Compulsive talker treatment

How to deal with a compulsive talker, hyperactive behavior

Dealing with a compulsive talker? There are ways to help curb that behavior, according to retired San Luis Obispo therapist Linda Lewis Griffith. Dean Hollingsworth Dallas Morning News/MCT

I recently attended a dinner party where one of the participants talked the entire evening.

He told long, boring stories about his latest exploits. He interrupted others when they tried to speak. If anyone interjected their own experiences, he reverted the conversation back to himself.

This otherwise pleasant, affable man seemed oblivious to the reactions of his fellow diners. He failed to notice their obvious disinterest or recognize that they might have something to say.

When someone finally managed to divert the dialogue, Mr. Talkalot’s eyes glazed over and he got up to get more food. As soon as he returned to the table — you guessed it — he picked up the monologue where he’d left off.

This person is a compulsive talker, a behavior most often associated with attention-deficit/hyperactive disorder (ADHD).

According to the American Psychiatric Association, symptoms of hyperactivity and impulsivity include excessive talking, blurting out answers, having difficulty waiting one’s turn in a conversation and interrupting or intruding on others.

Compulsive talkers can also be argumentative and short-sighted. They have trouble seeing others’ viewpoints or listening to what they have to say.

They may come across as rude and disrespectful, taking a “My way or the highway” stance and being unwilling to back down.

Some compulsive talkers are so annoying that folks avoid them at social gatherings.

Disgruntled listeners feel compelled to resort to normally unacceptable strategies, such as telling the offender to stop talking or butting in with stories of their own. Perhaps they resent being overlooked in conversations, as if they were less important. At the very least, they’re exhausted by the overtalker’s non-stop gabbing and having to wait for a split second of silence when they can finally speak.

Of course, overly loquacious people aren’t bad. In fact, they’re often uber friendly and tons of fun to be around. The goal is to harness their verbal energy so everyone gets a chance to talk.

Here are a few tips for dealing with compulsive talkers.

How to deal with a compulsive talker

Attempt to redirect the conversation. Without being confrontational, introduce another topic and ask others to share their thoughts.

Intervene. Kindly say, “Mary, you’ve gotten to talk for a while. I want to hear about Doug’s new job.”

Point out the pattern of interrupting. Kindly but firmly stop the overtalker in his tracks and say, “Matt, I asked Hillary a question and you cut her off. Please let her continue. ”

Talk to the overtalker privately. If the behavior is interfering with meetings or family gatherings, take the offender aside, apprise him of your concerns and express the impact his actions are having on others. If you’re in a position of authority, develop a strategy for helping him change.

Leave the room. Sometimes the best answer is to let the compulsive talker hold court out of earshot. After all, some folks may be enjoying the conversation.

Orchestrate gatherings. Expand your guest list to include other talkers. Overtalkers are less offensive in large crowds and easier to tolerate with outgoing people in the room.

Linda Lewis Griffith is a retired marriage, family and child therapist who lives in San Luis Obispo. Reach her at [email protected].

This story was originally published October 6, 2015, 5:21 AM.

Talk too Much? Why You're Garrulous (and How to Stop)

by Andrea Blundell

Talk too much, to the point it leaves you feeling rejected or embarrassed? Or dealing with a garrulous colleague or family member, and struggling to have empathy?

Why do I talk too much?

Some people are naturally more talkative. Scientists have found, for example, that girls have more of communication-related gene called Foxp2 than boys. This could be one of the reasons girls are more inclined to be chatty.

But being a natural-born talker doesn’t affect your self-control. If asked to talk less, you generally can. You can learn and put into action better listening skills.

But what if I really can’t stop talking?

Then you might suffer from compulsive talking, also referred to as being a ‘talkaholic’. (Two psychologists at Western Virginia University even created a ‘talkaholic scale‘). If you have an issue with compulsive talking, you:

are aware that your talking upsets others but still can’t stop
dominate conversations
are less inhibited than the other speakers (for example, oversharing)
only tend to stop speaking when others cut in.

Compulsive talking can and often is connected to mental health issues.

Researchers at the University if Arizona found that those who talk excessively about themselves are less likely to be narcissists (no research has proven this concept) and more likely to be suffering from distress, depression or anxiety. And the research was thorough, looking at a dataset of over 4,700 individuals from two different countries.

