new article on Aphasia

[Jody]

Margib told me I should post this on here.

I have a new article up on empowher.com called Aphasia and the Loss of Language

 

[_Kim_]

I'm so glad Margib nudged you to post your article. I would add that I request that you post EVERY new article here. In this one, I learned so much. I didn't know about the four different kinds of aphasia. You're a wonderful writer Jody. Keep 'em coming.

 

[Jody]

Thanks, Kim.

And I think you are probably the person who posted a comment over on empowher, so thank you for that.

I have a few articles about neurotransmitters, and dementia ... I have thought maybe I should post them here. I kept seeing apparent similarities between cfs and dementia symptoms and the research gave me a slightly better grasp of some things I deal with. Maybe they will be helpful to other members as well.

I will post them over the next few days.

 

[annunziata]

At first, I had an Emily Litella moment and wondered what Aspasia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspasia had to do with CFS/ME. Never mind.

Jody, that was just excellent. So many people have laughed at me when I have told them that a simple sign, e.g., one saying "Fifth Avenue", suddenly has no meaning.

Thanks so much, this is something I can show to people who don't get it.

 

[Jody]

LOL

Annunziata,

I clicked on your Aspasia link and ... you must have wondered if you'd just got hit with Aphasia. A little cognitive shuffle going on.

As far as I know Aspasia is not connected to this condition we share ... but then so many things are a mystery connected with cfs, I wouldn't want to try to say for sure.

I have had experiences with Aphasia off and on throughout my illness, over some of the simplest, most astounding things sometimes. It is something probably most -- maybe all? -- of us have dealt with at one time or another.

 

[Sing]

Thank you, Jody, for bringing up this important symptom!

Substituting the wrong word, anomic aphasia, embarrasses and frightens me when speaking to another, because I am afraid they will think I am crazy or demented--that is, more demented than I am. What I am having is "technical difficulties"! I try to correct my mistake quickly, to move on quickly--

In general, being slow now to retrieve and express thoughts, I am not operating at the same speed as most others. What I find is that others are apt to react impatiently and to try to spur me on (as if I were a slow, lazy horse). But I can't go faster, and the pressure, plus my attempts to speed up, take away from the communication in various ways.

I find I speak, in these circumstances, with canned thoughts and expressions. Trying to go faster than I can, a whole conversation can pass inauthentically like this. At the end, I am drained for hours, and yet nothing of value, in my view, has been communicated.

My conversations, I should explain, are not with people I see all the time as I live alone, but with friends or relatives I only see very occasionally. So these people haven't been around me that much and therefore, haven't been "trained"!

I will have to try to explain my condition, this part of it anyway, better than I have. I seldom try since my experience is that people either don't get it, or if they seem to, don't adjust their own style to work with mine. I think I need to persist!

Thank you for this recognition of a significant difficulty. It helps to put it on the social map. From here it is easier to act. This is empowering.

Cecelia

 

[Victoria]

As far as I know Aspasia is not connected to this condition we share ... but then so many things are a mystery connected with cfs, I wouldn't want to try to say for sure.

I have had experiences with Aphasia off and on throughout my illness, over some of the simplest, most astounding things sometimes. It is something probably most -- maybe all? -- of us have dealt with at one time or another.

Jody,

I think I've always had trouble finding the right words in social conversations , but it's only in the last 2-3 months that I'm having trouble interpreting what work colleagues say. My Boss is the worst, though. I am often having to ask him to repeat himself & speak slower.

Words trip off his tongue at an incredible pace.

I'm certainly gaining an apreciation of how hard the elderly have to listen & think at a slower pace.

 

[Sing]

Speed, etc.

Yes, Victoria, my analogy is that my brain has become like a slow computer or conveyer belt which is easily overloaded and then malfunctions until the track is cleared and the speed of input is slowed down.

Movies or TV overload my system with the speed of changing images, loud noise and words. Don't add translation from the French or Spanish underneath too! Now I only go to about 2 movies a year and use earplugs partially pushed in to muffle the sound. I sometimes shut my eyes. And I don't have a TV or computer at home which cuts down on that use. As for fast talking people, unfortunately I only hear part of what they say and have to work real hard to try to get the jist so I can hope to have an idea of what details to grab, but end up failing at some of this.

I sympathize with you having your boss talk that way. If only he could communicate by writing when it is really important so you could take in and digest all the information.

Cecelia

 

[Jody]

Thank you, Jody, for bringing up this important symptom!

Substituting the wrong word, anomic aphasia, embarrasses and frightens me when speaking to another, because I am afraid they will think I am crazy or demented--that is, more demented than I am. What I am having is "technical difficulties"! I try to correct my mistake quickly, to move on quickly--

In general, being slow now to retrieve and express thoughts, I am not operating at the same speed as most others. What I find is that others are apt to react impatiently and to try to spur me on (as if I were a slow, lazy horse). But I can't go faster, and the pressure, plus my attempts to speed up, take away from the communication in various ways.

I find I speak, in these circumstances, with canned thoughts and expressions. Trying to go faster than I can, a whole conversation can pass inauthentically like this. At the end, I am drained for hours, and yet nothing of value, in my view, has been communicated.

My conversations, I should explain, are not with people I see all the time as I live alone, but with friends or relatives I only see very occasionally. So these people haven't been around me that much and therefore, haven't been "trained"!

I will have to try to explain my condition, this part of it anyway, better than I have. I seldom try since my experience is that people either don't get it, or if they seem to, don't adjust their own style to work with mine. I think I need to persist!

Thank you for this recognition of a significant difficulty. It helps to put it on the social map. From here it is easier to act. This is empowering.

Cecelia

Cecelia,

This is such a common problem for so many of us with cfs.

I'm glad you found this article to be helpful. And ... empowered? Fantastic.

(Did you choose that word because I wrote this article for empowher.com? There you go, your brain is working better than you thought. )