Lately, I am unable to think and talk clearly. What could be the reason?

Question

Hello doctor,

I am a 20 year old male. I have had speech difficulties since I was a kid. Now, it has progressed, and it is hard to say what I am thinking. I tend to have slow speech and thinking. Of late, it has been getting worse. I have to carefully think of what to say when I talk. I feel like my mouth cannot connect to my brain. I know exactly what I want to say, but when I actually try to say it, it comes out slow and unclear. My relationship with my dad is deteriorating due to this. I seem distant and absent. When he tries to talk to me, I find it hard to pay attention and it has caused me to be completely quiet. I find isolation to be relaxing. I hate this personality of mine because it can cause an anger outburst as I cannot express myself clearly. All this terrifies me. I am not sure if it is Asperger syndrome or because of head trauma. Please help me. I am not sure who I am anymore. I do not have a defined personality. I weigh 260 pounds. I work 50 plus hours a week. I am a very hard worker. I recently got health insurance at work. I played football for four years. I believe that I have a mental disorder and would appreciate help in identifying what it could be.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I can understand your concern. I do not think it is Asperger syndrome. You are facing progressive difficulty in talking to some people, especially with your dad. You have mentioned that there is slowness of speech and you are not able to express what you want to speak. This could be due to some underlying anxiety. Anxiety can cause a loss of focus, poor attention and symptoms like the ones you are experiencing. Since you have insurance, I would advise you to consult a psychiatrist for evaluation of the symptoms. Your specialist will prescribe drugs like Fluoxetine or Fluvoxamine to treat you. Even behavior therapy and relaxation exercises can control the symptoms and will make your speech normal. So please talk to a psychiatrist for treatment of the symptoms. Take care.