People who talk to themselves. What does it mean if a person speaks to himself
Guys, we put our soul into the site. Thank you for
that you discover this beauty. Thanks for the inspiration and goosebumps.
Join us at Facebook and In contact with
Thinking out loud is by no means a sign of insanity and can do far more good than it might seem at first glance.
websitewill talk about why it is possible and important to at least occasionally talk to yourself.
The first thing to say is that talking to yourself out loud is a sure sign of genius. The smartest people on our planet often talked to themselves. This is reflected in scientific works, poetry, painting, and history confirms this.
For example, Albert Einstein liked to think aloud about mathematical formulas and complex theories, and sometimes he even consulted with himself. Besides, in many studies have been carried out confirming that thoughts aloud accelerate and structure the thought process.
“Keys, keys, keys. Where did I put them? And here they are, right on the table! ”It was found out experimentally that a person quickly found the desired object, repeating its name out loud. Speaking the name of what we are looking for at the moment, stimulates the memory, and we concentrate faster, therefore, we find the desired item much faster.
True, it is worthwhile to understand that this only works if you know exactly what what you need looks like.
Children often learn by saying and repeating what they do. And at the same time they remember for the future how they solved the problem. And, probably, everyone knows when you are trying to remember something, it is better to say it out loud. Due to the fact that we hear the information we need in the most native voice for our brain, it is remembered much faster and for a long time.
Almost every one of us has a complete mess going on in our heads, and our thoughts rush from side to side. But speaking out what bothers you out loud allows you to put everything on the shelves and calm your nerves. The famous psychologist Linda Sapadin believes that, speaking aloud, we affirm important and difficult decisions: “This allows you to clarify your thoughts, determine what is important, and strengthen your decision.”
“That's it, I’m starting to run from Monday, learning a foreign language and I’ll definitely sign up for painting courses,” we often tell ourselves. But we all know how difficult it is to compile a list of goals and begin to move towards achieving them. Saying each step, you can at times ease this task, make everything less difficult and more specific. This allows you to look at things in the future and more confidently move forward.
And finally, the person who knows absolutely everything about you is you yourself. Do not be afraid to listen to your inner voice and confidently, loudly answer aloud to him.
“It’s like I’m writing subtitles for my life,” 37-year-old Alexandra admits. - Everything I’m going to do, I comment out loud: “Today it’s warm, I’ll put on a blue skirt”; “I'll take a couple of thousand off the card, that’s enough.” If my friend hears, it’s not scary - he’s used to it. But in a public place, people start to squint at me, and I feel stupid. "
It helps me focus.. Speaking our actions out loud, we are not at all eager for communication - so why don't we just shut up? “The need for commentary arises when the task before us requires concentration,” says psychotherapist Andrei Korneev, a specialist in somatic psychology. - In the life of each of us there was a period when we described aloud everything that we did or were going to do. Although, perhaps, we do not remember him: it happened at the age of about three years. Such speech not addressed to anyone is a natural stage of development; it helps the child to navigate in the objective world, move from spontaneous reactions to conscious actions and learn how to manage them. Then the outer speech “folds”, passes into the inner one, and we stop noticing it. ” But it can “turn around” again and sound out loud if we perform some complicated sequence of operations, for example, we assemble an electronic circuit or prepare a dish according to a new recipe. Its function is the same: it makes it easier for us to manipulate objects and helps to plan them.
