Do you talk to yourself in your head?

[Black Rose]

Usually when I have thoughts, they are negative and I suppress them by saying in my head "That is stupid, I don't mean that." When I am alone I do not have a monologue going on. If I see a chair I do not say in my head "That is a chair, I need put it back at the table so I can sit down latter when I need to eat tomorrow morning." I just know I need to move the chair and I move it. And this is the same for seeing things in my head. I have thousands of picture on my computer. When I need to use one of those pictures (by putting it into my Photobucket account) I just remember that a picture I have would be useful to show people and I look for it in the file I put it in. I do not see that picture in my head. I just know that it exists and go look for it. With music in my head, it is very faint and fragmented. I cannot play the whole sequence beginning to end. After taking Prozac it seems that I am more aware of things inside my head. I think that I may be Extroverted instead of Introverted for those reasons (perhaps ENFP). It is just that people say Introverts are always in their head and that is not what I do.

When I was younger and lying in bed the best I could do was make associations of what I was thinking about all day and what I could do with them but all that thinking had no pictures and no inner voice. When I could not remember anything just lying there it gave me anxiety because my mind was black and I could not do anything about it. This is why I stayed awake at night until I was too tired to care. I would watch shows on cartoon network till 2 - 3 AM. The next day when I went to school I hated how cold the class room was and I had to just take some time to wake up by taking naps in-between what the teacher was having us do. This was mostly in Middle school not High school or elementary school. When Ne is not fed it feels terrible. Ne has no single focus so it looses comfort when there are too few ideas it can combine. So often I had nothing I could think of to add together. My inner life only has to do Fi. Cartoons are what made me feel what the characters were feeling on the inside. It felt so empty when sad things happened to them. I was addicted to watching cartons because they were the ones who I identified most with. And I felt empty when they were over. I had other things to do but sometime there was nothing to do or think about.

I think it would be nice if I was more introverted because I would not need the constant stimulation to feel better. I would be in my head and not feel so anxious. I would be able to focus and contemplate alone.

 

[PaulMaster]

How much vigorous exercise do you get?

 

[Black Rose]

How much vigorous exercise do you get?

none

completely addicted to internet.

I should run more in the future.
I do walk when my mom takes me to Walmart.

When I have money I walk a block to Subway and Burger King.
Chinese food is good also and Long Johns Silvers.

I bought some carrots, they are good with Ranch Dressing.
Next time I get money I will buy some copper supplements.

 

[PaulMaster]

Regular vigorous exercise can significantly reduce anxiety.

 

[Cognisant]

I'd rather build character than muscle.

 

[PaulMaster]

I'd rather build character than muscle.

They do not have to be mutually exclusive.

 

[Artsu Tharaz]

They do not have to be mutually exclusive.

Much true.

Endure intensity when body relucts, mind over matter into transcendent plane power to control.

 

[RaBind]

I do talk to myself in my mind quite a lot. I've been thinking i should talk to others' voices though, still my thoughts but in others' voices, especially so if the thought is going to be a devil's advocate of sorts to the thoughts I agree with, I think that would be more interesting.

 

[cheese]

Out loud all the way. As far back as I can remember. Lost it for a while, and lost my sense of self too, but it's back now. Seems to be a way for the mind to process things while the self feels 'listened to'. IIRC research shows verbalising (not necessarily talking) helps integrate and solidify memory, learning, etc, especially across hemispheres.

 

[Ex-User (9086)]

I prefer to talk to myself aloud, usually in a language foreign to the place I'm at. I often talk in different languages just to repeat the phrases I already know if they happen to coincide with what I'm thinking about.

My thoughts usually don't have this internal dialogue, because when I'm around other people and I can't voice them, I keep it orderly and single directional most of the time. Usually because I either have to focus on what other people are saying, doing or simply focus on finishing my business and getting away from being surrounded by all those people.

I find it slightly tiresome to keep internal discussions and talk to myself in my head, rather than say it aloud, then it actually becomes pleasant and right in my comfort zone.

There are days I don't feel like saying anything and I'm fine with quiet thinking, especially when walking/running in good weather.

 

[Happy]

I thought the whole act of thinking was an internal dialogue. I'm now beginning to doubt this... Is this not the norm? My entire life is a conversation in my own head. It also has visuals and audios. I have no issue visualising what I'm thinking about, it just happens...

I figured that was basically what Ti is.

 

[Haim]

There is a conscious thinking and unconscious thinking, you are just not aware to what you are thinking sometimes.When you are doing things without awareness you are using your intuition.

"I would be in my head and not feel so anxious. I would be able to focus and contemplate alone."
Why do you think being introvert is related to this?the word you are looking for is mindfulness by the way, the brain needs some material to work well, also it won't enable you to "not feel so anxious" or to "focus and contemplate alone" better .

