trouble thinking of things to talk about

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I too am terrible with conversations. I don't know how to start one or prolong it. What normally happens is that the person on the other end will talk about something, and I will give response. This is how I got my "psychologist" nickname because when certain people talk to me about themselves and their experiences, and I shed input, but I will never speak of myself. Of course, this only occurs in texts and IM's rather than in person. Those are two different stories with different problems.

My problem lies with switching from my "listening mode" to my "thinking mode". I just can't seem to make the switch while a conversation is happening, even when I'm not actively part of the conversation. Each time I try to participate, going against my impulses, there's this nagging echo telling me that I'm talking rubbish because I haven't taken the time to think about the subject matter. Even when the subject is something I'm knowledgable about I can't make the switch.

The rare occassions when a thought does manage to break through it's always along the lines of "I have to get out of here before I say something stupid or upsetting" which isn't particularly helpfull.