Mind Blankness

[DillJenkins]

But it happens because we are too nervous that our minds just go blank, I suppose.

I have researched this blank mind and have some conclusions as to what is happening in brain.

They have done PET scans determining cerebral blood flow for people with SA. Basically there is less activity in the thinking and planning centers of the brain and more activity in the "fight or flight" parts.

This means that under the anxiety producing condition, your brain literally cant think because its in fight or flight mode. Imagine trying to have a conversation with someone whilst an unleashed Lion was in the room. This is similar to how our brains work except you change "lion" to "human".

It all aboot invalid threat recognition I believe.

Heres some more info..... http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11481154?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_SingleItemSupl.Pubmed_Discovery_RA&linkpos=3&log$=relatedarticles&logdbfrom=pubmed

 

[redski]

Thanks, finally somebody posts something like this.
Cheers

 

[recluse]

I have this problem even with my closest family. I went to my gran's house the other day because something had happened to her tv, and i just wanted to go straight back home but obviously my gran wanted me to stay cos she get's lonely. I just sat there not knowing what to say, and i feel so damn awkward all the time.

I know i am fairly intelligent but when it comes to conversation i get blank. Sometimes i think of something to say but i'm scared of saying it too.

 

[nickbutler88]

Yeah I completely see where you're coming from! I am utterly pathetic and useless when it comes to conversation starters, particularly awkward if it's one on one as well. It's not so bad if there are more than just two of you, as you can kind of just hang back and listen to what the other two are saying while you filter through your mind possible things you can add. But when there's just two of you there's more pressure because you have to be a fast thinker. For me this is painfully embarrassing as my head is slow. I hate asking questions like "how are you" as I find it to be really insincere and only ever used to fill the silence, and only leads to a dead end. I have tried coming out with something unconventional and random, but for some reason this never seems to get much of a positive response. I'm not so bad in all cases, it depends on my mood or whether something particularly good or bad happened to me that day... I tend to avoid social situations whenever I can though, which I know is bad, but I feel so inferior to others and get really down when I overhear others having a conversation... I envy how others can think of something so simple and so quick, something which would take me ages to think of myself... then after obsessively pondering it for some time I think of something good to say when the moment's gone

 

[caringsoul]

Yeah im like that most of the time, sometimes i can be chatty, but it depends whether or not i am in a happier mood. I find i can communicate better and think quickly when i am feeling a bit happier, and the reason why i get blank alot is because im not happy and so my mind is not concentrating well on whatever happening. Thats me, and i know this is the reason. Also because my brain isnt functioning because im not doing much in my life. this is me, some people can talk so much and be so interestinng even when they have no friends. Its different for different people.

 

[JosephG]

I have problems with this too! I will literally have nothing to say in response to someone after the initial small talk passes. Next follows the awkward silence.
I think the thing to do sometimes is just accept the silence. Just accept that you can't think of anything to say and don't sweat about it. Remember that the other person you are talking to is also going through exactly the same thing and it may be them who in fact is thinking the same thing as you.

I think you should still go for the plan of action you mentioned in your first post. Start small and perhaps plan ahead a little too. Maybe when you join your housemates in the communal kitchen you could ask your housemates questions about topics you have brushed up a bit on such as current affairs/news. For example: Have you seen eminem has got a new album out? Do you like his work? etccc
but I think the key is for you to try and bend the conversation towards something you are interested about. Because then if you are genuinely interested in the conversation you will have genuine responses and should converse much more naturally.
Just a few tips there- I know first hand it is harder said than done! But anyway good luck and I hope everything goes well for you

 

[T T T]

I know how you feel. People end up thinking you're boring or arrogant; believing you are too good for them, even though I know from my own experience, that this isn't true. It's heartbreaking to be surrounded by people you want to know and you want them to know you, but you are physically unable to conjour up anything worth saying.

All I can suggest, the baby steps you mention, is to surround yourself with nice, open minded people, and just be with them and not push yourself to say anything. If you can eventually begin to relax around people, then you might be able to start the baby steps you mentioned.

 

[mikebird]

I agree

There's a void

When I run out of thoughts...

 

[kihira]

...and the less you have in common with someone, the blanker the mind gets

 

[Hottie]

I was gona type something....but my mind went blank!!!

 

[Hastings & Main]

I have researched this blank mind and have some conclusions as to what is happening in brain.

They have done PET scans determining cerebral blood flow for people with SA. Basically there is less activity in the thinking and planning centers of the brain and more activity in the "fight or flight" parts.

This means that under the anxiety producing condition, your brain literally cant think because its in fight or flight mode. Imagine trying to have a conversation with someone whilst an unleashed Lion was in the room. This is similar to how our brains work except you change "lion" to "human".

It all aboot invalid threat recognition I believe.

Heres some more info..... Cerebral blood flow in subjects with social phobia... [Am J Psychiatry. 2001] - PubMed result

This makes perfect sense.

I was in a store today and an attractive woman did a double-take when I went behind her in the checkout, and she kept looking back @ me for... something. I'm guessing she thought I was okay looking & trying to get my attention? Anyways, I just had "What the hell am I supposed to do now?" going through my brain until she left.

Only as I went out the doors almost right after did I calm down & thought, "All ya hadda do was look at her, smile, nod, say Hi, how's it going. No one would have died. You weren't proposing marriage or entering a lifelong contract. It's just: Smile. Nod. Say "Hi, how's it going". You dumbass."

This happened about three more times today. Man, it's lonely being with this brain.
Feeling like a dope right after these incidents just adds to the crappiness of it all.

Can't they just open up your brain, take a little of that 'fight or flight' stuff out of the tank so it evens out?