Pressured/ excessive speech without Bipolar?

[Blahblah]

Hoping someone has some insight…. This is typically a symptom of Bipolar /hypomania, but all of my symptoms are persistent depression (low mood, apathy, lethargy, no energy, negative ruminations).

For years, I’ve the habit of excessive/ pressured speech. People literally must interrupt me. If it's someone i know (not a stranger), I often start talking louder if they try to reply so i don’t lose train of thought.

I am not usually extroverted. At moment, I’m isolated/ very unsocial (due to depression). I start talking non-stop while trying to explain something (to a doctor, for example). People  must cut me off because I literally can’t stop going on in repetitive detail.

What is this? I feel a need to “over-explain” verbosely when I communicate. (on topic, I don’t go off on tangents)

[DogMan]

I can't say for sure. But anxiety can cause both racing/loud thoughts as well as pressured speech

 

 

[Blahblah]

Maybe you're right. I can't figure out what it is. I don't feel "anxious" per se, but perhaps unconsciously, it's an automatic response due to anxiety or distress. I can barely stop myself anymore.

Its VERY problematic & embarrassing, but every time I take an anti-anxiety type med i get even more lethargic and dissociated. Guess I must just bite my tongue?

(add) Apparently, I also do this after a couple drinks (when I'm not anxious) so in that situation, it seems a bit more like hypomania, no?

Edited November 4, 2021 by Blahblah

[ChunkOfCheesecake]

On 11/4/2021 at 6:51 AM, Blahblah said:

but every time I take an anti-anxiety type med i get even more lethargic and dissociated. Guess I must just bite my tongue?

What type of anti-anxiety med? SSRI/SNRI, benzo, AP? And the pressured speech gets worse when taking?

--

The could be a lot of things-- I actually went through this for a brief time.

To throw some ideas out there:

- Anxiety, as mentioned (this could fit with the over-explaining-- to alleviate an anxious continuous train of thought)

- A med/substance affecting (dampening) the cognitive cues (i.e. parts of the brain) to know when to let another person speak/reply. An SNRI did this to me; it was embarrassing.

 

Edited December 2, 2021 by ChunkOfCheesecake

[Blahblah]

Thanks @ChunkOfCheesecake it actually became an issue when I started Ritalin several years ago, but the overexplaining (often in absence of ritalin), yes I think that is due to underlying anxiety....

But having this symptom alone does not make me Bipolar, correct? Previously, it would happen when drinking (while in a loud bar for example, where talking louder would make sense in that case) I had friends that would do the same thing while drinking (talk excessively, loud, difficult to interrupt) sometimes I think my hearing is decreased.

[ChunkOfCheesecake]

@Blahblah- BP is usually a see-saw shift in moods, and energy/motivation; which eventually affects judgment.

Pressured/rapid speech can occur during these shifts, but that alone doesn't mean someone has BP.

Breaking this problem down further might help:

Is it situational, or is it every time you talk to someone you know, or a doctor?

- If it's situational only, then maybe a trigger has occurred (stress, anxiety, something is bothering you)

- if it's every time, then it could be from a medication, or anxiety is generally high. (I believe ADHD has this as a symptom?).

You mentioned Ritalin; are you still taking it? It is a dopamine / norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor. So that has potential-- but I'm not a doctor and I haven't researched this med very much.

 

Edited December 3, 2021 by ChunkOfCheesecake

[CrazyRedhead]

On 12/2/2021 at 7:37 AM, Blahblah said:

  sometimes I think my hearing is decreased.

Talking loudly can possibly be a symptom of hearing loss.....Maybe think about getting a hearing test?

https://www.ziphearing.com/blog/talking-loudly-quietly-hearing-test/