I’ve always had conversations with other people, either in my head or out loud. They are people that I know IRL, and either about situations that happened that I wished had gone differently, or situations that I’m anticipating/rehearsing. I’ve always considered it an anxiety thing, and also related to my tendency to reflect and introspect a lot. I don’t consider it a problem, even though it can be quite time consuming when I’m really worried. I don’t know how similar that is to what you experience though?

What your nurse said about talking to yourself is true though. Because I also talk to myself out loud as a way to problem solve and figure out my next steps in an activity. I only started doing it a couple of years ago due to cognitive issues. I have trouble figuring out sequences, like getting ready in the morning in the right order, and following recipes. So I talk myself through each step out loud. This is different from what I wrote first, and is called self-talk. Children do it naturally as a way to problem solve, but we condition them to stop because society says that talking to yourself is ‘crazy’, which is a shame. I don’t remember how I started doing it and found that it was helpful, but it was, so I’ve found myself doing it more and more as time has gone on. I try not to do it in public, but don’t always catch myself. But the benefits of self-talk are being recognised now as a useful problem solving technique, so hopefully talking to yourself will become less stigmatised in future.

If this talking to yourself is causing you difficulties, and you say that it does “interfere with [your] life”, then you should bring it up with your treatment team

*Willow*