*gulp*...I have a habit of talking to myself in the 3rd person [I think that's what it's called. Please advise if I'm wrong] and answering myself as well. If you were outside a room it would sound like 2 people in a conversation. Only happens when I'm alone. Kind of like unconscious thought made vocal.

It's not consistant but I think i just don't like the quiet somehow. I have a few disorder things going on and an ADD issue. My mind goes a hunnert mph a lot of the times. Maybe voicing my thoughts forces them to slow down a litlle? I just thought of that. Hmmm!

I did this when I was a kid even. I wasn't diagnosed with anything until age 38. It isn't worrisome and it definitely isn't a 'voice' or anything as with some of the other disorders. It's just me answering me. In conversation as I putter alone. It's like talking to a friend and it's all just matter of fact patter. Hard to describe. I'm really thinking now that maybe it IS an unconscious coping mechanism to help slow me down. Never related this to anyone before. i remember my mom asking me who I was talking to once and I just said myself without thinking anything about it.

I mentioned earlier I'll be starting a stimulant med for the ADD ina few days. I'm going to make a note to notice over time if this dimishes the self chat stuff. Just for interests sake as this isn't stressful as i said. My inside inside voice that is critcal of myself is something completely different and I recognize that. What i do is just banal ordinary chat...sometimes it's back and forth one to one and sometimes I'll spend some time expressing all I say in the 3rd person.

Only once did I attempt to look into this phenomena on google but I got sidetracked somewhere[easy for me!] and didn't find anything. There is plenty of info on various thought processes and internal thinking etc out there i expect. I'll find time to look into this again. Anyone else know anything or have a similar habit? Anyone know of a likely site that might have some info or place to start? It's a fascinating thing I do and I've often wondered about it.

[Perna]

I think the self chat might be mostly a bad habit. You started it when you were a child, enjoyed it rather than feeling alone so continued it and now it's just a habit. I don't think it will go away with meds, won't be that easy if you want to get rid of it, you'll have to think about it and work on not answering out loud, etc.

Using third person to refer to yourself is "illeism". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illeism

[fishsandwich]

Lots of people talk to themselves. I notice it all the time in the street It's quite amusing to see, really.

I talk to myself also; sometimes I say repeatedly thoughts that are too uncomfortable to keep inside, sometimes I rehearse awkward conversations. Sometimes I get really desperate to speak in my first language, so I speak with myself because I don't know anybody else who speaks it. I never even though of it as part of a disorder because I notice so many people who do it.

Hi fishsandwich! Thanks for the observations. I guess what I do isn't illeism. You're right too, I've of course seen people doing that occasionally and never thought that hey! I do the same thing! But like I said it isn't something I find distressing in any way unless I was observed doing it and I could see a concerned look on someones face! ha! I think i'd feel pretty silly and embarrassed. That MUST have happened a few times I'm sure. I guess it didn't distress me that much, i don't recall any situation anyway.

Another thing I do and this isn't really too odd but just for the sake of the convo topic sorta...When I'm reading a book sometimes and the descriptive has a character enunciating a certain way and if the scene described is a particularly evocative one, I'll voice a characters line out loud to see what it might have sounded like. Even with a sometimes crude accent if applicable. Well heh and only male characters too. A 'girl' voice would sound like some comedy guy doing a bad impression like one of the Pythons!

Anyway, I mull the sentence over, do a couple of takes to maybe get the effect I'd imagine and the reading goes on as normal. Don't habitually do it but it happens. Usually at a pivotal point in a character interaction God the brain is a fun thing sometimes!