 

[bvanevery]

I tend to think verbally inside my head, with language and words. It is possible, however, for me to think about some things silently inside. I'm not sure what though, as I don't usually have a reason to use such a modality.

 

[Yellow]

There are rarely any coherent words inside my head. It's more like a synaptic war of order and chaos. My frequent habit of talking to myself happens aloud, unfortunately.

 

[Starfishtea]

This is going to sound so sad, but I have an ''imaginary therapist'' that I talk to in my head. I don't mean that I have made up an entire person or anything, it's really just me talking to therapist me about how I can solve problems and why I am feelings things and to what purpose the feelings must be. But I also have those negative or intrusive thoughts that are quickly followed by myself thinking ''no I don't actaully mean that'' that you mentioned. I also took prozac for roughly three years. Anyway I my conversations take place all day every day unless I'm focused on writing something like I am now. I prefer not to think out loud.

 

[cheese]

^Yes. Imaginary Therapist has actually solved several of my problems/deeper issues. Have you found that too? I don't think it's sad; it's actually a useful way of dealing with things. You're simply reflecting and introspecting with some distance, separating the part of yourself that lashes out negatively from the part that knows the negativity isn't truly reflective of what you mean.

It's useful to separate these dynamics into personas such that each can be fully heard - the raging, emotional self, and then the detached self who is willing to listen to it all.

When I get into cycles where all I do is fight with myself in my head, I know my energy is being wasted. Neither side is truly beind heard, neither side is getting anywhere. If they're persistent and intrusive thoughts, I just let themselves play out.

 

[Happy]

I have an imaginary drill sergeant in there somewhere. He's on long service leave at the moment. He's a hardass, but at least he only shows up when summoned.

 

[Artsu Tharaz]

Usually when I have thoughts, they are negative and I suppress them by saying in my head "That is stupid, I don't mean that."

An idea used in mindfulness counselling is that you should neither feed nor fight against thoughts while engaging in mindfulness. You merely let the thought flow by. I guess the idea is that by fighting against it, you get the opposite outcome to what you want.

So, the thoughts you would be aiming for according to that theory are mindful thoughts - aware of what is going on around you, peaceful, not saying things are good or bad. Just make a quick mental note, and let it be done with.

 

[Grayman]

An idea used in mindfulness counselling is that you should neither feed nor fight against thoughts while engaging in mindfulness. You merely let the thought flow by. I guess the idea is that by fighting against it, you get the opposite outcome to what you want.

So, the thoughts you would be aiming for according to that theory are mindful thoughts - aware of what is going on around you, peaceful, not saying things are good or bad. Just make a quick mental note, and let it be done with.

Is this detrimental to ones analytical abilities? Isn't it training the mind to not dig in deeper and discover the details of things.

 

[Yellow]

Is this detrimental to ones analytical abilities? Isn't it training the mind to not dig in deeper and discover the details of things.

Theoretically, mindfulness is just another layer of analysis or observation. Despite the "nonjudgmental" theme of the exercise, it allows one to observe their thoughts and feelings, which mitigates the depth and breadth of those that aren't effective/beneficial (like negative self-talk, prolonged worry, and irrational anger).

 

[Rualani]

I used to have the old spice commercial dude as a motivating voice inside my head. Maybe I should bring him back.

 

[Nebulous]

(First post ;u; )
I'm a 'maladaptive daydreamer'.
For those who don't know what this is: it's an unofficial 'disorder' were you like.. Daydream a lot. To the point where it gets in the way of functioning in society the way you're supposed to. I spend hours each day immersed in various storylines. I find it very fun and don't like to think of it as a 'disorder', but idk.
ANYWAYS
I talk out loud when I'm daydreaming. It's sort of like acting; I get into character (I usually pretend to be some fictional character that i like) and I actually speak, cry, laugh, just act out everything that I'm daydreaming.
And then I also speak the other persons lines.
So I'm used to having a dialogue between me and someone else. And this is sort of how I think, too, even when I'm not daydreaming.
I've named three different 'personalities' that exist in me, and I can tell which one is speaking.
It does sort of remind me of Gollum and Smeagol though and it can be scary at times; I should probably tell my psych about it ;-;
BUT YES I do talk to myself in my head.
I'll come up with a thought or theory, and then another personality will either agree or point out the flaws or provide some counterpoints.
It's cool. It's a lot more organized than when I viewed myself as just one person?
It's like I imagine these different personalities. They help me think. I don't know.
(I'm terrrrible at writing anything, sorry this isn't put together well at all.)

 

[Artsu Tharaz]

Know, I just listen.