Does anyone else do this? - Bipolar Disorder Message Board

blugreen · 11-22-2008, 06:19 AM

I don't know if this is something that everyone does, or if it may be something to do with my bipolar. I have a problem with having conversations with people in my head. Like, if I have something I want to tell someone about, I will start thinking about what I would tell them and 10-15 minutes later I realize I am still "talking" to that person in my head and I have to stop and literally tell myself, "they are not even here, they cannot hear you, you're wasting your time!"

I don't actually "hear" the voices, it's just thinking about it I guess, what I would say, what they would say. Sometimes it's about things that I probably wouldn't even end up talking to them about. Sometimes I think about talking to someone i'm mad at, or having a problem with and I have this whole conversation telling them how I feel, etc. Then I have to remind myself, "you are not even talking to them, this does no good because they can't hear you are just talking to yourself." It's not a huge problem for me, just an annoyance and it is definitely worse some days than others, I can be having these "conversations" with different people in my head all day long, it's very distracting. And other days, not really at all except when I'm not doing anything. Doesn't happen as much when I"m depressed. A lot when I can't sleep. So, anyone else experience this, or anything similar to it?

I had to get up this morning and actually come to this board to ask because I have been doing it for the last hour when I couldn't go back to sleep!

laurenp86 · 11-24-2008, 07:55 PM

wow i thought i was the only one!! it's not really a big problem to me and i often don't realise i'm doing it but come to think of it i think it's distracting for me aswell, i dont "hear" any voices but will often play out a conversation in my head between myself and someone i know when that person isnt even there!

tigger5150 · 11-24-2008, 10:38 PM

I do it as well, quite often as a matter of fact. But I'm also having now what I would consider auditory hallucinations at times along with doing this. So I don't think you're alone

soucie · 11-24-2008, 10:38 PM

I do this too and I've been told that it is part of the "obsessing" tendency of bipolar. I've noticed that I don't do this as much now that I'm on meds.

blugreen · 11-25-2008, 08:03 AM

I started on Lamictal last week and maybe it's starting to kick in a little bit, because I haven't found myself doing this in a couple of days. Which is actually quite nice.

Glad to hear others doing this too. I figured it had something to do with the BP. I have done this for years (but not quite as bad) and really thought maybe everyone does, until it has gotten so bad the last couple of years. I have several obsessive tendencies that I really thought where no big deal and everyone did them, but now that I have really been thinking about all of mine, I can definitely attribute them to BP and not just something everyone does.