Internal dialog

[Shenandoah]

Do you have this never ending dialog (or monologue maybe) in your head? It's almost like you silently discuss things with yourself all the time. Usually emotionally neutral well balanced and well nuanced discussion on many different subjects. Sometimes when a subject comes up in a conversation you go "Oh yes, I have thought about it at length" and then depart on a huge tangent likely almost irrelevant to the interaction you are a part of.
Is it a way to calculate our way through life given a confusing and probably insufficient nature of the information the world streams at us?

 

[Mia]

Absolutely, many do. It's a way of figuring out everything, only wish it could be turned off at times. After a particularly stressful day I have a difficult time sleeping. This morning I woke up to a song reverberating in my mind, over and over, it's not even a song I like. And then of course there's the Canadian election that happened last night. So I'm counting the seats and votes. And hoping they can form a government that manages to get some things done.

Know that many Aspies have a tendency toward overthinking. As we have to navigate social interaction daily, so as not to make mistakes. Along with everything else we think about. It's as if my brain never turns off. Things like a dripping tap, seems to take over my life, or the annoyance of what to do about a cracked window. Or the taxes, or a recent invitation by a pushy new family member for us to drive for seven hours and attend a relative's surprise party. Sometimes life is too complicated, she said on a tangent.

 

[SDRSpark]

Absolutely, 100%. Although I tend to visualize having these discussions with other people...I've done this my whole life. I've described it as being like I never outgrew my imaginary friends.

I was diagnosed as delusional before I learned how to adequately explain it to others.

 

[Shenandoah]

Yes, its kinda like a discussion. Not sure I often imagine a full other person but its always in a form of presenting an argument to to a discussion.

Absolutely, 100%. Although I tend to visualize having these discussions with other people...I've done this my whole life. I've described it as being like I never outgrew my imaginary friends.

I was diagnosed as delusional before I learned how to adequately explain it to others.

 

[Shenandoah]

I have to say though that my dialog is not anxiety based in nature, although I had that in a past. It's more of an academic analysis of things and often it has a meta-flavour to it, I.e. a generalization attempt.
Not the same as worrying.

Absolutely, many do. It's a way of figuring out everything, only wish it could be turned off at times. After a particularly stressful day I have a difficult time sleeping. This morning I woke up to a song reverberating in my mind, over and over, it's not even a song I like. And then of course there's the Canadian election that happened last night. So I'm counting the seats and votes. And hoping they can form a government that manages to get some things done.

Know that many Aspies have a tendency toward overthinking. As we have to navigate social interaction daily, so as not to make mistakes. Along with everything else we think about. It's as if my brain never turns off. Things like a dripping tap, seems to take over my life, or the annoyance of what to do about a cracked window. Or the taxes, or a recent invitation by a pushy new family member for us to drive for seven hours and attend a relative's surprise party. Sometimes life is too complicated, she said on a tangent.

 

[AHClemist]

I definitely do this. For me, it's a way to practice for particular social interactions or try them out beforehand. I am very good at imagining just how I would react, so it's pretty easy to drop myself into a situation. For me, recently it has been more of a way to find out what I want and need from others.
I have always made friends with characters in movies and imagined going on advantures with them.

 

[Mia]

I have to say though that my dialog is not anxiety based in nature, although I had that in a past. It's more of an academic analysis of things and often it has a meta-flavour to it, I.e. a generalization attempt.
Not the same as worrying.

Don't know that I would describe my ruminations as worrying or even anxiety focused. More concern and it's permutations or possibilities. The minutiae of daily life that I take all responsibility for, so that my spouse doesn't have to. In doing so, he can devote all of his time to his academic interests without distraction. Perhaps that will change since his retirement. And I will have more time for my own interests.

 

[clg114]

I do not know if I have a dialog in my head, but I do think about things a lot. Everything that I say, everything that I believe to be true, all of my priorities and almost everything that I do are preceded by logical thought. I have never made a conscious decision to think like this. I guess it must just be one of my Aspie ways.

 

[SDRSpark]

I have to say though that my dialog is not anxiety based in nature, although I had that in a past. It's more of an academic analysis of things and often it has a meta-flavour to it, I.e. a generalization attempt.
Not the same as worrying.

My dialog is just the way I am I think. It CAN be anxiety based...I get "stuck" and ruminate on events well past when I think I should have stopped having it in my head every minute of every day.

At the same time, though, I can spend hours thinking of a hobby, or a movie, or an experiment that I want to perform, or a technical problem I need to solve.

