Finding the word in your brain

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Does anyone here have trouble when they want to say something even a word as simple as cat, you have trouble getting the word out to say?

I notice I have it, I have my whole life my mom says it's called Word retrieval deficit. What I always do is I describe what the word is, and the person I am talking to will need to help me. Sometimes people just look at me funny, other times some people "play along" like a guessing game. But it's really hard to just get the word out. I know exactly what it is but can't say it.

Yeah, that happens to me a lot. Others don't notice very often, since I don't talk very much to begin with. It's annoying when it does happen though

I do on occasion. I usually end up having to describe it if it is an object, or describe what I do with it. I often have difficulty recalling people's names. I end up describing the person and everything about their life until someone figures out who I mean, and it could be someone I interact with daily!

I also tend to have a somewhat opposite problem. When speaking or writing I tend to throw in words that I have never used before but that I somehow unconsciously felt was the correct word to use at the time. I often have to go look up the word I just used simply to verify I was correct in using it (I almost always am, but it is weird to me that I used it without consciously knowing if it is correct.

Yeah that happens to me a lot. I prefer to wait for the word even rather than use a synonym.

Bonuspoints, I got the same thing. Using a word I never used before and having to look it up to make sure I used it correctly, and usually I do. So weird, and sometimes I have never heard of it before.

Agree, Viktorya, it is annoying when it does happen. I don't really talk much either, just randomly with my mom and sister.

I am glad I am not alone on this topic. Not that it's a good topic, but the fact that it just doesn't happen to me is a good thing.

Yes, sometimes. I don't think it's bad enough that i'd forget a word like cat, though. Usually when that happens, i just make up my own silly word or phrase for it that still gets the idea across(i do the same thing if i don't know the word for it in the first place). Like, if i did actually forget the word "cat," then i'd probably say something like "little meow-y guy." A real-life example is that i call one of the things in the back room at work "the lifty thing" a lot, because i don't really know what they call it. And when i forget peoples' names who i work with, i just refer to them by what part of the store they work in... usually i think people just think i'm trying to be funny.

It could be any word: cat, mirror, squirrel, whatever. It's like it just won't come together in my brain. I say thingy too. When I tried to say what a squirrel what I said the little animal that runs around with a puffy tail and gets his nuts before winter. It's like I can describe it but just can't get the word. It could be a simple word I use a lot.

I hate it.

Yeah, when I actually don't know what the world is called that I actually want to use I do the same thing.

I also think people think I am trying to be funny too.

Today, I was watching a documentary about "A Brief History of Time" at my mom's house. I was trying to tell her something, and I forgot the word "uniform." It happens most times I open my mouth.

It happens to me a lot. I find it funny. I also find that being able to laugh at myself about it means that people don't usually give me any trouble about it.

All the time, this is usually when people take the opportunity to interrupt or look at me like i'm nuts. Gets worse when tired or worse for wear.

Yep it happens a lot. I tend to use long words a lot though, I just use words that I feel are the best fit. Sometimes they slip the mind. I've heard that trying to force remember the word is bad though, so if that happens I just let it go and hope I get it later. People usually know what I mean anyway.

It's been happening more often for me lately than when I was younger. I'll be speaking, and then stop in mid-sentence. It is highly frustrating. Most times I can cover with a synonym, with only a brief pause, but ... recently I couldn't remember the word "anecdotal". Is there even an appropriate synonym for that?

I'm like that all the time, it's SOOO embarrassing. I'll totally forget the word and I'm resorting to pantomime to get the message across.

This happens to me all the time. I find it quite hilarious most of the time because I can't finish my sentence until I can find the word so it turns into a fun little game of charades because I'm not good at describing things so I usually have to use various gestures while saying "the thing with that thing that's like woop" and other helpful phrases, made up words, and sound effects. By the time I get the right word, I've completely forgotten what I was talking about.

It happens to me when I'm searching for the exact word I need to describe what I'm trying to say. I find it annoying, as struggling for words when I'm arguing gives me the appearance of losing said argument.