Inner conversations

[Harrison]

I do it all the time, as Judge said early on, it's part of my scripting routine.

 

[DogwoodTree]

No. Not me. I'll rehearse a conversation possibly when I have an interview or will be giving a speech or going on a date, etc.

So our "token NT" does not have conversations in your head? But it looks like the rest of us do. Interesting. Hm. Maybe it's an aspie thing, then? Because I do it all the time. I'm constantly having inner conversations with people. There are certain people I refuse to let get into my head, lol, but most family members, people at church, therapist, even strangers...I have these imaginary conversations all the time, and I do mean pretty much constantly. It helps me sort through my thoughts to have so many different "perspectives".

 

[AsheSkyler]

Are you my wife?

Naw, I'm just another figment of your imagination.

 

[Grumpy Cat]

So our "token NT" does not have conversations in your head? But it looks like the rest of us do. Interesting. Hm. Maybe it's an aspie thing, then? Because I do it all the time. I'm constantly having inner conversations with people. There are certain people I refuse to let get into my head, lol, but most family members, people at church, therapist, even strangers...I have these imaginary conversations all the time, and I do mean pretty much constantly. It helps me sort through my thoughts to have so many different "perspectives".

Do you ever get your "thought" conversations mixed up with your real conversations that you have with these people?

 

[watersprite]

Yes, I do that too. I like having at least an approximate script ready, even just going to the store. I'll otherwise be completely in my zone, and people will react negatively to me. I don't mean necessarily outright mean or bullying, but they do pick up on me seemingly ignoring everyone. I live in a tiny town and this isn't a good thing. Also sometimes if I don't have a script I'll launch into talking way too much, and way too personal about myself - if anyone engages me in conversation for some reason. So, for me it is best to have a pre-formed scenario, just in case.
I like what gregmcph said about turning off toxic discussions. I'm a little bit less grouchy of a person since I've been doing that.

 

[DogwoodTree]

Do you ever get your "thought" conversations mixed up with your real conversations that you have with these people?

Sometimes, but not nearly as often as you might think. What's so frustrating is when I can have a brilliant conversation with someone in my head, but IRL it never goes anything close to how I imagined it. So...if the conversation I remember was embarrassing and unfulfilling and mostly just the other person talking...those are the "real" ones.

 

[epath13]

Most people I know do that. I think, as long as those words don't put self-diminishing ideas or illusions in your mind, self-talk can be very helpful. When I was younger I wanted to stop doing it permanently, I thought silence is much wiser than any words but I think I might have been missing a point. It's not about self-talk or silence, it's about your goals and what role self-talk and silence play in your life.
Unfortunately I had many moments in my life when I wasn't sure who was talking, if it was me or somebody else, which was scarry, depressing and exciting at the same time. But so far I have managed to stay on top of it, plus when I tried to ask some specialists how normal it was, many said that I could solve the issue within myself. So at this moment, I consider it's being totally normal

 

[Nestmc]

I do it all the time. It helps me with concentracion and get me calm, like when i'm in a really loud place and I start to talk with myself. The bad thing is that i tend to forget the world when I begin to talk like this

 

[napper44]

All the time. The only problem is when I forget I had the conversation with phantom-husband instead of real-husband.

OMG, that happens to me a lot. Its caused a few arguments with my roommate. "But I heard you say..." " I never said that" Tres annoying

 

[Spiller]

I converse inside my head a lot, but find I have to be careful to check why I'm doing it.
If I'm stressed and anxious then I'm going to be reliving past conversations, which I find is rather pointless as that situation is over, so why relive it and bring up unpleasant emotions? I find these discussions can knock my self esteem too. If I have an appointment with my GP, councellor, or whatever, I tend to rehearse what I want to say, but again, have to be careful not to let anxiety creep in and allow the conversation to run away.
When I'm in a calm mindset I can use this for making decisions, self-analysis and keeping myself company though I may speak aloud to hear my own voice.. I've gone for days and a few times two weeks without speaking in the past and, like an unused muscle, have had a job articulating properly again.

