Is talking to yourself considered a form of stimming?

[Au Naturel]

So I am still really new to this autism thing. In the sense of understanding it.
I have found out a lot about verbal stimming and other kinds of stimming. Which got me wondering.
Is talking to yourself out loud a form of stimming?

I've always read that talking to yourself is a sign of intelligence.

 

[Progster]

I talk to myself something. Helps me concentrate and stay on task.

 

[NDR2]

I used to stim by talking out loud. I would recite something I heard on TV or on a record. It would help me relax. I also used to sing out loud. My family would often tell me not to do that – they’d say, “People will think you’re weird.” People who saw or heard me doing it probably did think I was weird. So these days when I’m in public I talk and sing to myself under my breath.

 

[bajariitz37]

I do this a lot when I am at home by myself, usually pretty similarly like you mentioned, creating scenarios in my head. I also did it while I was still in school, to sort of explain or "teach" myself something. It is a great way to de-stress and process difficult situations.

 

[Ed#]

I talk to myself a lot. I don't think I'm autistic, so it probably isn't something specific to autism. I like talking to myself for a few reasons.

1. It's a good way to sort out what I am thinking. Flannery O'Connor, the writer, said this: "I write in order to know what I think." I do that, too, and I understand what she means. In the process of writing, I become clearer about what I think. Writing is thinking. In the same way, speaking can also be a way of clarifying my thinking. As I'm talking to myself, I am working out what I think. I am formulating it more sharply. That's not always true, but it seems to be one of the functions.

2. It's a way to keep myself company, I guess.

3. My conversations with myself are usually more interesting than the conversations I have with other people.

 

[tazz]

I talk a lot while I'm on my own, but not usually to myself - I imagine talking to someone else. It was picked up in my diagnosis as related to autism but not mentioned as stimming. Apparently it's something to do with keeping my brain organised to stop things getting overwhelming. And, a habit I use to practice social communication / social interaction because I was always aware I'm rubbish at it - nice bit of observational learning and practice so I can seem less odd when I'm in the unfortunate position of actually having to talk to someone

Something else I do is repeat individual words and short phrases over and over. Some are recurring. Others are words from recent conversations. I don't know why I do it. I've always done it. Sorta feels natural. I've read that this can be seen as stimming but it's not something that came up at my diagnosis.

What was it Bill Murray said in Caddyshack: "Of course I talk to myself, sometimes I need an expert opinion."

 

[tazz]

I never understood why people think it's weird since my voice is available even when people are not around.

Quote of the day.

 

[Au Naturel]

Talking to myself is a way of working through something. Somehow just thinking about it doesn't feel as effective. I need to hear my thoughts.

 

[Aspie_With_Attitude]

I think this could be like a form of "VERBAL STIMMING".

 

[BreaksOver]

I think it counts as stimming. This made me realize talking to myself is definitely a stim. And of course not just autistics stim so I'm sure there are plenty of NTs who stim this way as well

 

[Noelle]

This is a really good thread topic. I've wondered this myself for awhile. I tend to agree with most of the others here that this probably is a form of verbal stimming.