Do you talk to yourself?

[Bender5]

In public I will speak encouragement to myself barely above a whisper. But privately I know I talk through anticipated real life conversations. I believe I do this mostly for memorization.

 

[Dadwith2Autisticsons]

That behavior is not just confined to some Aspies. Some with ADHD and other conditions can do that, too. As well, I bet many NTs can talk out loud, too. As for my wife, she does it on rarer occasion as it is needed because of memory difficulty and helps with concentration and staying focused.

 

[Manuheleku]

All the time. And singing.

 

[Mellow Bunny]

I talk to myself a lot. Maybe it's because I watch a lot of youtube and reaction videos, and I want to be a youtuber myself. It's stress relieving to talk/vent to myself.

 

[Ebu004]

I don't know if I'm just a mad woman, but I have the tendency to talk to myself, often, sometimes even in public. I actually can't help it. I've had people ask me who I'm talking to on the phone, until they realise I don't have one, and have been picked on for it many a time. Sometimes I'm talking just to get things straightened out in my head, encouragement, or I'm walking through situations that I might be in later or simply talking to made-up people. Super normal right? I'm not quite sure what to do about this, because I really can't seem to stop without losing it and spiralling into a full-on meltdown (the talking helps me handle anxiety). Does anybody else do it? And how do you do this without looking quite mad? I think I'm just going to have to carry my phone around with me and talk as though I had any friends to ring in the first place. "No I'm not crazy... What are you talking about?"

I do talk to myself so extremely often. I try to restrict it to when I'm alone and then it's like full on conversation time. Yelling laughing joking with myself lol. I do say stuff to myself in public too but I just own it and act goofy and people just assume I'm goofy I suppose. I've started singing to myself instead to not seem quite as weird. Actual songs or just my thoughts. When I'm singing, people don't seem to realize that I'm not singing an actual song. Maybe it's just one they haven't heard? Nah it's just me talking to myself in public in a more socially acceptable way

 

[Butterfly88]

I do this too. Part of the reason I talk to myself is because I learned self-talk skills in therapy but part of me just talks to myself anyway. There's nothing wrong with it. People may think it's strange but that's their problem.

 

[Gracey]

Yes I can talk, whistle or hum tunes to myself for many different reasons.

The main one being it feeling like some sort of release or soothing technique.

I'm too long in the tooth now to worry about the judgement of others.

It's part of me, it happens, it works for me.

 

[Vindicator Phoenix]

I have out-loud soliloquys when I know that no one can hear me. As when I write, these are times where I can be entirely authentic and my natural, idiosyncratic self. These are times when I don't have to enervate myself by portraying someone allistic.

 

[wight]

Count me into the "talk to myself" group. I've gotten to the point that I do it without even realizing it and sometimes I say think I meant to only think or only think things I intended to say out loud. More than once, my wife will ask me a question and I'll think I answered but didn't actual say anything. Contrarily, I will be muttering to myself and she will start asking "what are you talking about?"

 

[HaruLanayru]

I talk to myself all the time. It helps me calm down. I even named the other "me" that I talk to. "No, Haru, let's NOT do that...." or "It's going to be ok Haru". It's therapeutic. I don't see things or hear things that aren't there just to clarify.

 

[Streetwise]

I discuss things when I hear somebody making a comment on the television I don't do it in public

 

[kay]

Guess I talk to myself, too. I'm alone tonight and have had several discussions about ice cream, a painting I'm working on, my phone, when to pre-heat the oven, where to put my treadle sewing machine, and a continuation of a conversation I had earlier today. I mostly do this when I'm alone but I slip up from time to time. Years ago I heard it was a symptom of being super smart and so I'm going to go with that .

 

[watersprite]

I talk to myself on a regular basis; I have never thought of it as weird at all. Talk especially a lot when cooking as it helps me to keep the tasks in proper sequence & pay attention to safety issues.
Edited to add: actually it is soothing/stimulating and calming for me. Talking and listening to others is the opposite.

 

[pjcnet]

I also often talk to myself and my "friend" sometimes moans about it when he's around (I sometimes don't realise I'm doing it). Since having a cat however I often talk to her instead, so in a way I don't talk to myself as much, although I have also been criticised for apparently pointlessly talking to the cat. Why criticise however, talking to yourself isn't hurting anyone? I also believe that talking to animals can be a positive thing and they understand more than what many people think.

 

[Fitzo]

'Puts hand up'
Yep me too. Don't think I've actually done it in front of anyone else yet though!

 

[Laughingowl1975]

Did it a lot as a child, I'm not surprised the others thought I was weird or crazy. I had to stop so they would stop bulling me but it feels wrong not to talk to myself, I only do it now when I'm stressed, angry or trying to remember something.

 

[Idahocalypse]

I used to keep a journal but I don't like the thought of Big Brother watching me so I talk to myself whenever I'm alone instead. I discovered that it feels better to rant verbally rather than typing furiously. Besides, I enjoy my own company. Some days I'm the only person I can stand to be around.

 

[ksheehan88]

Yep, I always talk to myself. When I am alone or somewhere private with people I am comfortable with I do it without worrying. I've caught myself doing it in public so make a conscious effort not to do it when I am out and about.

I was ranting at the steam coming off a boiling pot of rice the other day because it was blowing further into the room rather than out the window and my friend called from the other room to ask if I was OK and if I needed help lol.

 

[Voltaic]

I do. A lot. I don't know what it opus about it, but I talk to myself about pretty much everything. It is just me talking, not like a two way conversation. If I learn something new, I would practice explaining it, or just vent my excitement through speech. When I am not talking to myself, my dog is my next best choice. Honestly I talk to him like he is a normal human. do you guys do anything like this? I was wondering if it was something common with aspies, or just a personal quirk. Either way, i love it.

 

[Keigan]

Talking to my dog more than myself.