Can You Not Find The Words?

Unfortunately for me this happens all too frequently. My brain starts working at a rate faster than I can honestly get words out of my mouth. I’m not sure if there is a term for this other than ADHD? Let me know. But every time I try to explain this to anyone the 1st answer I get is that “it must be a symptom of undiagnosed ADHD”. (Eye-roll) I don’t think so. People may mean well but in all honesty you know your body better than anyone.

There’s a difference between being stunned and at a loss of words or thinking faster than your mouth can form the words and honestly not being able to connect the words in your brain to your mouth.

I always explain it like a short circuiting of my brain. It can’t get the words out. And the words that do make their way out can make absolutely no sense. Even now, I write this post and have to edit it (this would be my 100th time) because the sentences don’t make complete sense.

As a child this happened more than I care to admit. But at the same time I wasn’t given the grace every time to take my time explaining myself. This labeled me the “trouble child”. My emotions would go haywire when someone couldn’t understand me. This did create a longer time for me to grow out of that “child phase” I suppose. Think about it this way: a child doesn’t get what they want/they may feel not listened to. So what does a child do? They scream, they cry, and they have what society labels a tantrum or fit. A child with CP can have moments where they can have a hard time regulating their emotions so the screaming/crying tantrum happens probably more frequently and well into their tween years (guilty!).

As an adult however, my response often is to withdraw when I’m unsure of how or IF words will come out of my mouth correctly. For me, I tend to talk more if I know you well because I know that if I mess up or say something wrong, it doesn’t matter. But if I don’t know you… I am quiet and withdrawn because that anxiety of saying rubbish is there.