Trouble with Speech or Alogia
Some people are not comfortable talking or communicating with other people. For example, naturally timid people may find it hard to speak in big crowds or approach strangers. This is also a normal behavior among introverts and people with social anxiety. However, if someone suddenly stops communicating or talking, this may indicate an underlying problem. The sudden lack of conversation or poverty of speech is called alogia.
Alogia is common among patients with a head injury, dementia, mental illness, and schizophrenia. It is considered one of the earliest signs of schizophrenia. For example, 20-30% of schizophrenic patients reported experiencing difficulty in carrying on conversations long before the other more common symptoms (e.g., delusions and hallucinations) appeared. A group of psychologists explained that patients with schizophrenia experience secondary alogia because they hear voices telling them not to speak.
Another study explained that schizophrenia patients develop social anxiety, which prevents them from talking. Experts also have interesting theories on how parts of the brain fail to communicate, preventing the patient from expressing his thoughts verbally.
