What is Compulsive Blurting?

woman, thinking, question, mark, doubt, faq, problem, think, people, thoughts, solution, answer, thinking, thinking, thinking, thinking, thinking, question, question, question, question, doubt, doubt, faq, think, answer

People who Constantly Distract

Some people use constant distraction in conversation as a coping style, not just a “quirk.” It often protects them from feelings or dynamics that would be painful if the talk stayed clear and focused. This kind of behaviour, where they cannot seem to stop themselves interrupting and the “blurting”, usually, random comments that have little to do with anything sensible, can seem whimsical and imaginative, but there may be more going on: compulsive conversational distraction

What’s going on underneath

Several things can drive compulsive tangents and “nonsense” fillers:

anxiety about silence: For some, any gap feels like danger: “If we go quiet, they’ll judge me / get bored / get angry.” So they rush to fill the space with anything, even off‑topic or self‑undermining comments. The aim is to avoid the discomfort of silence, not to make sense.

Avoidance of depth or threat: When the conversation nears something emotionally risky (conflict, shame, grief, self‑truth), tangents act like smokescreens. Jumping to another topic prevents the other person or themselves from staying with what actually hurts, or risks hurt. This can indicate anxiety, other worries or concerns that are part of their inner world that they are not expressing.

Fragmented attention / racing thoughts: A very busy mind (ADHD, high arousal, stress) throws up rapid associations. Each new idea feels urgent, so they speak whatever pops up rather than tracking the thread. To others it looks random; to them it is just following the next mental link.

Low self‑worth and pre‑emptive self‑sabotage: Self‑undermining “nonsense” (jokes at their own expense, incongruent comments) can be a way of saying “don’t expect anything deep from me” or “I’ll make a mess of this before you can.” It’s a defensive move against feeling exposed or taken seriously.

Learned role: the clown or deflector: In some families/groups, the only safe or valued role is to entertain, lighten the mood, or keep the peace. Habitual distraction then becomes part of their identity: whenever tension or seriousness rises, they reflexively derail it.

Why every sentence becomes tangential

If you put those together, the pattern makes sense:

Focused, on‑topic conversation = higher risk of conflict, intimacy, or self‑exposure.
Silence = unbearable space where judgement, boredom, or anger might appear.
Tangents and silliness = constant movement, which feels safer than stillness or depth.

So the person’s Nervous system has learned: “Keep things scattered and light, and I’ll be safer.”

Helpful implications

Understanding the function helps you respond:

With some, gently naming the pattern (“I notice we keep jumping away when it gets closer to X”) can open the door to more honest talk.
With others, modelling tolerance for silence and depth – pausing, staying kind but steady. This shows that nothing terrible happens if the conversation actually lands.
If it’s your own pattern, noticing when you derail (what topics or feelings come just before) can point directly to the pressure points you’re trying to avoid.

In essence, compulsive conversational distraction is usually an avoidance strategy plus anxiety and low self‑trust, not random weirdness. The “nonsense” is doing a job: keeping something more frightening off the table.