Hello Drew,

Mindfulness DOES HELP with self-control.

How long have you practiced mindfulness? Have you had any troubles while trying to be mindful in your everyday life?

You need to go deeper into your problems. The results won’t come in a few days. Changes take time. If you feel like sharing more, we are here to help. But bear in mind that you must be open to discussion and advice.

Hi Drew

I wanted to add that my conditions are C-PTSD, Autism and Dyspraxia. Different people with different conditions are going to have different struggles.

But Jana is correct in that it won’t be fixed overnight. There is no one fix, but over time and with practice everything adds up bit by bit. It took me years to get a better handle on things and I am only able to manage with medication when things are really stressful. When things are less stressful I can manage without.

I did find meditation helpful, but only in very limited circumstances. For example, it is a good technique for self-care. It didn’t stop things on its own. I don’t think anything one thing would.

It sounds like you’re doing your best to manage your condition. Please be gentle with yourself! These things are not your fault. Just keep trying your best and that is good enough, even if mistakes happen. ❤️

Dear DREW:

“I continually find myself vocalizing my own thoughts (unintentionally), mostly noticing sometime through doing so, but also after I’ve finished saying them aloud!… Think of it: how often have you started scratching an itch BEFORE you’re aware that you’re doing so?”-

– It’s possible that you could be experiencing vocal tics, which can be a symptom of Tourette Syndrome (from which I suffer) or other tic disorders. Vocal tics are involuntary sounds or words that a person makes, and they can range from simple sounds like grunting or throat clearing to more complex vocalizations, including speaking words or phrases.

Many individuals with Tourette Syndrome report that their tics are preceded by uncomfortable sensations, often likened to an itch that needs to be scratched. From a UCLA study (escholarship.org): “Tourette syndrome (TS) and chronic tic disorder (CTD) are characterized by sudden, rapid, recurrent motor and/or vocal tics… In addition to these observable symptoms, many individuals with TS or CTD also experience frequent, uncomfortable sensory phenomena that immediately precede the tics… These sensory phenomena have been variously described as an itch, pressure, tension, urge, or ache that is temporarily relieved by the completion of the tic.”

“A few years ago I was temporarily prescribed a medicine by a specialist, and while on it a problem began which persists even now”- tic disorders, including Tourette Syndrome, can sometimes be triggered or exacerbated by certain medications. This phenomenon is known as “medication-induced tics.”

Medications such as methylphenidate (Ritalin) and dextroamphetamine (Adderall), commonly used to treat ADHD, have been reported to cause or worsen tics in some individuals. Certain antipsychotic medications, such as haloperidol (Haldol) and risperidone (Risperdal), can also lead to the development of tics as a side effect. Other medications, including some antidepressants and antiseizure medications, have been associated with the onset of tics in some cases.

There are several other potential explanations for your experience of unintentionally vocalizing your thoughts, aside from tics, or in combination with tics. Here are a few possibilities: (1) High levels of anxiety and stress can sometimes lead to involuntary vocalizations. This can be a way for the mind to release tension or cope with overwhelming emotions, (2) Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) can involve intrusive thoughts and compulsions, which might include vocalizing thoughts out loud, (3) Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): Individuals with ADHD may have difficulty with impulse control, which can lead to speaking thoughts out loud without realizing it. This can be part of the impulsivity associated with ADHD, (4) Medication side effects as mentioned above.

If in your evaluation, Drew, any of the above is a possibility, it might be helpful for you to seek an evaluation by a neurologist who can conduct a thorough evaluation and provide an accurate diagnosis and potential treatment options.

Personally, I have suffered since childhood from high levels of anxiety and stress, ADHD symptoms, and I was eventually diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome (TS) and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). SELF CONTROL (in capital letters) has been indeed a core problem for me: I couldn’t control the motor and vocal tics, couldn’t control the OCD compulsions, couldn’t react to people and situations the way I wanted to.

“Have any of you managed this? If so, how? If not – PLEASE DON’T RESPOND!”- I did manage the OCD so well that I no longer fit the diagnosis, and my impulsivity problem had greatly improved! I am still working on reducing the frequency of the motor tics.

“This one is lifelong: something will happen to me, and I can’t / don’t respond in the way I want to. E.g. a person will ask me something, say something to me, or DO something to me, and instead of responding in a way I’d like, I just react, often in a way I’d prefer not to. I’ll either have done it before I know it, or find myself in the process of doing it and feel it’s too late to stop. Either way, I always regret it… What I WANT to do in all such situations is be fully aware of what’s going on, be fully aware of what I’m doing, and RESPOND in a deliberate, controlled, assertive way; and ideally be calm too.”-

– I can relate to this big-time as it’s been a lifelong problem for me until recently. I managed my impulsivity with what I call the NPARR method, which I’ve been practicing every day for years: first, I Notice stress within me, a disquiet. Next I Pause (before I act, before I say or do something that I may later regret). Next, I Address the situation. I ask myself: is there a situational problem that needs to be solved? What is the problem (define it)? Can I provide all of the required solution or pat of it? If I react mindlessly, automatically, will I be adding to the problem or creating a new problem? Etc. Next, I Respond, or not: I say or do something, or not. Finally, I Redirect my attention elsewhere. There is more to my method, and if you would like it, we can talk about it further.

anita