Mental health issues that see leave you talkative

So what are the mental health issues that see you out of control of how much you talk?

1. The low confidence cliché.

Talk too much or too fast until you adjust to new situations?

The first assumption people make about someone who is too chatty is that it’s just a sign of low confidence. It’s a cliché held up by teen movies everywhere, with the stereotype of the loud class clown.

Low confidence tends to stop when we are comfortable with a new group or social situation. If our over talking continues, there’s more to the story.

2. The shame game.

Secretly feel there is something deeply wrong with you? Had a childhood experience that scarred you?

photo by: John Amachaab

Shame means that we have somewhere along the line had an experience we internalised as our fault.

Words become a smoke screen to hide our perceived unworthiness behind, an awkward form of self protection.

3. Anxiety and social anxiety.

Talk when you are nervous? And the more nervous you get, the more you blather?

Anxiety can leave even an introverted person talking too much, particularly if they have social anxiety (anxiety triggered by new social situations). Talking too much creates a false persona to hide our terrified selves behind.

4. Adult ADHD.

Feel that words come out your mouth before you even realise you thought them? Tend to interrupt others before you realise what you are doing? Constantly have the sense that your mind and mouth have some faulty connection that leaves you embarrassed and angry at yourself?

Sometimes compulsive talking is because our brain works differently. When you have adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), your brain dances from one thing to the next and you might have impulse control issues, such as speaking out of turn and interrupting others.

5. Asperger’s syndrome.

Been accused of being rude and you don’t understand why? Tend to be very passionate about a certain subject?

Asperger’s involves not having a natural talent for social cues. This combines with a tendency to be very passionate and focussed on things you like. So while others just naturally seem to know when to stop talking, or when other’s have lost interest in what is being said, you won’t notice.

Note that despite still being a popular term, Asperger’s syndrome is no longer an official diagnosis. It is now grouped under ‘autism spectrum disorder’.

6. Codependency.

photo by: John Amachaab

Feel uncomfortable with silence? Worry the other person isn’t talking as they are upset or something is wrong?

If we suffer with codependency issues, we are a people pleaser. We fill in silence with upbeat chattiness in an effort to make others around us happy, not noticing if maybe they just don’t feel talkative.

7. PTSD.

Did you live through a traumatic experience as an adult? Or a series of difficult experiences as a child?

Post-traumatic stress disorder has anxiety as one of its symptoms, which can lead to over talking. Complex PTSD, post-traumatic stress caused by an ongoing set of stressful experiences such as childhood sexual abuse, often comes with shame. And again, shame can mean some of us present ourselves as bright and chatty to hide our real selves that we see as not good enough.

8. Borderline personality disorder.

The master of long, intense conversations that go on for hours, until you forget about the world outside? But also sometimes burst out with mean, ugly things that push others away? And leave you in a puddle of regret later?

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) means you lack the emotional regulation and impulse control others have. And you are highly triggered by feeling rejected, which causes you to lash out. A high percentage of those with BPD lived through childhood trauma, particularly child sexual abuse.

9. Mania.

Mania, which is often a part of bipolar disorder, involves a raised energy state and whirring thoughts, which for many can result in talking very fast and losing social cues over how much you are talking or going on.

What can help if I talk too much?

1. Make lemonade.

Everything has a positive and and a negative. Finding the good side of compulsive talking can raise our self-esteem. For example, if it weren’t for over sharers, we wouldn’t have great podcasts.

2. Mindfulness.

Mindfulness is shown to help with anxiety. It helps you to be more grounded and in the present moment, instead of caught up in blaming yourself for the past or stressing about a future you can’t control. It’s also easy to learn – use our easy-to-follow Guide to Mindfulness.

3.

Relaxation.

Some therapists use a tool called ‘progressive muscle relaxation’ to help their clients be more in their bodies and calm. Read our article on “How to Relax in Record Time”.

4. Self-compassion.

Self-compassion, the art of treating ourselves like a friend, raises our self-esteem. It helps with relating, too. The more we are kind and open with ourselves, the easier it is to be kind and open with others.

5. Journalling.

If you find you over express your feelings and thoughts around others, try expressing them on paper instead. Journalling with intent can also help you learn more about who you really are, which can raise your confidence and self-worth.

