Compulsive talking (or talkaholism) is talking that goes beyond the bounds of what is considered to be socially acceptable.[1] The main factors in determining if someone is a compulsive talker are talking in a continuous manner or stopping only when the other person starts talking, and others perceiving their talking as a problem. Personality traits that have been positively linked to this compulsion include assertiveness, willingness to communicate, self-perceived communication competence, and neuroticism.[2] Studies have shown that most people who are talkaholics are aware of the amount of talking they do, are unable to stop, or do not see it as a problem.[3]
It has been suggested, through research done by James C. McCroskey and Virginia P. Richmond, that United States society finds talkativeness attractive.[4] It is something which is rewarded and positively correlated with leadership and influence.[1] However, those who compulsively talk are not to be confused with those who are simply highly verbal and vary their quantity of talk. Compulsive talkers are those who are highly verbal in a manner that differs greatly from the norm and is not in the person's best interest.[2] Those who have been characterized as compulsive talkers talk with a greater frequency, dominate conversations, and are less inhibited than others.[1] They have also been found to be more argumentative and have a positive attitude regarding communication.[1] Tendencies towards compulsive talking also are more frequently seen in the personality structure of neurotic psychotic extraverts.[5] It has also been found that talkaholics are never behaviorally shy.[4]
Talkaholic scale
In 1993 James C. McCroskey and Virginia P. Richmond constructed the Talkaholic Scale, a Likert-type model, to help identify those who are compulsive talkers. A score of 40 or above, which indicates two standard deviations above the norm, would signal someone to be a true talkaholic.[2]
Cultural similarities
A study of 811 university students in the United States found 5.2% had results indicating they were talkaholics. A similar study of students from New Zealand found similar results, with 4.7% scoring above 40.[6]
Consequences and management
Compulsive talking can drive people away, which in turn can leave that person with no social support.[7] Interrupting, another act that is associated with talkaholics, can signal to other people a lack of respect.[7]
According to Elizabeth Wagele, an author of best-selling books on personality types, there are different ways to handle compulsive talkers. Such coping techniques include changing the focus of the conversation, taking attention away from the talkaholic, leaving the conversation, and creating a distraction.[8]
In psychology, logorrhea or logorrhoea (from Ancient Greek Ξ»ΟΞ³ΞΏΟ logos "word" and αΏ₯ΞΟ rheo "to flow") is a communication disorder that causes excessive wordiness and repetitiveness, which can cause incoherency. Logorrhea is sometimes classified as a mental illness, though it is more commonly classified as a symptom of mental illness or brain injury. This ailment is often reported as a symptom of Wernicke's aphasia, where damage to the language processing center of the brain creates difficulty in self-centered speech.
Characteristics
Logorrhea is characterized by the constant need to talk.[1] Occasionally, patients suffering from logorrhea may produce speech with normal prosody and a slightly fast speech rate.[2] Other related symptoms include the use of neologisms (new words without clear derivation, e.g. hipidomateous for hippopotamus), words that bear no apparent meaning, and, in some extreme cases, the creation of new words and morphosyntactic constructions. From the "stream of unchecked nonsense often under pressure and the lack of self-correction" that the patient may exhibit, and their circumlocution (the ability to talk around missing words) we may conclude that they are unaware of the grammatical errors they are making.[3]
Examples of logorrhea
When a clinician said, "Tell me what you do with a comb", to a patient suffering from mild Wernicke's aphasia (which produces the symptom of logorrhea), the patient responded:
"What do I do with a comb ... what I do with a comb. Well a comb is a utensil or some such thing that can be used for arranging and rearranging the hair on the head both by men and by women. One could also make music with it by putting a piece of paper behind and blowing through it. Sometimes it could be used in art – in sculpture, for example, to make a series of lines in soft clay. It's usually made of plastic and usually black, although it comes in other colors. It is carried in the pocket or until it's needed, when it is taken out and used, then put back in the pocket. Is that what you had in mind?"[4]
In this case, the patient maintained proper grammar and did not exhibit any signs of neologisms. However, the patient did use an overabundance of speech in responding to the clinician, as most people would simply respond, "I use a comb to comb my hair."
In a more extreme version of logorrhea aphasia, a clinician asked a male patient, also with Wernicke's aphasia, what brought him to the hospital. The patient responded:
"Is this some of the work that we work as we did before? ... All right ... From when wine [why] I'm here. What's wrong with me because I ... was myself until the taenz took something about the time between me and my regular time in that time and they took the time in that time here and that's when the time took around here and saw me around in it's started with me no time and I bekan [began] work of nothing else that's the way the doctor find me that way..."[5]
In this example, the patient's aphasia was much more severe. Not only was this a case of logorrhea, but this included neologisms (such as "taenz" for "stroke" and "regular time" for "regular bath")[6] and a loss of proper sentence structure.
Causes
Logorrhea has been shown to be associated with traumatic brain injuries in the frontal lobe[7] as well as with lesions in the thalamus[8][9] and the ascending reticular inhibitory system[10] and has been associated with aphasia.[11] Logorrhea can also result from a variety of psychiatric and neurological disorders[10] including tachypsychia,[1] mania,[12] hyperactivity,[13] catatonia,[14] ADHD and schizophrenia.
