Can You Say Disinhibition?
Posted: Tuesday, March 18, 2008
by Jon L. Wegner
"Disinhibition" is a process which results in an individual having a reduced capacity to edit or manage their immediate impulsive response to a situation. For me my disinhibition results in swearing and talking rapidly about anything! I call it babbling or rambling. It's taken awhile for me to get used to it. My disinhibition is a direct result of my multiple sclerosis.
If I'm talking to someone I don't know very well I will "usually" ask them if I can say a bad word. One of the men that subscribes to my MS newsletter has told me that he has such foul language that he now limits how much he goes out in public because of his disinhibition! He is about 45 years old.
Disinhibition is a common symptom following a physical injury to the brain, particularly to the frontal lobe. It may also be as a result of delirium, mania or drugs. Most people don't believe that my MS makes me swear more but it does. When I explain disinhibition to other people I tell them that I say what's on my mind and it's usually accompanied with swearing. I can swear like there's no tomorrow and my favorite begins with the letter "F"! If I'm talking to a friend on the telephone or in person and they don't mind me swearing then I generally let it fly. At my auto parts store in town the owner said this to me one day. He said, "Jon, you have been in here 20 minutes and said the "F" word 28 times". I thought he was kidding but the more I thought about it I realized that I had probably said it that much! I was embarrassed! However, there must be a switch in my brain that shuts off the swearing when I need to. I have a 6 year old son and I've never sworn in front of him. I'm divorced and if my son is with me and I happen to stub my toe or something I'll swear but I swear under my breath and keep any anger under control. I've stubbed my toes, tripped and fallen on my tile kitchen floor and even rolled my scooter playing baseball across the street but I've never sworn in front of my son. Likewise, if I'm telemarketing I never swear when I'm talking to potential customers. I also live in a very old, small and church going town. I have an older male friend who is religious and doesn't care for my "F" words so I never swear in front of him, either!
An individual experiencing disinhibition is more prone to react according to their feelings and reaction at each moment in time. The individual is less able to exercise their normal control that is to choose to inhibit some of their responses. Everybody does this on a daily basis for reasons of politeness, sensitivity, social appropriateness or desire to keep our true feelings hidden from others.
For example, individuals under the influence of alcohol exhibit disinhibition in view of the depressant effect of alcohol on the brains higher functioning. I used to drink a lot of beer. I know there were times I said the wrong thing in social settings and I would blame it on the beer. Now I don't drink alcohol and I still find myself saying things I shouldn't be saying but I blame that on my multiple sclerosis and disinhibition.
Here's a great example. There's a business owner in my little town that I talk to once in a while. He's not really a friend but an aquaintenance. He's 73 years old and heterosexual. I asked him one day if he had any children? He said no. Then I asked him in rapid succession if he'd ever been married? He said no and then I asked if he was gay? This is a normal question for me as I try to be funny! As soon as I said that I knew better than to say it! I've never seen this man mad or angry but he pointed a finger at me and said angrily, "don't you ever ask me that question again"!! I felt stupid and embarrassed for asking that dumb question. I meant no harm by it! With a normal brain I would've never asked that question because it was inapproprate. Because of my disinhibition I still said it!
I stayed out of his business for about 2 weeks. When I did see him I walked on eggshells around him. Finally, one day I saw him reading at his business and I stopped my scooter at his chair and expressed a heartfelt apology. I also tried to explain to him my disinhibition. He said he accepted my apology but I still don't know if he understood the disinhibition part. I've done that 3 or 4 times in my little town. I don't want to seclude myself from life but I do need to watch my tongue when I'm out with people who don't know what disinhibition is.
Jon Wegner is a 50 year old resident of a small town close to
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