Pressured Speech
Pressured speech is speech at an accelerated or frenetic pace that conveys urgency seemingly inappropriate to the situation. It is often difficult for listeners to interrupt pressured speech, and the speech may be too rapid to understand. Pressured speech may be incoherent. Pressured speech occurs on a continuum and may range from extremely fast talking to completely incoherent, garbled speech.
What Causes Pressured Speech?
Pressured speech may be caused by thought issues referred to as flight of ideas. In flight of ideas, the concepts running through the speaker’s head are moving too quickly or too incoherently for the speaker to intelligently articulate them. Stimulant drugs such as cocaine can cause pressured speech. The phenomenon can also be caused by a number of illnesses, including schizophrenia and mania. People experiencing extreme anxiety may also exhibit pressured speech.
Pressured speech is not in itself a disorder or illness. Rather, it is symptomatic of other mental health conditions. A related condition, cluttering, may cause people to exhibit patterns similar to pressured speech, but is caused by a language disorder and is marked by distinct patterns of speech.
Is There Treatment for Pressured Speech?
Because pressured speech is not in itself a disorder, treatment depends upon the underlying cause. In some cases, the speech pattern is due to a temporary bout of anxiety or extreme stress and may go away on its own. When pressured speech co-occurs with other symptoms, clinicians may conduct evaluations to determine the cause. Clinicians may conduct tests to ensure a brain injury is not the cause. When the symptom is caused by a mental illness, psychiatrists and doctors may prescribe a number of psychoactive drugs in some cases to improve symptoms. Talk therapy can also be helpful for people with anxiety-inducing mental illnesses that result in pressured speech.
References:
- American Psychological Association. APA concise dictionary of psychology. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association, 2009. Print.
- Kring, A. M., Johnson, S. L., Davison, G. C., & Neale, J. M. (2010). Abnormal psychology. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.
Last Updated: 03-24-2016
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Judy
September 20th, 2016 at 11:28 PMHello there,
My speaking input ,often articulate, tends to be urgent at times depending on the situation or trigger and my anxious need to be heard and understood .
It is often long winded as iItry to express myself in as few words as possible which is sometimes difficult.
My father recently made reference to a friend he knew who had a crooked nose When he asked why it was crooked and the friend explained that it was because he was talking when he should have been listening!
I try to say as little as possible knowing that anything I say,particularly when my brothers are around with or without their spouses.is reluctantly received or on occassion , ignored.
I think its the intensity of my voice . So its a vicious circle.
I have been attending acting workshops in past few years and one of my teachers commented one day , that i waffled. Which upset me a great deal.
I dont like the sound of my voice. My mother was deaf and there was intensity in her voice also which I believe was a result of my father’s seeming indifference. He was often silent and emotionally distant. A man of few words.
Nowadays he wears hearing aids but sometimes chooses not to wear them because he doesnt wish to hear. He speaks and says what he needs but then he cant hear any response,often by choice.
One of my brothers tends to be quite chatty. He can speak as much as he wants. And my father always is happy to hear him.
I wonder if he told him what he told me about his friend who incidentally hung himself,not sure how long ago that was.
I do try to be quiet but some triggers make it hard not to respond ,in my defence.
I see a psychologist who is very supportive and my tendancy for tangental speech may be due to not feeling secure or my worth not affirmed or validated. I have been diagnosed with bipolar spectrum and am on medication which helps manage my condition.
Cheers for now
JudyNitesh
October 4th, 2016 at 9:33 AMHey Judy..I’m also in a similar situation. My rate of speech over the yrs has become so fast that it’s become difficult to hold even simple conversations let alone talking in groups. I know it’s got to do something with my anxious mind but I’m considering seeking professional help. Do u think it’s worth visiting a speech therapist?
Judy
October 5th, 2016 at 1:06 AMHi. Nitesh
I think maybe a psychologist could support you more. Especially for underlying reasons that cause the speed at which you speak eg anxiety, it’s the anxiety which is causing the problem or at least exacerbating it. If you can treat the cause your speech may slow down.
It’s not so much the speed of speech for me, it’s the amount said and the way I deliver it . the tone can be intense at times. And if emotions are involved it’s worse. It sounds like we just need an understanding listener but then we need to listen as well. There is the tendency to interject before the speaker has finished but then if I wait till then, my thought or idea has gone.
Good luck Nitesh.
🙂
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