The same thing happens to me too. I hate it cause it makes it look like I am less intelligent than what I am. I wouldn't call yourself stupid though, it's just the nerves that get to in which makes you forget words. Yes its irritating but doesn't mean your stupid. Remember that.

 

YES!! I can relate, 100%. I guess it probably has to do with being distracted by our inner dialogue and anxiety.... But I also sometimes wonder if it's another symptom of some underlying issue that is causing the original anxiety. Some researchers say that gut bacteria plays a large role in anxiety, as well as vitamin deficiencies and too little omega 3, etc. I wonder if other brain function is compromised by whatever causes anxiety. (God forbid it be a serious brain problem.)

I make endless dumb mistakes, faulty judgments, silly errors, memory lapses, it never ends. At least 10 times a day I have moments of "oh, duh! What was I thinking?" when somebody has to correct my mistake or help me figure out something simple. And obviously feeling stupid and careless doesn't exactly do wonders for self esteem! I wish I knew what to do. Sometimes I feel like I'm going crazy..but I know what I'm experiencing is real. It feels like it's out of my control... I've considered talking to a doctor about it because I feel it is that serious, but I have a feeling I would just get some eye rolls and nothing more.

I am so glad I'm not alone in this! It is so frustrating and scary when you can literally FEEL your memory and intelligence slipping.

You say you didn't have these cognitive issues before anxiety became a problem for you... May I ask if it came on suddenly for you? I'm just curious if there are any other parallels between our cases.

Can anyone else reading relate to this??

 

I always feel like I come across as less intelligent than I am when I talk to people. I stumble over my words and a lot of the time it can make it sound like my thoughts aren't straight or don't make sense, which can come across as being stupid.

It wasn't so much a problem all the way through high school because I went to a small school where everyone was aware of the grades everyone generally got, so everyone knew that I did well in school. Because of that and because it was a small school and they all knew me for years, they knew the problem was just with talking to people.

Since starting college though, it's a bigger school and no one has a clue how you're doing grades wise unless you share. Now I'll have some people who talk to me as if I'm less intelligent than they are, and they can be really obvious about it too. It drives me crazy, but I don't even know how to call them out on it. It's not even the majority of people. Most people treat me just fine. It's just that there's this small number of people who've all done it, and it makes me feel the absolute worst when it happens. Sometimes I feel down for weeks after it happens.

 

Yes I have this problem too, it's really bad. I find I've gotten a bit better because I've been socializing a lot more than usual, but it's still a huge issue in my life. I feel as if everyone just thinks i'm a huge idiot who's lesser than them.

 

I never would have imagine that so many people had the same issue as me. This happens to me about 90 percent of the time and its so frustrating

 

Yes, I could have wrote that thread myself!! Word for word that is me!! Soon as I started feeling judged by people n my SA began I no longer done half as well in school , I can't have conversations about anything intelligent cause I can't remember the facts , n even when speaking I forget the word I wanted to use n have to use a different one that doesn't work as well in the sentence..

 

I used to be consistently at the top of the class, destroying my competition through grade school.

Now I can't seem to focus as well and no longer at the top, it sucks not being able to do well in the one thing you were always good at. Even though I wasn't banging *****es or scoring touchdowns I was getting those A's.

 

yes i feel this way sometimes

 

When anxious people usually over-think and worry a lot, that tires out the brain and is exhausting.

 

Wow....this thread is me, exactly.

So far, I've chalked it uo to aging (45yo male), but this gives me something else to consider.

 

It doesn't matter if you're 20 or 50, excessive rumination and worry (very common in people with SA) will effect your ability to think clearly and can cause fatigue and depression.

The good news is, it doesn't matter if you're 20 or 50, you can train yourself to think and worry less, which will noticeably boost your mood, your ability to focus, your creativity and your energy levels.

Things like deep breathing, mindfulness, meditation, walks in nature and yoga can all help you to train your mind to be naturally calmer.

Also using your senses, practice tuning into them. Take a moment to just listen, take a walk and focus on your sense of smell, when eating something you enjoy focus on your sense of taste. This can help take you out of your mind and into the present.

 

I have this problem exactly but you've worded it better than I ever could. The problem I have now is other people year me like I'm stupid and talk down to me like I'm slow. I find with me my mind just goes blank, I then get nervous and start stumbling words.

 

Meow,

What you are going through could be related to a physical illness that needs attending. It could also be a side effect of a medicine that needs to changed completely or have the dosage adjusted. So, be sure to have regular exams and tell your doctor any symptoms you are experiencing.

You are certainly not losing your intelligence even if this is due to social anxiety. I've struggled with low self esteem a lot and I really believe that a lot of it is due to something physical that is undiagnosed or that doctors don't know about yet. I go through periods of time where I feel much better physically and emotionally. Other times, I feel like withdrawing from society.

If your confidence levels are effected by certain people or situations, I know how frustrating it can be. We recently had a birthday party for my son at our home. I noticed that I acted more like I use to before my self esteem worsened. I was in my own domain, my territory. I felt in control of the situation. In situations where I am not in control, I often feel uncertain or at the mercy of others. So, if you can create situations where you are more comfortable and relaxed, try to make it happen. I think it will help you build your confidence and be better prepared when you are in situations that are tense.