And yes, try therapy

Yes, ironically, even though therapy is about talking, it does help if you talk too much. It helps you feel more self aware and confident, so you have less to prove. And it helps you recognise and work through core issues driving your talkativeness, like shame and childhood trauma.

Therapy can also help with ADHD, and there are certain therapies created just to deal with borderline personality disorder, if that is your issue.

Ready to talk less and feel better? We connect you with a team of some of London’s top therapists. Or use our booking platform to find UK-wide therapists for every budget and online therapy.

Still have a question about why you talk too much? Post below. Note we cannot provide free counselling via comments and all comments are moderated.

Medical treatment of compulsive overeating by a psychologist, treat the disease by a psychotherapist

Sometimes it happens that delicious food, appetizing appearance of dishes cause a person to get up from the table with a feeling of a full stomach. If such situations occur rarely, overeating can be controlled, then there is nothing to worry about. If we are talking about causeless and uncontrolled appetite, which is preceded by stress or negative emotions, then we can suspect a dangerous eating disorder - compulsive or uncontrolled overeating. It is important not to miss the moment and turn to a psychotherapist in time. nine0003

Article content:

Disease description
Causes
Psychological aspect of the problem
Methods of psychotherapy in the treatment of illness
Possible complications

Seek medical attention if symptoms occur. The information on the page is for reference only and cannot be used for self-diagnosis and self-treatment.

Description of disease

Compulsive overeating (CP) is a dangerous pathological condition. The patient is unable to control his appetite due to stress. The essence and nature of a compulsive disease is well explained by its second name - psychogenic overeating, since the causes of the development of an eating disorder should be sought not in the physiological, but in the mental sphere.

Any stressful situation can provoke a painful condition: the loss of a loved one, the loss of keys, a conversation with superiors in a raised tone, and other unpleasant situations. nine0003

Bouts of psychogenic overeating may recur from time to time. As with other eating disorders, the patient considers himself healthy. The exception is excess weight, which accompanies psychogenic overeating. Uncontrolled appetite has clear differences from other diseases of a food nature:

if with anorexia the patient ceases to adequately perceive his own body, then with compulsive overeating the problem of excess weight becomes obvious and is the root cause of contacting a psychologist, psychotherapist, other doctors; nine0010
The binge patient usually does not seek to get rid of food by inducing artificial vomiting, while the symptoms of bulimia are characterized by obligatory cleansing procedures, which the patient cannot refuse.

Causes

It is a normal physiological need to eat exactly when the feeling of hunger arises. If food intake is reduced to nervous chewing, no attention is paid to the amount eaten, it is worth considering that it is bulimia or uncontrolled overeating that can cause increased weight, the appearance of extra centimeters in volume. nine0003

Physiological factors can provoke compulsive overeating - dysfunction of the hypothalamus and genetic predisposition. Genetic scientists have identified three genes whose presence in the genetic code leads to obesity and can provoke the development of an eating disorder.

The psychological aspect of the problem of psychogenic overeating

Physiological and genetic causes may be a consequence of the development of an eating disorder, but the psyche plays a central role. nine0003

Leading psychotherapists in describing clinical cases of compulsive overeating note that the onset of the disease is preceded by negative life events. Such stress can be caused by social and physiological factors.

In order to understand whether you have a problem or whether you need the help of a psychotherapist, you should honestly answer a number of questions.

Have you noticed that your diet is difficult to control?
Do you prefer to eat alone?
Do you tend to overeat when stressed out, distracted from current problems?
Do you experience guilt that affects your enjoyment of eating?
How often do you start eating without feeling hungry?
Do you find it difficult to refuse food if you are treated?

If you answered yes to 4 or more questions, it makes sense to contact a medical institution for advice and clarification of the causes of nutritional problems. nine0003

Methods of psychotherapy in the treatment of illness

The solution in the fight against food addiction is to seek help from a specialist. Only a psychologist is able to help find the causes of binge eating disorder and form a healthy model of dealing with stress.

The Center for the Study of Eating Disorders uses the latest psychotherapy techniques accepted in the international medical community.

Depending on the severity of the condition, a treatment algorithm is selected. It can be done on an outpatient or inpatient basis under the supervision of a psychotherapist. The following areas of psychotherapy are used to treat patients with compulsive psychogenic overeating, bulimia, anorexia and other eating disorders:

CBT - cognitive behavioral therapy;
DBT - Dialectical Behavioral Psychotherapy;
FBT - Family Involved Therapy.