 

[ExplosiveTMT]

I talked to my bear! Peanut.
I guess you could say that talking to him was a coping mechanism of mine, for whenever I hit a brick wall in communicating with others, and for when my day just generally turned to poop.

 

[Sarsaparilla]

What's so frustrating is when I can have a brilliant conversation with someone in my head, but IRL it never goes anything close to how I imagined it. So...if the conversation I remember was embarrassing and unfulfilling and mostly just the other person talking...those are the "real" ones.

I can relate to this - I am so articulate in my head - and it's so frustrating when I have prepared a fantastic, clever thing to say to someone and my head voice is strong and powerful, but when I open my mouth all that comes out is something irrelevant in a quiet squeak.

 

[Stik]

I do this all the time. Always felt normal and thought it was normal ... But after I learned not everyone thinks in pictures I'm skeptical to what I think is normal. I think I'm a lot more different than I thought.

 

[Tom]

I do that all the time. Always have.

 

[Dusty285]

I really cannot do dialog. I create stories that follow real-time kinds of development. Usually I have no idea where the story will go, it just does. Most of these are about things I am unhappy or angry about; it helps unwind my anger. The anger does clearly show to other people so I know to only allow it to happen when I am completely alone and isolated physically and visually.

 

[Juliet8080]

Do you have conversations with people inside your head? I'm not talking about "voices" like what schizophrenics deal with. Just internal representations of people you know, and having conversations with them, like practicing so that you're ready to have a real conversation with the real person if/when the situation arises...or maybe just "talking" something out with a person to get their "feedback" from their perspective, even though it's not something you would actually discuss with them.

Trying to figure out if this is "normal"...or "aspie"...or just me being kinda weird, lol.

I DO THAT SO MUCH!!! I had to talk to one of my teachers before school once and I was TERRIFIED! And I kind of subconsciously imagined myself talking to him for the next few days and thought of his possible responses to what I was going to say to him, and when I did talk to him in real life, I predicted what he was going to say word for word before he even said it! It was so weird! It turns out, I do that a lot more than I think and "talk" to people in my head all the time.

 

[Juliet8080]

Do you have conversations with people inside your head? I'm not talking about "voices" like what schizophrenics deal with. Just internal representations of people you know, and having conversations with them, like practicing so that you're ready to have a real conversation with the real person if/when the situation arises...or maybe just "talking" something out with a person to get their "feedback" from their perspective, even though it's not something you would actually discuss with them.

Trying to figure out if this is "normal"...or "aspie"...or just me being kinda weird, lol.

I DO THAT SO MUCH!!! I had to talk to one of my teachers before school once and I was TERRIFIED! And I kind of subconsciously imagined myself talking to him for the next few days and thought of his possible responses to what I was going to say to him, and when I did talk to him in real life, I predicted what he was going to say word for word before he even said it! It was so weird! It turns out, I do that a lot more than I think and "talk" to people in my head all the time.

 

[Princezz]

When I'm considereing telling someone something, I will usually try to play it out in my head, though the result isn't always what happens in real life. I also try to play out conversations between made up characters for stories I think of.

 

[Fairywishes]

If I'm in a small space with someone else but we're not talking. I'll have conversations in my head. I often retreat to my head. Sometimes they are conversations such as don't say that or things I would say but realise I shouldn't. Sometimes though it's more what I'm doing. When I was younger I talked to myself a lot, but I was more isolated or hated the world. I've found a better place now but don't fit in but realise when I dont, don't care as much, can fit in at times, have a family. It all helps. I'll never stop my conversations though.

 

[Fairywishes]

Although I notice someone else mentioned writing it. If I'm not sure or have a lot to try and say clearly ill usually email or text but again my partner gets cross I'm hear why can't we just talk. I find I feel bullied if we talk and feel my words are constantly twisted so I prefer writing.