A verbal shutdown might appear to be “nothing” from the outside, but actually, a lot is going on beneath the surface.
Language, speech, even just on the technical side, are very complicated, even before you start adding the social layers on top of it (word choices, cadence, implications of tone of voice, non-verbal communication aspects).
This is a lot to manage, and we do all of this in a split second every time we speak! No wonder, then, that when overwhelm hits and our brain has to juggle resources while trying to regulate the whole system, not everything will function as it usually does.
Your brain is doing exactly what it should to help you cope by focusing on regulation and getting you back to baseline post-overwhelm.
It takes effort and time, and doesn’t happen in an instant. This is why it can feel like getting the words out feels impossible for a while, and when you are able to speak again, it still starts slowly, quietly, maybe with more stuttering or looking for words.
The time it takes to get back to your baseline can be different, and it is not set in stone. Sometimes it is faster, sometimes it is more gradual. Pushing yourself to “snap back” is definitely not going to help; just take your time to decompress and regulate in whatever way you are able to at the moment.
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