Do you talk to yourself and others in your head?

[whiteraven]

Yes, in two different ways. I talk to my insiders all the time. But I also do what others here have mentioned - I have long conversations with people in my head, usually before I have to meet and talk with them, but also when I'm angry or in anticipation of a very difficult discussion that I think will hurt me in some way.

 

[Gs172003]

Yes, in two different ways. I talk to my insiders all the time. But I also do what others here have...

What's the difference in the two

 

[whiteraven]

What's the difference in the two

Well, my insiders *hear* me and often respond. I usually have no idea what they'll say. The conversations I have with say, my therapist, are mostly one-sided. Or the other side - the responses to my worries or anxieties or anger - is made-up. I imagine what the other person might say, how they might respond. Although when I am really upset, I really don't think much about it. It just comes pouring out of my head.

 

[Slushie]

Yes I've done the same since I was pre teen and still even today I had a '' conversation '' with my therapist, I usually kind of picture her in front of me and I like, mouth what I'm saying but no actual words come out. And I imagine her responses. Back and forth it goes, sometimes for up to 2 hours. I've done the same with people I know or have known for so many years now. I always thought I was the only one who did it!

 

[Ronin]

I try not to.

On all rounds.

But mostly because I am really detached with words past a few, they are all jumbled, weakness & cowardice & treason & lies and other loaded concepts, silence is safer.

So spending time around people that look talk, sign, talk in metaphors and a style of people that calmed me instead of abusers, or emoticon talk. A.k.a. stupid trusting pictures instead of stupid trusting words.

 

[ms spock]

Yes and I have maladaptive daydreaming, though I have done less of that these last three days.

 

[blackemerald1]

Yes I do. Particularly if I am trying to keep myself calm before a difficult situation. Or to get myself through a difficult situation. Or even when something has not gone well and I am trying to keep myself grounded. It is like an over-flow mechanism I developed.

Outwardly I am being silent. Inwardly there is a rapid, self-preserving conversation happening.

I have to do it now. I'm not certain when it became part of my mental landscape of things I do. But it works quite well.:)

 

[T2L]

All the time every day. Some is due to social anxiety, some is berating myself, some is positive self talk in an attempt to reduce the anxiety or negative thoughts, etc. Aside from the social anxiety, I think OCD/just obsession is a big contribution. However, isn't this a normal thing people do... think/talk to themselves whether it's positive or negative? I guess since I've always done this I just kind of assume it's normal. I know planning conversations and interactions is motivated due to controlling a situation to reduce anxiety. I'm also one that will not express anger outwardly so I "scream/cuss" to others in my head but keep my mouth shut or have a smile on my face. This isn't necessarily healthy, but it does address "talking to others" in my head.

 

[Friday]

Maybe my therapist is right, and this is a PTSD trait.

It’s a human trait... it’s called “internal monologue” if talking to yourself silently, or “rehearsing” if you’re practicing what you’re going to say, or “visualising” if imagining what you’re going to do, or “fantasising” if it’s entirely imaginary / not something you’re actually going to do or say.

 

[TruthSeeker]

All day....sing to myself, too....more often thinking in lyrics than not. Each situation bri...

I love to ride the mower.....and talk to myself.....then convos will turn negative.....and I'm speaking but really can't hear a thing. I really wish there were a way I could listen to music and ride a noisy mower without it costing me an arm and a let.

 

[Tornadic Thoughts]

I hear ya', @Bkinder . Mowing is one of the few things I can still do well physically (most days) and it helps me feel like I'm contributing something more sufficiently than usual (by my own yardstick, which I also use to beat myself over the head with as the self talk goes south) when I do it. Redirecting the negative stuff is a lot easier said than done much of the time.

I have a little old school mp3 player that I bought to use in various classes that I used to facilitate at my former place of employment years ago. It still has songs I downloaded from former student requests and is a hoot to listen to. lol I also downloaded a few audio books, but have yet to finish one before I finish the yard. lol

But anyway, I use ear buds with it and put noise cancelling headphones over top of those while mowing if I want to listen to something other than my own thoughts and internal singing. It's not yet created a safety issue (knock on wood) and helps a great deal on the days I need change in the head chatter scenery.

 

[Deleted member 8714]

I talk to myself in many different ways.

1. I've got alters so we talk.
   
2. Then I have an inner monologue type of chatter.
   
3. Another is playacting out the abuse which I've done since I was four years old. It took me awhile to figure out that it was actually about the abuse.
   
4. And the last is that I playact out the novels I'm writing inside my head. It took me a bit to translate that onto paper because I left out too many details. In the beginning, all I had was what is called "talking heads."

Well of course --- sometimes I need expert advice!

That's what my husband said the other day. And I agreed with him. LOL