All methods have scientifically proven effectiveness, are actively used in practice by psychotherapists and other doctors of "CIRPP" in the fight against overeating.

Family Therapy

Successful Family Psychological Therapy, which was developed for the treatment of patients with eating disorders by the leading specialists of the Maudsley Clinic. nine0003

A multi-family group has been organized in CIRP, where not only patients, but also their relatives, as co-dependent persons, receive therapy. In the course of group therapy, the psychotherapist helps to jointly develop the right adaptation tactics, build the right behavior model, and provides the necessary support to parents whose children suffer from eating disorders.

Cognitive behavioral therapy

The program is aimed at finding the causes of eating disorders (bulimia, anorexia, compulsive uncontrolled overeating, etc.). It is important to find out the root cause of the disease, this will help in choosing the right tactics. nine0003

DBT - Dialectical Behavior Therapy

The use of Dialectical Behavior Therapy has a positive effect in the treatment of patients with compulsive overeating. The method is aimed at finding new ways to deal with stress, teaching effective emotional regulation techniques that are not related to eating or deliberately refusing it.

At the end of the treatment phase, the patient will be able to painlessly give up destructive ways of dealing with stress, strict weight control and dietary regimens. Bouts of uncontrolled overeating will be left behind. nine0003

Psychologists of "CIRPP" use the latest methods of working with people suffering from eating disorders, psychogenic overeating. In addition to providing basic medication, resuscitation, developing an individual diet, the DBT program includes the work of online psychotherapy groups, art therapy, dance therapy led by a psychotherapist, and other eating behavior adjustment programs.

Possible complications

Delayed treatment of eating disorders can adversely affect the condition of a patient suffering from regular overeating. If there is no treatment, then there is a high probability of developing other complications:

decrease or increase in blood pressure;
aggressive or lethargic behaviour;
metabolic disorder;
obesity;
depression;
alcohol or drug addiction; nine0010
diseases of the cardiovascular system;
type 2 diabetes and others.

Gradually, complications can become chronic, which reduces the chances of a full recovery. It is not difficult to avoid such a scenario - it is enough to be attentive to your own health, pay attention to alarming symptoms and consult a doctor in time.

Getting help from a psychologist, nutritionist or psychotherapist is easy: sign up for an initial medical consultation by calling +7(499) 703-20-51 or through the online form.

Author: Maksim Borisovich Sologub

Head Physician of TsIRPP,

psychiatrist, psychotherapist.

Compulsive overeating treatment in St. Petersburg

Home
Psychiatry
Food addiction
Treatment of compulsive (psychogenic) overeating

Compulsive (psychogenic) overeating (F50.4, ICD-10) is treated on an outpatient or inpatient basis. As a rule, if the syndrome is associated with distress (for example, with a mild reaction to the loss of a loved one, an accident or other difficult life situation), consultation with a nutritionist and outpatient work with a psychotherapist are sufficient. nine0003

Long-term compulsive overeating often develops affective symptoms that can develop into, for example, anxiety and phobic disorders, asthenia, depression, or bipolar disorder (see F30-39 and F40-49, ICD-10).

Severe cases may require hospitalization. Treatment of psychogenic overeating in a hospital allows for an extended examination involving a neurologist, cardiologist, gastroenterologist and nutritionist; choose a sparing pharmacotherapy; start treatment of concomitant somatic pathology. After stabilization of the condition, the patient is included in the work with psychologists and psychotherapists of the clinic. nine0003

After discharge, it is necessary not to neglect control visits to the attending physician (especially when correcting pharmacotherapy with access to drug withdrawal), adhere to the diet prepared by the nutritionist and consultations for its correction. If necessary, if addictive attitudes and false fears arise against the background of the course of the disease, it is recommended to undergo an individual course of CBT psychotherapy.

Test: "Attitude to food intake - EAT-26"

Read the statements carefully and choose the answer that best suits your condition. nine0003

Consultation of a doctor on the treatment of compulsive overeating:

+7 (812) 407-18-00

Thank you for your trust!

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nine0217 12 000 ₽

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Signs of compulsive overeating

Treatment of compulsive overeating in our clinic

Why is binge eating dangerous?

Sources Binge-eating disorder - https://pubmed.

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Update date: 07/21/2021

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