Surround yourself with people of like minded opinions and who make you feel valued as much as possible. With my social anxiety, I often begin to imagine that all my old friends or acquaintances think I'm odd and don't like me, but it is usually my vivid imagination and negative self talk. Maybe you could invite over some people you have good memories with; not anyone you are certain you have a conflict with. Then, just see what happens. Invite them to your home, to a restaurant, a ball game or whatever you use to enjoy doing together.

 

Yes. My brain is so jumpy I can't focus clearly on my goals or anything else when I'm anxious.

 

Yes, I get so nervous saying more than a couple words or a sentence even with people I've known for years, even if I like them or enjoy their company. I can fake it at times but it takes a lot out of me. Most of what I say is pretty stupid anyhow.

 

I am highly intelligent by book and university gpa standards, but I have been called an "airhead" in interviews in the past, so yes I can totally relate. I also have a hard time verbalizing things clearly when I'm anxious. When my anxiety is not as high I can do better. It's all about focus on things outside of myself, like others, for me. I find as soon as I start thinking of people judging me, that's when I really fumble my words, my thoughts and space out.

 

OP, these are also symptoms of sleeplessness and sleep disorders. Are you getting 8 hours sleep a night?

 

Yes, I get like this, too. I also have trouble with math sometimes because of all the anxiety clouding my head.

 

This! I can't do math in front of others, my brain just shuts down. It has been like this since I was a child though. I used to go to the bathroom because I was afraid the teacher would ask me to calculate something in class. It's not thatI'm bad at math I'm just afraid too look stupid I guess

 

I get my word's mumbled up all the time since I have had sa as a kid it never happened so I think people think im dumb witch I am to some point

 

Yes. I expend my energy on worries instead of reality. I need to be more mindful. I don't like my voice and I worry about which words to select when talking to someone.

 

It doesn't directly "dumb me down," but it puts me at a disadvantage to those without considerable social/general anxiety. I don't have the ability to converse face-to-face, sharing ideas and modifying perspectives, for one instance -- so I have no choice to but to overcompensate by researching/debating online frequently to catch up to my peers.

But it sounds like OP is referring to articulation. Articulation is an art form often exercised in social situations. It takes a lot of practice, confidence, and a decent aptitude in general language (written and spoken). But it is definitely not an absolute indicator of intelligence, how well you speak. Anxiety definitely puts the speaker at a major disadvantage, for even if they do have the knowledge that will direct the flow of their words, trembling nerves can bring down the entire foundation.

Personally, I have trouble with articulation, though I have slightly improved this through both mandatory schooling (presentations and speeches may cause me the most anxiety, but hell, they helped a lot with conquering my fear so as to allow me to speak more easily) and personal endeavors. For one example, sometime a few months ago, I decided to start making vlogs. I'd literally just ramble at the webcam, alone in the room, for a half hour to an hour, then upload the video to YouTube. The words seemed to flow through me easier every time I pressed the record button; I don't second guess my words as much before speaking nor get caught up in how I might sound "awkward" or "unintelligible."

The truth is, everyone is bound to flub up sometime or another. Speaking is improvisation. You can't plan out your words or go back to edit like in writing, nor can you expect everything to flow out in a perfectly organized, concise manner without ample practice. The best public speakers out there aren't natural wordsmiths; they had to work at it just like any other art form.

The flawed thinking here is that speaking/articulation is something that we should naturally be proficient at. We probably assume, since most humans have the ability to vocalize their thoughts and do so regularly since the age of 1 or 2 years, that we should be masters at this age of 20 or 30 or 90 years. We take the skill of oration for granted; an inherent capability of all humans, when the reality is that we are all different. We all have different obstacles in life. One that happens to inhibit articulation and general social finesse is anxiety.

Tl;dr: Practice speaking. Even alone. Have debates with yourself. Even play some instrumental music in the background so you won't be so hyper focused on how you sound. Once you feel semi comfortable with speaking alone, try to graduate to higher anxiety levels of speaking, i.e. recording yourself speaking about a specific topic, or better yet, improvising topics on webcam, then uploading the vlog requesting feedback on certain aspects such as articulation, enunciation, organization, etc. Then graduate to casual conversation with family/friends, larger groups, so on.

Oh, and if you've ever heard of the film, "The King's Speech," watch that. It's about the recently appointed King George VI of England overcoming a severe stuttering problem, which is based in speech anxiety.

 

Totally think anxiety holds everyone back in day to day conversations for sure. I can't tell you how many times I've jumbled words here and there if someone catches me off guard with a question and my brain just shuts down temporarily.

I mean i've heard people say that if you sit there with anxiety telling yourself that you are acting irregular then it shows in body language. So even though I know I really can't do anything or change anything I try and let other people do most of the talking so the focus is not on myself.

 

I know I have gotten dumber (lol). I find myself struggling to spell words I know how to spell, to the point I can even get a basic letter combination out so that I could google it.
I get horrific migraines, which is a bit of a circular relationship with social anxiety- bad migraines leads me to not want to leave the house because of the noise and light, and my pain levels.
So I think part of my dumbification is due to drugs. The other part is social withdrawal, I think when you are not having just conversation regularly (sometimes I go days without talking to another person), you lose social skills, communications and that impacts on your cognitive base. At least I feel like this is what is happening for me anyway.

 

I have experienced this problem on several occasions throughout my life and it was so frustrating for me because I couldn't figure out what was wrong with me. I've had so many embarrassing social experiences because of this and like many other people on here are saying, I have also had the experience of people thinking that I am slow or not so intelligent because of it. I have also been ridiculed for it.

 

100% me