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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 8 of 8. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Angela2 on August 15, 2009, at 19:57:59
when I talk, I talk like a relatively normal person except that sometimes I lose my train of thought and have to regroup. It is frustrating and can be embarrassing if I am speaking with someone I don't know. I am going to be signing up for college courses and a few days ago, I was doing some research on the best way to go about it. I was speaking to a rather impatient and fast paced woman (who I believe needs to rethink her career choice) at my local community college over the phone. I had written down a bit of my questions, as I figured I may either be all over the place, or just lose my train of thought, and wanted to have something written down to 'bring me back.' Well, our conversation milled outside the realm of what I had written down, and as I was speaking, I lost my train of thought. I guess it wasn't too embarrassing. I mean, I know it is a disability and the impatient woman in the wrong career on the other end of the phone didn't help. I guess it gets worse when I am under pressure.
My psychiatrist says it is a psychotic symptom that meds are supposed to help. I haven't spoken to her much about it so far. She's my therapist too and we work on other things...also I'm already on an antipsychotic (abilify). Does anyone know anything about this kind of thing? Does anyone else experience it? Or other thought disorders?? Does medication help? I have and have had a few other symptoms in this wikipedia article too. Thanks.
Posted by Phillipa on August 15, 2009, at 22:00:31
In reply to Thought blocking, posted by Angela2 on August 15, 2009, at 19:57:59
It sounds like she overwhelmed you with the fast talking and you got off track. Sure it was you and not her? Love Phillipa
Posted by Angela2 on August 15, 2009, at 22:14:50
In reply to Re: Thought blocking » Angela2, posted by Phillipa on August 15, 2009, at 22:00:31
I'm thinking it was a little of both.
Posted by HyperFocus on August 18, 2009, at 3:29:16
In reply to Thought blocking, posted by Angela2 on August 15, 2009, at 19:57:59
It happens to me too but is a side-effect if I take very high doses of amitriptyline. Just like you say I'll be in the middle of a sentence and then wham I have no idea what I was talking about. Can be embarrassing. Or I'll be searching for something online and then forget what I was searching for.
But what you described doesn't sound like a thought disorder from th article. The thought disorder sounds more like switching topics very rapidly, "a flight of ideas." Your symptom sounds more like a temporary cognitive difficulty, like mine. What additional symptoms do you have from the article? Did this happen before the Abilify?
Posted by Dinah on August 18, 2009, at 10:13:32
In reply to Thought blocking, posted by Angela2 on August 15, 2009, at 19:57:59
I do it all the time. I don't see it as a psychotic symptom. Sometimes, if I'm upset, it's dissociative. Other times it's meds or just one of those things that happens when I get tired or am not at my best. I also do word substitution at those times. My family is used to mentally (or verbally) putting in the correct word, but it can be confusing to others. And sometimes it's because I really wasn't paying much attention to what I was saying.
Are there some times when it happens more than others?
Posted by Angela2 on August 18, 2009, at 10:19:24
In reply to Re: Thought blocking » Angela2, posted by HyperFocus on August 18, 2009, at 3:29:16
HyperFocus, I have been on abilify for a long time. Before that, risperdal. Before that, I was shy and don't remember if I had the problem or not. I'm glad you brought this up though. I'll talk to my doc about it. We really haven't talked that much about it to the point where I understand what it is.
from artice I notice I have distractable speech. (But not all the time and try to contain myself lol), A tendency to go on tangents (not all the time), loss of goal (sometimes).
But I wonder...a lot of this just seems "quirky." Not something you'd need meds for. I mean when you think of the word psychotic, you think, out of control or something.
Posted by Dinah on August 18, 2009, at 10:26:45
In reply to Thought blocking, posted by Angela2 on August 15, 2009, at 19:57:59
I read the Wikipedia article, and I'm thinking that at least some of those things are perfectly normal on occasion, or are signs of anxiety or other issues. It's probably a question of degree.
I'd ask her to explain a bit more, and ask why she considers it a thought disorder.
Posted by Angela2 on August 18, 2009, at 10:33:56
In reply to Re: Thought blocking » Angela2, posted by Dinah on August 18, 2009, at 10:13:32
"Furthermore, although thought disorder is typically associated with psychosis, similar phenomena can appear in different disorders, potentially leading to misdiagnosis."
I just found this quote in the wikipedia article. I think I'd like to pay more attention to this in myself and research it more. I have noticed some of this in my own family members and they are not psychotic that I know of.
The "worst" thought disorder symptom sounds like it would be the "word salad," where someone talks and it is so incoherent you have no idea what they are saying. I don't have this.
To answer your question about does it happen more times than others...in therapy, my therapist noticed that I go on tangents. But I don't think I really do this in real life. It used to be when we first started seeing each other. And it was because I wanted her to understand everything about me and help me slove my problems quickly. I didn't want to be patient and wait for all that to come with time. I never told her this. Maybe I should.
I have distractable speech (sometimes I change subject) but it's not awful and It doesn't happen a mile a minute or anything. It's more when I am...distracted or nervous.
loss of goal (when you're talking about something then don't end with the subject you started on) is, to me, like thought blocking.
I get thought blocking...whenever. Sometimes I am completely fine. I do get it when I am nervous or don't feel comfortable.
I think I'm gonna bring this all up w/ my pdoc/therapist.
thanks y'all.
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