Question: Is talking to yourself considered "normal behavior?"

I’m curious to hear from others who have schizophrenia. Does talking to yourself worsen delusions and other symptoms?

I sometimes find myself having full conversations with myself and it is sometimes hard to stop. Maybe this is a bad habit, not really sure.

It might be a sign of the “split mind.”

What are your experiences? What have your therapists recommended?

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I used to talk to myself quite a bit, but ever since i’ve gone on medication, i really don’t have any urge to do it anymore. Like you, i used to start and sometimes had trouble stopping, but that really isn’t an issue anymore. As far as i’m aware, it definitely isn’t “normal” behaviour.

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I used to have a lot of conversations in my head.
It would go on nonstop all day.
Never really out loud.
Medication has quieted that down.

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I do it alot with imaginary scenarios and conversations with imaginary people done it for ever i dont talk out loud but my mouth might move thats what i call “day dreaming”, i know my mum does it and shes not schizophrenic she calls it “thinking aloud”.
With the schizophrenia i have had conversations with hallucinations and that is very different then day dreaming.

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I used to have these convos with myself and true to god meds took it away.

I hardly ever speak to myself anymore

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I have conversations with other people in my head constantly. It’s compulsive. I’m pretty used to it. Sometimes it gets so loud I’m afraid other people can hear it (thought broadcasting) I find the more troubles I have the more I do it. The conversations repeat and go in loops when I’m manic. I don’t know if it’s normal or not. I’ve asked other people about it and they say they talk to themselves in their head.

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I talk to myself often. I try really not to do it when other people are around. It seems to make them uncomfortable. I usually argue withy voices or role play with people. It hasn’t gone away with my medication.

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I used to talk to imaginary friends as well as to myself. I finally was able to stop.

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I swear at my voices quite alot (loudly sometimes) and when i forget, also in public. Even to the point ive nearly been nicked cos the elderly neighbour thought i was gonna batter him - when in reality i was swearing at my head. I assume you mean talking to the hallucinantion voices of course. Its a constant inner dialogue i have with myself - and sometimes it can make it worse.

I only talk to myself in response to my head. When my brain is quiet, no i dont.

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Certainly no way to know if it might normal, abnormal, and if the latter what it means. There just isn’t enough to go by to provide an informed response. What you described is actually a therapeutic technique introduced by the late Fritz Perls, called “empty chair,” where the person goes back and forth between two chairs talking to a different person, or frequently between different parts of one’s personality. Yes, it’s sort of funny when you imagine people actually doing this, but it’s a way to externalize and act out these parts so they can be understood to get a better handle on internal conflicts.

If you are curious, I would Google “Gestalt therapy, empty chair technique.”

You might get a better perspective about something you do which may be a way of trying to unconsciously figure out some things.

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No it’s not “normal” to talk to yourself out loud although some normies do it from time to time.

When I was on Vraylar I became psychotic and started talking to myself.

Not healthy.

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I really dont talk to myslef as much as I just talk out loud just to hear myself speak some, like practicing talking.

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“Split mind” is a myth, or an extremely rare, un-scientifically proven illness that is not at all related to schizophrenia. I know where the term came from, but it’s not the correct term anymore.

Talking to yourself, such as thinking-our-loud or calming yourself in a time of stress are completely normal. Two-way conversations with yourself is not.

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I remember one time I was talking to myself out loud and my roommate woke up. I thought he heard me, I was so anxious and paranoid. I don’t do it as much anymore, but I suppose it’s probably not a good habit to have full-on conversations with yourself.

I’m sorry to hear your meds haven’t been effective in that area.

What coping mechanisms help with your symptoms?

That’s it!

Two-way conversations, haha!

I need to stop that.

Where did the term “split mind” come from?

@thomas

Thanks for letting me know @Wave.

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Dude, that’s amazing!

Thanks so much for sharing this. I greatly appreciate it.

How can I become part of your @InnerCircle?

:smile:

How do you quiet your mind @Naarai?

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How were you able to stop?

@CoCo

The term ‘schizophrenia’ was coined in 1910 by the Swiss psychiatrist Paul Eugen Bleuler, and is derived from the Greek words ‘schizo’ (split) and ‘phren’ (mind). Bleuler had intended the term to refer to the dissociation or ‘loosening’ of thoughts and feelings that he had found to be a prominent feature of the illness.

Source: A Brief History of Schizophrenia | Psychology Today

So, like it says in the quote, it was intended to refer to the dissociation or loosening of thoughts. but it was interpreted and still is interpreted to mean multi-personality or literally having a “split mind,” which was never true. Multiple Personality Disorder is what I was referring to, that people mix up with the word “schizophrenia,” that is so incredibly rare that doctors and scientists aren’t even sure if it’s a real illness or made up. To further quote the article:

Multiple personality disorder is a vanishingly condition that is totally unrelated to schizophrenia.

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