Why do I struggle to find words when I talk?

Everyone can experience word-finding difficulty or that “tip-of-the-tongue” sensation. This is normal and becomes more prominent with age. It can worsen when people feel anxious, excited, depressed or even sleep deprived. Those situations are not classified as aphasia.


Why do I struggle to think of words when talking?

PPA is caused by degeneration in the parts of the brain that are responsible for speech and language. PPA begins very gradually and initially is experienced as difficulty thinking of common words while speaking or writing. PPA progressively worsens to the point where verbal communication by any means is very difficult.

Why can't I find the words I want to say?

Aphasia is a communication disorder that makes it hard to use words. It can affect your speech, writing, and ability to understand language. Aphasia results from damage or injury to language parts of the brain. It's more common in older adults, particularly those who have had a stroke.


What is it called when you struggle to find words?

People with the most common types of dementia, such as Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia, usually have a mild form of aphasia. This often involves problems finding words and can affect names, even of people they know well.

What can cause difficulty forming words?

Common causes include:
  • stroke – the most common cause of aphasia.
  • severe head injury.
  • a brain tumour.
  • progressive neurological conditions – conditions that cause the brain and nervous system to become damaged over time, such as dementia.


Why you can't find the words!



Why can I suddenly not understand words?

Aphasia usually happens suddenly after a stroke or a head injury. But it can also come on gradually from a slow-growing brain tumor or a disease that causes progressive, permanent damage (degenerative). The severity of aphasia depends on a number of things, including the cause and the extent of the brain damage.

How can I improve my word retrieval?

The Treatment: Word-Finding Strategies
  1. Delay. Just give it a second or two. ...
  2. Describe. Give the listener information about what the thing looks like or does. ...
  3. Association. See if you can think of something related. ...
  4. Synonyms. Think of a word that means the same or something similar. ...
  5. First Letter. ...
  6. Gesture. ...
  7. Draw. ...
  8. Look it Up.


Why do I get stuck with my words?

The exact causes of fluency disorders are not known. It may be genetic and run in families. It can happen at the same time as another speech disorder. The signs of a fluency disorder can be made worse by emotions such as stress or anxiety.


Can anxiety make you not understand words?

Trouble Putting Thoughts to Words: One of the mental effects of anxiety is that it can cause difficulty thinking and planning the words you want to say before you begin speaking, or as you are in the process of speaking. This can result in forgetting words, the incorrect use of words, and long pauses between words.

Why can't I talk normally?

Dysarthria means difficulty speaking. It can be caused by brain damage or by brain changes occurring in some conditions affecting the nervous system, or related to ageing. It can affect people of all ages. If dysarthria occurs suddenly, call 999, it may be being caused by a stroke.

What are the signs of speech anxiety?

Some of the most common symptoms of speech anxiety are: shaking, sweating, butterflies in the stomach, dry mouth, rapid heartbeat, and squeaky voice. Although it is often impossible to completely eliminate speech anxiety there are a variety of ways to deal with it and even make it work to your advantage.


Why do I struggle to talk to people?

Selective mutism is a severe anxiety disorder where a person is unable to speak in certain social situations, such as with classmates at school or to relatives they do not see very often. It usually starts during childhood and, if left untreated, can persist into adulthood.

Can stress cause word retrieval problems?

Memory retrieval (free recall) was significantly impaired after the stress condition. Follow-up analysis revealed that negative and positive words (i.e., emotionally arousing words) were affected, whereas no effect was observed for neutral words.

Why can't I understand but can speak?

This is because understanding a language involves the brain's ability to infer things from phonemes — distinct units of sound that help us differentiate between words — which the brain then segments into phrases or sentences. The rest is worked out by our ability to infer what the other person means.


Why do I feel like I have nothing to say?

In the context of psychoanalysis, the patient's feeling that they have nothing to say is often an indication of transference feelings. Sometimes the feeling that you have nothing to say is a defense against something you do not want to say. Feeling you have nothing to say is sometimes a sign of projection.

How do I control my anxiety when talking?

These steps may help:
  1. Know your topic. ...
  2. Get organized. ...
  3. Practice, and then practice some more. ...
  4. Challenge specific worries. ...
  5. Visualize your success. ...
  6. Do some deep breathing. ...
  7. Focus on your material, not on your audience. ...
  8. Don't fear a moment of silence.


Can anxiety mess with your speech?

Anxiety is also a common cause of racing thoughts and faster speech, both of which can make communication more difficult. People who are anxious may feel like they can't keep up with their thoughts and may speak much faster as a result, which can cause stuttering or slurring.


What are 3 causes of speech anxiety?

CAUSES OF SPEECH ANXIETY
  • Large Audiences.
  • Lack of Preparation.
  • Fear of Failure / Being Evaluated.
  • Higher Status Audience.
  • Hostile Audience.
  • Unfamiliar Surroundings.
  • Lack of Opportunity to Build Speaking Skills.


Can depression affect your speech?

The journal published a study that showed how speech patterns changed when people are depressed: their speech becomes lower, more monotone, more labored, and has more stops, starts and pauses. And as depression worsens, the individual's speaking becomes more gravelly, hoarse, and less fluent.

Why do I naturally talk low?

Some people just have naturally low or quiet voices, and haven't yet learned to compensate by developing the ability to talk at a higher volume. Similarly, some people just tend to mumble or talk too fast if they're not concentrating on speaking clearly.


What is brain fog?

What is brain fog syndrome? Brain fog is characterized by confusion, forgetfulness, and a lack of focus and mental clarity. This can be caused by overworking, lack of sleep, stress, and spending too much time on the computer.

What mental illness affects speech?

Speech deficits, notably those involved in psychomotor retardation, blunted affect, alogia and poverty of content of speech, are pronounced in a wide range of serious mental illnesses (e.g., schizophrenia, unipolar depression, bipolar disorders).

Can your mental health affect your speech?

According to studies, mental health issues such as depression and anxiety may lead to speech deficits such as long pauses during a conversation. People who are depressed tend to be interrupted a lot because of this. It can further influence their social skills and dysphasia (swallowing pattern).


What is the most common type of speech anxiety?

The fear of public speaking is the most common phobia ahead of death, spiders, or heights. The National Institute of Mental Health reports that public speaking anxiety, or glossophobia, affects about 73% of the population. The underlying fear is judgment or negative evaluation by others.

How common is speech anxiety?

Glossophobia, or a fear of public speaking, is a very common phobia and one that is believed to affect up to 75% of the population. Some individuals may feel a slight nervousness at the very thought of public speaking, while others experience full-on panic and fear.