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My mom used to mispronounce words or call things by incorrect names. We thought it was charming and at her memorial service, we all recalled her different "momisms". We knew what she meant and the only time she got frustrated is when one of my sisters would insist on correcting her every.single.time she used one of her "momisms". I didn't blame her, honestly. My mom was intelligent, but this was one of her quirks. We all have them.
Did your mom burst into tears when nobody knew what she was talking about?
Quote:
Originally Posted by steiconi
My husband does something similar; we call it billspeak.
I suspect it's just lack of attention on their part, and the anger is impatience when others don't fill in the gaps. They just don't want to be bothered coming up with the right word.
Sometimes it's funny, sometimes irritating.
I suspect Bill may want to get a medical exam unless he's spent his whole life intentionally annoying everyone he knows in various ways. It's very common on the Caregiving Forum that family members just "suspect" the wrong thing and even when they get a diagnosis are too deep in the weeds to even believe it or deal with it. Trust me, if you're irritated now, you're gonna be super-irritated if he has a medical problem which will only get worse and start including more irritating behaviors.
Quote:
Originally Posted by winterbird
My father deliberately pronounces words wrong. He loves to get under people's skin and get a rise out of them. It's a very sadistic trait, really.
If he's not bursting into tears, then, you may be correct. OR incorrect.
Last edited by runswithscissors; 12-01-2017 at 06:25 AM..
Did your mom burst into tears when nobody knew what she was talking about?
I suspect Bill may want to get a medical exam unless he's spent his whole life intentionally annoying everyone he knows in various ways. It's very common on the Caregiving Forum that family members just "suspect" the wrong thing and even when they get a diagnosis are too deep in the weeds to even believe it or deal with it. Trust me, if you're irritated now, you're gonna be super-irritated if he has a medical problem which will only get worse and start including more irritating behaviors.
If he's not bursting into tears, then, you may be correct. OR incorrect.
No, but we also didn't pretend to NOT know what she was talking about. She did get pissy with my sister sometimes when my sister insisted on laughing at her or correcting her. My mom wasn't a super sensitive person and didn't cry easily.
I dont think you understand what I'm saying. She is NOT diabetic. She and my father dont even eat Honey Bunches of Oats. She KNOWS and ADMITS that she WILLINGLY uses the wrong words and names then cries and says we're mean for not understanding her.
What else is she going to say, she's trying to save face. It's awkward or embarrassing for some people when they KNOW they know a simple word but they can't 'find' it to use when they want it. My words come and go to the point that friends, family, co-workers have all become experts in deciphering what I'm trying to say. I deal with it by joking about it but it still makes me feel kind of stupid sometimes. If she's that frustrated by your lack of understanding but continues to use wrong words she isn't doing it willingly, no matter what she tells you.
I'm gonna say she needs a full neurological workup as this is kind of new it sounds like and largely due to the distress it is causing her. A stroke (very possible at 60) or early onset dementia could be contributing to the issue. However, the bursting into tears, the bossiness and the sole acceptance of Chinese medicine (despite it not being her culture) also suggest to me that there are other psychological issues that could be playing into the situation.
It seems this is not something new, but I just wanted to address the OP's first post that said she is only 60 so it's not dementia.
My former SIL's dementia began around 51. She was a legal secretary, and her coworkers were the first to notice. In addition, a coworker of mine started exhibiting strange behavior both at work and in her personal life. She was emailing another friend who was living overseas demanding she meet the next day for lunch. Finally, when she started knocking on her neighbor's doors at 2 a.m. for no reason, someone called the police, and she was hospitalized and diagnosed with early/sudden onset dementia at 57.
For the past couple days shes been talking about what "Norm" is up to. None of us know anyone named Norm and when she questioned her she just kept saying Norm! Turns out she'd been watch as show with Norman Reedus in it and thought all of us watch it and mentally refer to him as Norm
I've heard my mother and aunt refer to certain celebrities (TV chefs in particular) by their first names as though they were chatting about a close family member. I find it very amusing (and odd).
My aunt has some quirks very similar to what you describe here, and has been that way as long as I've been alive. She has zero ability to recall details, so virtually every conversation is a guessing game as to what she's actually thinking of. She sometimes uses strange and/or seriously outdated phrases in everyday conversation. She has very little concept of post-1980's technology. We just laugh it off, because what else can you do?
There's a big difference between someone given to malapropisms and such quirks, versus early dementia and other cognitive decline. In total the OP's post sounds more like the latter, but a medical evaluation would help.
There was a bicyclist in my city who a few months ago was riding along the Centennial Trail, wanted to get around an older woman and yelled “Hot pizza!” She had no idea what he meant but stepped off the trail. He hit her anyway (trying to pass her on the right) and then screamed at her as she lay injured on the ground because she had no idea what hot pizza meant.
StressedOut, your post falls in the category that makes me say "hmm".
I know people who accidentally use wrong words for things and they don't know they're doing it. They get a little bit embarrassed, and say oh yes that's what I meant.
I don't know anyone on earth who purposely uses wrong words and then gets frustrated to tears when others don't know what they're referring to.
*don't know*
This. It's very common for dementia patients to get angry when not understood. Check it out.
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