It's like any other sense or experience. It's neither bad, nor good, it just is. Is seeing bad? No, of course not, though you can see bad things. Or good things. But the ability to see just is. (And most people wouldn't want to lose their sight.)

 

[Fino]

Yes, and it can be exhausting at times.

 

[Wolfnox]

All the time.

 

[Streetwise]

Absolutely, many do. It's a way of figuring out everything, only wish it could be turned off at times. After a particularly stressful day I have a difficult time sleeping. This morning I woke up to a song reverberating in my mind, over and over, it's not even a song I like. And then of course there's the Canadian election that happened last night. So I'm counting the seats and votes. And hoping they can form a government that manages to get some things done.

Know that many Aspies have a tendency toward overthinking. As we have to navigate social interaction daily, so as not to make mistakes. Along with everything else we think about. It's as if my brain never turns off. Things like a dripping tap, seems to take over my life, or the annoyance of what to do about a cracked window. Or the taxes, or a recent invitation by a pushy new family member for us to drive for seven hours and attend a relative's surprise party. Sometimes life is too complicated, she said on a tangent.

oh great !now im thinking about the israeli government hopefully it will be swallowed up by !it!!!!!

 

[Shenandoah]

I want to qualify that the way I intended to pose a question was not about rumination or obsessive patterns. I know these very well and they are painful and exhausting.
I am talking about a need to converse internally in order to get insights into things. It can be hobby related, work related, people related, self discovery and many other things. I don't see it as a negative process, but rather a continuous research of sorts and wondering about a need for this process. Do not dislike it actually, most often if feels like a positive exercise.
Just feel we should not confuse different things.

 

[Mia]

am talking about a need to converse internally in order to get insights into things. It can be hobby related, work related, people related, self discovery and many other things. I don't see it as a negative process, but rather a continuous research of sorts and wondering about a need for this process. Do not dislike it actually, most often if feels like a positive exercise.

I see it as something of a negative but sometimes helpful process. The desire to understand every perspective that one can possibly consider. It's debilitating.

 

[Shenandoah]

I see it as something of a negative but sometimes helpful process. The desire to understand every perspective that one can possibly consider. It's debilitating.

That sounds anxiety based to me. Not quite the same process....

 

[SDRSpark]

I want to qualify that the way I intended to pose a question was not about rumination or obsessive patterns. I know these very well and they are painful and exhausting.
I am talking about a need to converse internally in order to get insights into things. It can be hobby related, work related, people related, self discovery and many other things. I don't see it as a negative process, but rather a continuous research of sorts and wondering about a need for this process. Do not dislike it actually, most often if feels like a positive exercise.
Just feel we should not confuse different things.

For me it's not a need or behavior so much as just how my mind works.

To put it another way, if I my internal dialogue were to cease I would feel like I lost one of my senses. It would be like being blind, or deaf. I wouldn't know how to function in the world.

So I guess it's a need in as much as seeing or hearing is a need. But calling it a need makes it sound like a compulsion as opposed to a way of being.

 

[Bolletje]

I write my reports at work this way. I see a patient, then I ponder what I want to write in my head for a few hours or so before I actually write the report. That way the thoughts have crystallized into a well-structured story and I have well-phrased and solid arguments to back up my conclusions. If the case is a difficult one I wait a day and often wake up in the middle of the night with just the right turn of phrase.

 

[Shenandoah]

I see that my wording might have been imperfect, "need" wasn't really an operative word.
You pretty much nailed what I was trying to say.

For me it's not a need or behavior so much as just how my mind works.

To put it another way, if I my internal dialogue were to cease I would feel like I lost one of my senses. It would be like being blind, or deaf. I wouldn't know how to function in the world.

So I guess it's a need in as much as seeing or hearing is a need. But calling it a need makes it sound like a compulsion as opposed to a way of being.

 

[Streetwise]

For me it's not a need or behavior so much as just how my mind works.

To put it another way, if I my internal dialogue were to cease I would feel like I lost one of my senses. It would be like being blind, or deaf. I wouldn't know how to function in the world.

So I guess it's a need in as much as seeing or hearing is a need. But calling it a need makes it sound like a compulsion as opposed to a way of being.

from what I know of mine its just severe anxiety, if I could destroy it I would without a breath

 

[Mia]

That sounds anxiety based to me. Not quite the same process....

Not really, it's more of a desire to approach things with a great deal of information, and make a decision based on the narrowing down of that information. It's the way my mind works.