Talking to yourself?

[GoldenRatio]

I love talking to myself and have always done it lol. Prior to diagnosis I never told anyone because I felt crazy, now I have an excuse so it's in the open . I'm a pretty interesting guy, so why not talk to myself!!!

 

[Perry Holia Kerrith]

Well, it might be that the tendency of a person to speak to themselves is a form of "practice" for having real conversations. Forming complete thoughts, not jumping too hastily from one topic to another, things like that. Or, it could simply be because you like to hear the sound of your own voice (in a non-insulting way).

But then, the reasons may differ from person to person. So while speculation is insightful, it is not at all conclusive. I personally talk to myself, and to a whole list of... What I suppose people would call "imaginary friends" on an almost constant basis. In my case, I feel it is simply brought on by the fact that I love to converse, and most people don't understand/don't care about what I'm talking about. Or, it could be (as my psychiatrist put it), a manifestation of my mind-consuming loneliness.

So, as I believe is always the case, we are left to draw our own conclusions, and revisit the results at such a time as more relevant data can be acquired.

 

[Cuppa' Tea]

I talk to myself constantly! Usually it allows me to infodump on things I'm really obsessed over without having to worry about boring anyone else.

 

[Rob]

Hi Everyone

I often talk to myself when I have to do a time-consuming task, requiring many steps. If I have to do something that requires a lot of thought, I often talk to myself to help me think more clearly. For example, asking the question, "Okay - what's going on here? What's the most important thing I have to start with?" helps me to sort things out. If I have to prepare myself for doing an important job at home, like cutting the grass, etc. I would ask myself, "let's see, where's the oil? how much do I need?" etc. If I am driving I often talk to myself about the traffic and what is going on in front of me. If I am going shopping I would talk softly to myself if I see something new and exciting and say, "Wow - that looks delicious!"

If I am walking in town and people are coming toward me, I will tell myself where to walk so I can keep a safe distance from the approaching person. "Go left" or "better stay clear..." would be common for me to mumble to myself.

I would say the harder the job, the harder the day is, the more I would talk to myself!

 

[Peace]

After this post, I started paying attention. What I discovered, is that I talk to myself WAY more than I had ever realized. Wow!

 

[Mellotron]

I talk to myself but more in my head than outwardly. I can talk to myself outwardly but usually it is to do an act or something with different characters (usually a radio show or Harry Potter spoofs or something). I talk to myself in my head all day, about what is currently happening, to sort out what tasks I should do in what order. A lot of the time I talk to myself in my head about history or current events as if I am giving a lecture to someone or I have a radio show or something. It is entertaining for me and something I like to be able to do for some reason.

Additionally I like to go through songs or albums in my head. Its not talking to myself but more performing music in my mind, either that exists or something I make up. One time when I was younger and working at a store as a cashier I went through an entire concert of a band in my head to pass the time and as a challenge. It took the proper 2 hours and 40 minutes that it actually would have in real life so I was pleased haha.

 

[Rob]

I get a lot of music playing in my head too - the weather network themes, music from commercials, the radio, random music from the past of songs that I seem to like more than others.
I got obsessed with a tune I heard while in Kamloops - it sounded like a romantic song by a composer or some theme from a romantic movie. But I could NEVER IDENTIFY IT!

 

[KcSpot]

Oh god yes...

It mainly like i imagine myself in situations may they be real or fake. And I just act out and imagine the people are interating with me. Dont get me wrong i have no imaginary friend but say..

Like im stressed on how i should talk to someone i think about saying it and it just comes out and happens. Like an interview or maybe im having a bad spot with my mom. I just talk it out with myself.. and sometimes when im putting together a plan i try to tell people the plan so that I have like confirmation...

Might be a confidence issue but eh.. :/

 

[Zac]

I do this too... I tell my phone about my day o-O
I often have full conversations with myself in front of my computer, as if recording an info video about myself ^^ I keep telling myself the same things though, idk why. I hate being recorded so I don't really understand.

 

[The Impossible Girl]

I often talk to myself when I have to do a time-consuming task, requiring many steps. If I have to do something that requires a lot of thought, I often talk to myself to help me think more clearly.