Elena, 41 years old, teacher of the Norwegian language
“It was a habit for me to criticize myself out loud, or even scold me. I never thought about her and somehow involuntarily made a remark to myself in the therapist’s office. And he asked: “Who told little Lena that she was stupid?” It was like an insight: I remembered that this was how my school teacher lectured me. And I stopped talking like that - because I don’t think so, these words are not mine! ”
I pour out emotions. Exclamations not addressed can be a manifestation of strong feelings: resentment, delight. Once, Pushkin, alone, "clapped his hands and shouted" oh yes Pushkin! Aw, son of a bitch! ”- He was so pleased with his work. The remarks “even if it had carried!” The student before the exam, “so what to do with it?” Of the accountant over the quarterly report and what we say when we look after the train we were late for, they all have the same reason. “Speaking in such a situation serves as an emotional discharge and is often accompanied by an energetic gesture,” explains Andrey Korneev. “Strong is a surge of energy, and it requires some manifestation outside, so that we can get rid of excess tension.” I continue to have an internal dialogue. Sometimes we seem to look at ourselves from the outside - and evaluate, scold, read notations. “If these are monotonous statements in which the same assessments sound little depending on changing circumstances, this is a consequence of emotional trauma that we most likely received in childhood,” says Andrey Korneev. “An unresolved conflict is turning into an internal one: one part of us is in conflict with another.” The strong feeling that we experienced in the past did not find a way out (for example, we could not express anger towards our parents) and remained locked inside. And we relive it, repeating the words addressed to us once aloud.
What to do?
Separate your thoughts from strangers
Who speaks to us during such monologues? Do we really express our own thoughts and opinions or repeat what our parents, relatives or close friends once told us? “Try to remember who it was. Imagine that this person is now in front of you, ”suggests Andrey Korneev. - Listen to his words. Find the answer that you can give now, as an adult, taking into account your life experience and knowledge. As a child, you might be confused or afraid, did not know what to answer, or were afraid. Today you have something to say, and you will be able to protect yourself. ” This exercise helps complete the experience.
Try to speak quietly
“If pronouncing actions helps you, you don’t need to try to get rid of it,” Andrei Korneev reassures. - And if at the same time disapproving views or comments of others who do not want to be in the know about your plans interfere, then try to avoid them. What to do for this? Speak quietly, in a whisper. This is just the rare case when the more illegible, the better. Then those around you will not suspect for a second that you are addressing them, and there will be less awkward situations. Gradually, you can switch to silent speaking, this is a matter of training. ” Take a closer look, and you will notice other people who move their lips near the store shelf with twenty kinds of cereals. But this does not bother anyone.
Prepare in advance
Make a list of products going to the store. Calculate the time going to train. Learn all exam tickets. Planning and careful preparation will save you from having to think on the go and worry out loud. Of course, there are emergency situations that are not dependent on us and which cannot be foreseen. But, hand on heart, we recognize that they rarely happen.
We will not reveal a big secret if we say that all people talk with their own selves. Usually this is a monologue that no one hears, sometimes men and women express their thoughts verbally without having a listener nearby. Paying attention to this feature, you should not panic and think about mental abnormalities. In most cases, according to competent scientists, talking with yourself is not considered a pathology. Rather, it is a natural way to protect yourself from loneliness and verbally throw out the accumulated emotions. However, there are situations when such communication becomes a clear signal of problems with the psyche. How to understand, if a person talks to himself out loud, is this a diagnosis or a norm of behavior?
Features of verbal communication
Many people come to the psychologist with a complaint: "I’m talking to myself!" They seek help from qualified professionals, considering such behavior a sign of serious nervous breakdown. To figure out why a person is talking to himself out loud or mentally, the doctor will conduct a large survey, trying to distinguish the norm from the deviation. Based on the results of the studies, appropriate measures will be taken.
Before drawing conclusions, it is necessary to determine what is called normal behavior, and in which cases we can talk about developing mental disorder.
Internal monologue
For closed introverts, talking to yourself is normal. People of this psychotype are reluctant to make contact with others, do not allow outsiders to penetrate their personal lives, they live in their own harmonious world. They often do not need an interlocutor, preferring to experience all situations mentally, discussing their causes and consequences in their heads.
Outgoing dialogues are also conducted by sociable individuals. A person speaks to himself from childhood, as soon as he has learned to understand the changes around him. Psychologists argue that such conversations contribute to the continuous development of personality, help to put in order thoughts and make the right decisions. During internal communication, the functioning of the brain improves, due to which the information received is quickly perceived and processed, observation and attentiveness increase several times. According to scientists, people who pronounce the problem to themselves are more successful in life than those who are not peculiar to such conversations.
