conversation sometimes because I instantly go inside my head and overthink about something that has nothing to do with what's happened. Namely the conversation I'm in. 

Or sometimes it's tangibly boredom and I phase out. And it may not be their fault, but that's happened to me. Where my need to people-please and be nice slips and mixing with a boring convo and my brain just shuts off. It happens.


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## DarkmanX (Jun 27, 2013)

Oh my ****ing god, yes!

I hate that. In the middle of trying to talk i immediately lose my thoughts and have to quickly gather my thoughts again and at times it gets awkward and i come
off as stutter-y or like im unsure about what im about to say or myself. It becomes like a awkward silence here & there while trying to find my words.


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## Malek (Oct 4, 2012)

Right in dem feels. Perhaps I need to do some concentrating exercises in order to learn how to focus on what I'm thinking about. 


A silent mouth yet a wandering mind. People don't feel comfortable around those who constantly need to collect their thoughts.


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## One Armed Scissor (Nov 4, 2015)

Sure. Why, there was this one time.... what was I saying?


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## Numen (Oct 7, 2016)

Sorry for the bump, but I can relate a lot to what many people here are saying. Especially when telling longer stories, and then in the middle of it coming to the realization that I'm doing that (switching from first to third person), causing me to sometimes briefly blank out or lose my train of thought. Or it may just come out in the form of a mild stutter sometimes, rather than completely forgetting.

The thing is, I used to be better at it back when I was younger somehow, even though I didn't necessarily have less anxiety. I wonder if prolonged weed use has an impact as well harhar.

I think in my case ADD is a big factor, but anxiety does play a role. This happens mostly when talking to people in a formal, official capacity, and I'm perfectly fine with casual chatting (even though when I was younger, it was the opposite); it's the worst in things like job interviews when you're asked an open-ended question, or something like "tell me about such and such a position". Then I tend to just go on and on to fill the silence and end up rambling and have no direction or coherence to my answer. 

You have to slow down and think about your responses and organize your mind better. But I'll admit this is easier said than done if you're in the middle of a conversation or story. If you have time before saying something, it's easier, but if you're already deep into explaining something, it feels like taking a long pause makes things weird.


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