Aphasias
Wernicke's aphasia, amongst other aphasias, are often associated with logorrhea. Aphasia refers to the neurological disruption of language that occurs as a consequence of brain dysfunction. For a patient to truly have an aphasia, they cannot have been diagnosed with any other medical condition that may affect their cognition.[citation needed] Logorrhea is a common symptom of Wernicke's aphasia, along with circumlocution, paraphasias, and neologisms. Often a patient with aphasia may present all of these symptoms at one time.[citation needed]
Treatment
Excessive talking may be a symptom of an underlying illness and should be addressed by a medical provider if combined with hyperactivity or symptoms of mental illness, such as hallucinations.[15] Treatment of logorrhea depends on its underlying disorder, if any. Antipsychotics are often used, and lithium is a common supplement given to manic patients.[1] For patients with lesions of the brain, attempting to correct their errors may upset and anger the patients, since the language center of their brain may not be able to process that what they are saying is incorrect and wordy.[citation needed]
Dear Annie: I read the letter from “Speechless in Omaha,” whose friend, “Sharon,” wouldn’t stop talking. I am a physician and also the mother of an adult son with a serious mental illness. Sharon’s speech is suggestive of “pressured speech,” which is a hallmark of bipolar mania or hypomania. It also could be caused by extreme anxiety, certain drugs and occasionally schizophrenia and other illnesses. The person talks rapidly, nonstop, loudly and with urgency, interrupts and is hard to interrupt, and can be tangential (off topic).
Mental illnesses commonly start in young people in their late teens or early 20s. However, people who are not severely afflicted can go undiagnosed for years, and Sharon is described as having been talkative and tangential for some time. The best thing “Speechless” can do is encourage Sharon to see a doctor. She might start by asking Sharon whether she has been under stress or feeling anxious lately.
People with mental illnesses often do not perceive that there is anything wrong with them. If “Speechless” knows her friend’s doctor, informing him or her of her observations would be very helpful. Though a provider can never divulge anything about a patient without consent, it is perfectly legal and often invaluable for them to receive information about a patient.
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— Vermont Reader
Dear Vermont: Thank you for your expertise. Our readers were eager to weigh in on the various possibilities of dealing with Sharon. Read on for more:
From Florida: Sharon sounds like she may have ADHD. I have a friend like that: very bright, entertaining and a mouth going a mile a minute, unable to contain herself. I love her, and she drives me nuts. She now can focus more if I remind her.
Texas: There is a good possibility that Sharon is on diet pills or uppers.
Midwest: It would be better in the long run to tell Sharon the truth. She should take Sharon’s hand, look directly into her eyes and say, “Do you realize that you do all of the talking and interrupt me constantly? I feel like you have no interest in me at all.” This is the kindest and bravest thing to do (it’s called moral courage), and it’s better not to indulge her friend’s greed for attention.
California: She might inquire whether Sharon has increased her coffee intake. I have seen people order a quadruple shot of espresso at a coffee store and get unbelievably chatty. That was enough for me to switch to decaf.
Ohio: There is a possibility that Sharon could be in an early stage of dementia. I have two friends who had been great conversationalists and slightly self-centered. They became more so, dominating the conversations, veering back to familiar subjects, deflecting questions to familiar ground, rarely asking questions in conversation. To continue a friendship in these situations is difficult, but it’s easier if you understand the cause and limit the amount of time in each contact.
Louisiana: You should have mentioned the possibility of bipolar disorder. Sharon sounds as though she could be in the early manic phase. Other signs would include weight loss, lack of sleep and out-of-control spending.
New York: Sharon has a compulsive disorder. Maybe an intervention is necessary. Cut a piece of duct tape about 6 inches long, and the next time you see her, place the tape over her mouth with a big smile and say, “Now maybe someone else can talk for a change.” If she gets angry and decides to “unfriend” you, you haven’t lost much. She is too self-centered to be interested in you anyway. (Dear Readers: We don’t recommend this one. — Annie)
Dear Annie: My daughter and I recently hosted a bridal shower in my home. We planned a fun event and took special pains with the food and drink offered.
I was terribly offended when several guests came with their own large sodas. We had lemonade, iced tea and water all served in crystal pitchers with lemon slices. Meanwhile, their big plastic cups with straws were not a pretty sight, especially when they plopped them down on my end tables.
Please tell people that when they are invited to someone’s home where refreshments will be served, it is rude to bring their own.
— Not a Fan of the Big Gulp
Dear Fan: Consider them told. But don’t expect them to listen. Too many folks do not understand what appropriate behavior means — and resent any attempt to be educated about it.
Dear Annie: “Retiree in Florida” took issue with a reader who said his widowed father sold the family house and used the proceeds to buy a new one with his new wife. She said whatever assets she built up with her husband are for her children, not his next wife.
When my wife died, the first thing I did was replace the old carpeting and repaint the inside of the house to get rid of the smoke smell from her cigarette habit. When I remarried, I moved. If any of my children say I should have given them money from the sale of the house, I will tell them that if they want money, they should go to work.
If I had died first, my wife could have done the same thing. If “Retiree” wants the kids to get the house, she should put it in the will.
— Happier Now Than Ever
Send your questions to anniesmailbox@comcast.net, or Annie’s Mailbox, c/o Creators Syndicate, 5777 W. Century Blvd., Ste. 700, Los Angeles, CA 90045.
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