Talking out loud
Talking with oneself is the first sign of loneliness. They replace real communication with a person, but the need for such conversations disappears when an interesting interlocutor appears. Is it normal to talk to yourself out loud?
Experts say that conducting such a monologue is useful - it helps stimulate brain activity, the processes of perception and assimilation of information are rapidly activated. Speaking any problem out loud, a person will quickly understand what actions to take to solve it.
Conversation with an imaginary interlocutor
Much more serious concerns are caused by the situation if a person talks to himself, imagining the interlocutor. He conducts a dialogue with an invisible surrounding opponent, answers questions or asks them independently. This strange behavior is a sign of psychological distress. In a state of psychosis, sick individuals can be a danger to themselves and loved ones, their actions cannot be predicted or controlled.
Auditory hallucinations - the main symptom of a mental disorder
Normally, if a man or a woman declares: "I am talking to myself out loud, memorizing educational material, wanting to evaluate my actions or express doubts." This means that they want to fully absorb or understand the information by speaking it. Such behavior among specialists will not cause any complaints.
Another thing is when, not noticing anyone around, a person speaks up - the causes of this phenomenon may be in the incorrect functioning of the psyche. Auditory hallucinations are a false perception of reality, a reaction to an external stimulus, which in reality does not exist. A mentally unhealthy individual hears voices, answers them and conducts a conversation with an invisible interlocutor. These alarming symptoms confirm the need to show the individual a doctor who can make the correct diagnosis by analyzing the patient's complaints and general behavior.
A disease when a person is talking to himself can develop for the following reasons:
- prolonged depression;
- severe stress;
- violation of sleep and rest;
- constant mental stress;
- wrong lifestyle;
- high anxiety;
- lack of joyful events;
- pessimistic attitude.
Persistent auditory and visual hallucinations can be symptoms of serious mental illness - schizophrenia or a split personality. These are serious illnesses, as a result of which men and women lose touch with the real world. However, do not rush to independently diagnose the disease with yourself or your friends. Only a specialist in the field of psychiatry can talk with himself out loud with a disappointing diagnosis.
Differences of schizophrenia from a split personality
These two diseases have similar symptoms and cardinal differences. Schizophrenia is a brain dysfunction. This disease can be inherited or obtained due to the influence of a number of exogenous and endogenous factors. The first manifestations of mental disorder in the male are noticeable in adolescence and at the age of 25 years, in the female - from 20 to 30 years.
A split personality is not schizophrenia. This mental disorder is not congenital, but acquired due to certain negative events in life or injuries received in childhood. Additional personalities arise as a result of the individual’s desire to overcome the consequences of an emotional blow, in severe cases, one of them fully controls behavior, becoming dominant.
Both diseases are characterized by the same symptoms:
- i am talking to myself - an inadequate individual communicates with a fictitious interlocutor;
- manifest in adolescence;
- difficulties in learning and mastering any material;
- distance from reality.
Distinguish schizophrenia and split personality can only be a qualified doctor. Based on the diagnosis, adequate treatment will be prescribed.
How to stop talking to yourself? If your case fits the description of the norm, then you should not worry - the voiced thoughts will only help in solving life's difficulties. Medical assistance should be sought when an imaginary interlocutor “connects” to the dialogues, auditory hallucinations and inappropriate behavior appear.
Are you talking to yourself? Do not rush to consider yourself crazy. There are no psychological abnormalities or diseases in this. A person is prone to communication, and to whom do we trust most? Of course to myself. Psychologists of the world argue that such communication is beneficial to man. Before doing something, we weigh the pros and cons, just some people do it out loud. It is proved that people who consult with themselves are less likely to make mistakes in their actions. Also, communicating with our inner voice, we recognize ourselves as a person. There is a category of people who cannot but communicate with themselves - these are audils. They pervade the world through sounds. For them, verbal explanation of an act, process or action is much more important than just thoughts or reading. For example: audit collects a cabinet according to the instructions. After reading it, he may not understand how to proceed. But, having read it aloud, he would better understand what was written.