This sounds like me when I am doing tasks around the place. I always talk to myself in the kitchen, like I am on Master Chef or something. If all is going well in the kitchen I find myself commentating more and more about how good its going. If I begin to flail and fail I withdraw and just spit venom at the thing. It is interesting to hear so many aspies talking to themselves in differing situations. I think it is probably another coping mechanism for dealing with, processing, long instructions or lots of information/stimuli.

I also speak quietly when I am at the shops, walking past something I see that I really like I will autonomously speak. Like I have no filter from my brain to my mouth. It hasn't gotten me, and gets me, into trouble at times. People automatically tend think I want to purchase the thing I admired or regarded, but usually it is just that something has caught my eye. It is generally an irrelevant thing that has drawn me in too. Like a change in packaging or a shiny surface. Maybe something soft I have to touch. I always have to reinforce that no, I am not going to buy it, despite my interest. I just though it looked nice. It irritates me that I have to stand my ground and say over and over... lol "My position was that of an observer, and I wish not, to part take in any purchases today. Thank you!"

 

[Judge]

Me too. In two different languages. I try to contain it to a few sentences though. I usually start to feel a little self-conscious when I go beyond a paragraph. Imagine being self-conscious about something you say to yourself in private! <facepalm>

I like to think it's just the product of isolation over long periods of time...but I suspect it's something else. At least I'm not alone in this context! Lucky for me irony isn't a mystery to me.

 

[ghoulbler]

A lot. So much that I've had to gather my family together to tell them "If I don't say your name first, I'm not talking to YOU, I'm talking to MYSELF"

 

[Gulas]

I like talk to myself to practice my English. Also I like to talk to myself as I would talk to a friend.

 

[nowwhat]

Yes. Thinking out loud (as in analyzing something or problem solving) and sometimes angry ranting and raving. I've been rather unhappy and stressed out the last couple of years, so I'm doing it more. Some people think I'm nuts. It's embarrassing to be caught at it.

 

[Perry Holia Kerrith]

It's also really irritating when you don't realize anyone else is there. I once got in a vehement debate with myself over... Something to do with videogames I think, and turned around to find my sister with "WTF???" stamped on her forehead.

XP

 

[Rob]

Today I had to spend almost ten hours at work, serving a busy gas station with tourists going home for this Thanksgiving weekend. I cannot count the number of times I had asked to myself, "How's the coffee doing? How are the washrooms? Will the garbage bag spray coffee onto my uniform (when tossing it into the garbage bin) this time? etc etc!" One time someone spent what seemed to be twenty minutes in the men's room when I had to wait for him to leave - in the meantime I restocked the cooler with drinks. I almost felt like barging through the door and kicking him out! The front garbage bag got so full when I had to pull it out, the bag ripped in some places, and some garbage fell out. Some unpleasant words came out of me - but nobody heard, thankfully!

Anyway, things should be calming down tomorrow.

 

[tw3]

I talk myself through situations I am about to or may encounter. I imagine queries and then formulate responses, trying to hear how they might sound to the inquirer. I usually go through multiple repetitions with different words until I think it would be a good response in real life.
I think I must be OCD when it comes to grammar. I always correct my grammar even when talking to myself.

 

[Explosition_Rooster]

Of course I talk to myself, mostly about what's going on inside my head, which is a great way to help me get used to talking to other people.


When ever that happens.

 

[Jeff]

I'd like to know if my tendency of self discussions alter due the amount I've been socialising. Hypothesis being that people talk less to theirselves after being in a group and having real communication in case if self discussion is a substitute, but if it's just intrinsic feature it'll be quite about constant all of the time. It's pity that I can't really observe this authentic by myself. Maybe someone else has noticed some?

I believe that is a factor but not the sole one. I think it does help with stress and social isolation, things need to be said even if I'm the only one listening.

Three or four years ago I was becoming increasingly compartmentalized in order to deal with very conflicting thoughts & emotions - that caused me to talk to myself often...... and by myself I mean, the different and conflicting representations of who I was.

At the moment I still talk to myself, but not as much. The different representations of myself are not so clearly separated now as they were. I've been trying to reconcile everyone inside me.

Often I'll just use sounds that I've heard people use in different languages to talk to myself. There is emotion and thought behind the sounds that I'm making, but no one else is there to understand what I'm saying so it doesn't matter if they're gibberish - it's easier if it is gibberish as converting those emotions into understandable language is wasted effort.

 

[Peace]

I have never figured out why, I pronounce words to myself backwards. This is probably even strange in the Aspie world.