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[navelgazer]

So, I've self-diagnosed myself with dysnomia. It is getting worse and worse, sometimes while writing, often while speaking.

Here is an example of a conversation I might have with my husband. "Can you get the stuff on top of the thing?" "Where? [note, he is used to this]" "Outside, the [hand gesture for a rectangle] with the lock, we need the stuff for dinner." "Oh, you need me to get the folding chairs from our storage unit."

1. Who would I go to for treatment/diagnosis? My psychologist?

2. How do I communicate that this is not a mental deficiency but a misfire between my brain and my voice. I can't remember any of my dyslexic friends needing to do this. Many, many of my evaluations from last semester called me synonyms of "not too bright" because of this. And, I can HEAR that I said something slightly wrong, and obviously I need to stop in lecture and work to find the word. So I look slow, maybe? I was getting better evaluations when I was "talking too fast."

2a. I can tell #2 is happening in my graduate proseminar right now. I don't want to be whiny, and I don't want to say "this is a developmental problem with my brain that all of the women in my family experience." Instead, I want to say something like: "I sometimes need a little bit of time to recall words, but I do not have a problem recalling ideas. Unless I ask for help, please don't interrupt."

[daniel_von_flanagan]

This is quite common, though not often in someone as young as I suspect you are.  If it is really serious, you might check with a physician to see if you have a condition that could lead to a more serious aphasia.  (I've met some people with serious aphasia, otherwise brilliant but real trouble speaking.)

From personal experience, sleep deprivation can also cause this.

BTW, Dysnomia is a a fairly recently-named celestial body in the Solar System.  (This is what I thought you would be posting about.)  Brownie points if you can identify it without looking it up. - DvF

[msparticularity]

I am suffering from this to a greater than usual degree right now, and I believe in my case it is due to some ongoing health issues. I'll be back to hear more from those posting here, though, since I am planning to discuss it with my doctor.

[navelgazer]

This is quite common, though not often in someone as young as I suspect you are.  If it is really serious, you might check with a physician to see if you have a condition that could lead to a more serious aphasia.  (I've met some people with serious aphasia, otherwise brilliant but real trouble speaking.)

From personal experience, sleep deprivation can also cause this.

BTW, Dysnomia is a a fairly recently-named celestial body in the Solar System.  (This is what I thought you would be posting about.)  Brownie points if you can identify it without looking it up. - DvF

Yeah, this has gone on since I was in my late 20s, and I'm still pretty far from 40. I am taking new medication right now, which might be making it worse... hmmm...

I'm not sleep deprived, but maybe a little antisocial since I put a high priority on sleep. What I'm doing for now is practicing my lectures more, but I think I will talk to my psychologist. Especially considering that I am on medication that I have to take everyday for the first time in my life.

[amewa_silk]

I have a similar problem and it is causing me to take a long time to write.  I thought it was owing to lack of sleep, or perhaps it is due to hormonal changes.  I had hoped it would go away on its own with proper sleep and nutrition.

[reener06]

I have this occasionally, more as I age. I assumed it was related to diabetes, and specifically to many years of low blood sugars, some bad. Ok, a lot bad at times. Not a damn thing I can do about it, I don't think. Although if it gets progressively worse, maybe I can get some meds.

Lack of sleep does make it worse, and stress.

[fiona]

It's a classic symptom of perimenopause, of the time leading up to menopause.

Many women get forgetful and dizzy-headed during that time, and some I've known think they're developing Alzheimer's.

But--once menopause has happened, within a few months after the last period, the memory returns, often with more zest and more ability to recall things. Margaret Mead mentioned that in her descriptions of "post-menopausal zest."

Sounds like you're young for menopause, but some women go through perimenopause for a fair number of years.

The Fiona

[gennimom]

It is also a symptom of taking seizure drugs. I've noticed and sometimes get frustrated by the inability to come up with the word I'm looking for. Drives me nuts.

[msparticularity]

In my case, menopause has come and gone. I'm thinking it may have to do with what we're now considering may be lupus--although once again it's not going to be easy to nail it down since none of the bloodwork is confirming anything. It happened a bunch of times in a row tonight in my doctoral seminar. Fortunately, these are wonderful students and all know me well, so I just told them I've been blanking on words for things lately, and they've been lovely about trying to help me figure them out. It's so annoying, though!

[fiona]

Sometimes I grope for words when I'm sleepy, and a big hit of caffeine brings back the memory.

Coffee's good; NoDoz is faster. Haven't tried speed.

But seriously, caffeine does help a lot.

The Fiona

[hegemony]

I have had this since childhood.  It's a nuisance, but my philosophy is that we all have something inconvenient.  In writing I rely on the thesaurus a lot, where I just search around among all the likely words I can think of till finally I hit the one that works.  I recognize it when I see it, I just can't generate it myself.

My mother had this too.  In her old age she would say, "I'm getting old, I can't think of the words for things."  I'd say, "Mom, you've been this way for at least forty years."

[mended_drum]

I have this with proper nouns, and not just the names of people.  Plant names, animal species, cities or countries...anything that might be capitalized.  It's much worse if I'm either tired or really excited.

I warn my students about it every semester because in an average 20-student class, there will be two students whose names I never learn and one poor student for whom I will learn a totally incorrect name.  And I will keep calling him or her that name for years.  I have one advisee who actually started coming to class with one of those "Hello, my name is..." stickers. 

Numbers are no problem, nor are common nouns.  Oh, and it only happens in English.  In my second language, I'm good to go.

[amewa_silk]

What's the term for a backwards thesaurus, one where you look up a description of what you are trying to say and you get the word you want?  Is there such a thing?  Is it called Google?

[fiona]

What's the term for a backwards thesaurus, one where you look up a description of what you are trying to say and you get the word you want?  Is there such a thing?  Is it called Google?

You can kinda do this with ask.com, too.

The Fiona

[polly_mer]

What's the term for a backwards thesaurus, one where you look up a description of what you are trying to say and you get the word you want?  Is there such a thing?  Is it called Google?

I have a book titled Definitionary that functions like this.  It is not as big as my good dictionary, but it has some cool entries.