Hi, i wanted to ask is it normal to talk to myself in public? I realised i had this issue since young as I talk to myself alot be it at home or in public. And because i keep talking to myself, i actually liked the idea of wearing mask as no one is able to see my mouth movements.
My thoughts run super fast, like very fast and therefore alot of times i realise my thoughts control me more than I control them. So often a times i realise that i will walk aimlessly without realising what i am doing cuz i am carried away by my thoughts. Additionally, because i often have conversations with my thoughts, i realised that alot of times, i tend to mumble and talk to myself often in public… Even if people cnt hear, they can see my mouth movements which to be honest i am very conscious about it esp cuz i also got loud voice but i feel like i cannot control because if I dun talk my tots out, i would not be able to get rid of the thought… So i just wanted to ask is it normal to talk in public?
In addition to that i realise i tend to have OCD about some of my thoughts. For instance, if sth interrupted my thought (eg someone pass by me) i will feel like my tot process is being interrupted and I need to rethink the whole thing agn which takes alot of time… Even small things that interrupted my tot process, i will need to repeat the whole thinking process and I will need to say the whole thing agn which could be irritating but i cant help to do so. So i kinda need help in fixing this cuz it is really to the point i think i am crazy 
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Hi @anonymous274 ! I don’t feel talking to yourself in public is a major problem simply bcos I also do that quite often. I realised that I can concentrate on things better when I run through my thoughts verbally. I use it quite often especially when I am extremely stressed.
TBH, I often do this cos it helps me to sort of relieve my stress. I guess it’s normal cos it’s similar to talking to another person, just that we talk to ourselves instead of other people. And, as you said using a mask will come in handy so that you won’t really look awkward.
I guess you are more of an auditory person in that you can make sense of your thoughts when you say it out loud rather than keeping silent. I feel you can use a paper to pen down your thoughts if your thought process tends to get disrupted midway. At least you can get back to whatever you were thinking about once things get back to normal.
Hope this helps!
Hi @anonymous274
Thank you for sharing such personal feelings with us on this platform. It sounds like you are often carried away by your thoughts and I am not sure of speaking those thoughts out loud gives you more clarity. I want to affirm you that this is more common than you think and you are not crazy for talking to yourself.
People talk to themselves for several reasons. It could be a kind of cognitive processing method, to gain clarity which is like speaking with someone to connect the dots. Sometimes, it might be a way people process information or regulate their emotions. It could also be helpful in terms of controlling impulsive behaviours by proving a moment to reflect before acting on certain thoughts.
While these can be a kind of coping mechanism, you might want to consider seeking support if you feel bothered by such actions. I think at this point, you seem rather aware of yourself, thus reflecting on whether this is helpful or not. It seems more like you have a lot on your mind and it is frustrating you to quite an extent.
Would you consider speaking to a friend or family member to gain new insights or perspectives towards your situation? Not so much about the part on talking to yourself, but more to discuss the thoughts that are running in your mind. I get a feeling that you are currently feeling stuck and that’s why you find it difficult to stop thinking about it.
If you find it hard to stop the self-talk, you may want to consider adjusting the content of self-talk. Negative self-talk can lead you down a negative spiral and it is not helping your situation as you may feel more discouraged. Positive self-talk would sound like giving affirmations to yourself and reflecting on what you are good at. You have shown resilience in the way you try to cope with this difficult situation. It is definitely discouraging when things don’t go your way or when you don’t feel motivated to change anything. I am sure your resilience can pull you through this challenging time again.
Please remember that you are not alone and try to reach out to someone to share about your feelings. It may feel difficult right now and I hope you get the strength to navigate around this.