Sometimes people alone with themselves even swear. They can talk loudly, scold someone or scream. So a person spills out the negative emotions accumulated in his soul. No need to be ashamed or shy, this is normal, moreover, it is useful.
Our thoughts have no emotions. They, like a calm stream, flow to themselves and flow. Try to say “What a good day!” In your head, and now say it out loud. Agree that there is a difference. The way we say gives an emotional touch to our feelings and thoughts. If you will often say good things out loud, then your mood will always be at its best!
How to concentrate if something bothers you? For example: you do your homework, you need to concentrate, but you cannot. Different thoughts climb into my head, distracting me from work. Focusing is very easy! We must speak out loud. By reading, for example, a solution to a problem, you can no longer be distracted. The brain will focus not on thoughts, but on sounds. This is also one of the reasons people talk to themselves.
A person has several ways to remember information. For example: you go to the store and put together a shopping list in your head. Are you sure you will not forget it? A good way is to write it all down, but what if there is no way? Speak out loud what you want to buy. Your auditory memory will begin to work. This applies not only to the shopping list. You can also plan a daily routine, important things that are unforgivable to forget, and much more.
Another reason for such conversations is boredom. We can sometimes become lonely or sad. Or just boring. Then we start talking to ourselves. If we do not get enough communication, we may feel bad. This is one of the causes of depression. So keep talking with yourself and don’t listen to anyone. Enjoy chatting with a smart person!
Many probably have a colleague who gets up and says as if to himself: “I’m going to eat” or “It's time to go home”. For others, this information does not carry any value, so why are absolutely normal people commenting out loud on their actions? The Village asked about this psychiatrist and city dweller, who sometimes talks to himself.
Timur Enaliev
psychiatrist, psychotherapist, narcologist
The human mind is constantly in a stream of thoughts. Information - for the most part completely useless - is becoming more and more, our mind is overloaded. A significant part of live verbal communication is stolen by social networks - this is perhaps why there are more and more people who speak to themselves. This is a kind of obsessive amulet, so as not to forget how to speak. Joke.
Seriously, the spoken word has a special power. It is a vibration. It is a pity, many people treat words superficially. The way a person speaks is to some extent more important than what he says. People are very focused on form, everyone has to choose the right, “right” words to be understood. However, to make you feel, it is enough to be in a relatively relaxed and friendly mood, voice your thoughts, and not use templates and blanks, which makes our communication fresh and formal.
No matter how strange a person looks from the side, commenting aloud on his actions, voicing intentions - this is, rather, a defensive one. This is a protection from feelings of loneliness, self-doubt, a kind of self-reinforcement and reinforcement. More often than not, this is not realized, and therefore does not hide.
And a little about the other side of the phenomenon - a condition well known in psychiatry. With obsessive-compulsive disorder, quite diverse in manifestations, a person, figuratively speaking, becomes a hostage to his thoughts. He is painfully worried, and not in his power to resist the utterance of aloud certain words or phrases. Fear and fears are so strong that they provoke the performance of various protective rituals, including verbal ones.
With personality disharmony (psychopathy), there are cases of uncontrolled negative speech. And finally, the deepest and most inaccessible is the psychotic level. A person in such states may be in dialogue with hallucinations.
Julia Kalinina
talking to herself
This is called egocentric speech - that is, speech addressed to oneself. I have it at times. When a mess begins in the head from a large number of simultaneous activities, or fatigue has accumulated, or you need to concentrate very much on the details, I pronounce my actions out loud so that I sort of control myself. She drew attention to her several years ago when she began to live alone - that is, in a situation where, apart from me, no one makes sounds in the apartment. Personally, egocentric speech helps me a lot: the feeling that you are not the only one doing something. As if two people control each other: me and me. For example, today I filled out a tax return, there are a bunch of numbers in which I do not understand anything. I spoke out every number aloud so as not to get confused.
Illustration: Nastya Yarovaya
